It was almost the end of the 19th century when two brothers from France set up a company that would change the face of the tyre manufacturing industry. The brothers Edouard and Andre probably could not have imagined what they were setting out to do. And, boy, wouldn’t they love to see where Michelin stands today!
The brand, which stands shoulder to shoulder with other big names like Bridgestone and Continental, had an exciting beginning.
It’s true when they say the most significant things in life come from the smallest of things! This particular origin story is a perfect example of this adage.
The Story
It all started on one beautiful day when Edouard and Andre were busy at their factory in the city of Clermont-Ferrand.
On one such day, a man walked in their rubber factory, asking the brothers to help him fix his cycle’s pneumatic tyre. Edouard and Andre tried everything, but the tyre wouldn’t go more than a hundred metres.
But what separates great men from ordinary men is their ability never to give up. And they didn’t, and Edouard was utterly transfixed with these pneumatic tyres. Thus in 1889, after many trials and errors, they came up with their own patented version of tyres that didn’t need any adhesive to attach them to the rim of the wheel.
That was how the product came to be, and the meteoric rise started from hereon.
Some More Facts and the Michelin Man
We often underestimate the contribution of the Michelin man or Bibendum or Bib, or whatever it is that you want to call it, in the rise of Michelin. This mascot is not only iconic but also, in many ways is an example for other brands on how to advertise a product.
But does that mean that the Michelin man is solely responsible for this spectacular rise? Most certainly not.
Does the term run-flat tyre ring any bells? Sure it does! Well, you will be glad to know that Michelin was the first organisation that brought forth this idea, where you could drive with a flat tyre, because of a foam lining.
So, in short, the concept remained the same; only the name has changed, wouldn’t you agree?
And who can forget radial tyres? A particular kind of tyre where the plies are at a perpendicular to the direction you are travelling. The introduction of this unique technology took the sector by storm and finally by 1946, Michelin had been able to stamp their authority as a legitimate competitor in the tyre manufacturing industry.
So, let’s not wait any longer and delve into one of their latest tyres.
Michelin Primacy 4
Living up to its marketing slogan – ‘’Safe when new, safe when worn”, following are some of its features:
- State-of-the-art wet braking performance.
- Undoubtedly the numero uno when it comes to longevity, it lasts a staggering 11,000 miles more than any other tyre in its category.
- If you are using Primacy as your car tyres in Birmingham or elsewhere, then aquaplaning is the last thing you should be concerned about. This is because their grooves have been designed to clear off more water.
And, as already mentioned, this is only one product. To see more of Michelin’s products you can always visit a garage like Flaxley Tyres in Birmingham. They maintain an extensive collection of Michelin products.