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Goodyear claims another first in its
long history of more than 100 years of innovation
Geneva, Switzerland, March 1, 2005
Goodyear trumpets another first for the company that has been at the
forefront of tire innovation for over 100 years, from the first
detachable tire in 1904 and the first tire on the moon in 1971 to
RunOnFlat in 2005. RunOnFlat is the latest in a long line of
pioneering innovations and its roll out into the market provides
drivers with a product that will deliver additional consumer
benefits beyond tire reliability.
Seizing the initiative
Since the founding of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company in
Akron, Ohio, USA, in 1898, the company has distinguished itself
through the decades by seizing the initiative in research and
development. The seeds of Goodyear's success in innovation were sown
as early as 1904 with the design of the first detachable tyre. This
led to Ford's decision in 1908 to equip the first mass produced car,
the legendary Model T, with Goodyear tyres. 1934 saw the launch of
the most innovative development in tyre safety technology of the
decade. Named the LifeGuard tyre, it relied on a secondary inner
tube to provide enough cushioning to maintain steering stability
until the driver could safely pull the car over to the shoulder.
Back down to earth Goodyear tyres were also fitted on Craig
Breedlove's Spirit of America when he became the first man to top
the 600 mph land speed record, in 1964 at the Bonneville Salt Flats
in Utah, USA. In 1971 Goodyear put the first tyre on the moon by
equipping the Apollo 14 Modular Equipment Transporter or moon buggy
with specially designed tyres. In 1985 Goodyear supplies the first
radial tyres for commercial aircraft. In 1992 Goodyear introduced
the Aquatred tyre which offered a revolutionary design which
delivered high performance traction in both wet and dry conditions.
Tyre traction on wet road surfaces was increased up to 20 percent,
reducing the risk of aquaplaning and improving driver safety. In
1997, at the higher end of tyre performance and handling, Goodyear
proclaimed its dominance in the racing world by achieving its 350th
Formula 1 Grand Prix racing victory. Goodyear pioneered the world's
first commercial runflat tyre back in 1992 with its EMT, Extended
Mobility Technology. The Goodyear runflat tyre was the first to
achieve commercial viability. Innovation is at the heart of the
company and the launch in 2005 of RunOnFlat - the technology that
keeps tyres rolling on - will not only bring peace of mind to
drivers everywhere but will do so with no compromise on performance,
comfort and safety in everyday driving conditions. For further
information please contact the Goodyear European press office by
telephone on +32 2 240 97 74 or by e-mail at press@runonflat.com.
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