BFGoodrich
| Industry | Automobile tires |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1870 |
| Founder | Benjamin Goodrich |
| Parent |
Goodrich Corporation (1870–1990) Michelin (1990–present) |
| Website | www |
BFGoodrich is a former American manufacturer of tires. Originally part of the industrial conglomerate Goodrich Corporation, it was acquired in 1990 (along with Uniroyal, then The Uniroyal Goodrich Tire Company) by the French tire maker Michelin. Prior to the sale, BFGoodrich was the first American tire manufacturer to make radial tires. It made tires for the then new Winton car.
BFGoodrich tires have been fitted to several noteworthy historical vehicles:
BFGoodrich have been involved with several competitions and enjoyed success with 17 victories at the Baja California Competitions and 5 times winner of the Paris–Dakar Rally. It was also the tire supplier for the 2006 and 2007 seasons of the World Rally Championship.
Founded by Dr. Benjamin Franklin Goodrich in 1870, the BFGoodrich Company, later known as BFGoodrich, was among the first rubber tire manufacturers to be located west of the Appalachian Mountain Range. In the previous year, Goodrich had purchased the Hudson River Rubber Company. Based in Akron, Ohio, the BFGoodrich Company began as a manufacturer of rubberized hoses, which were sold mostly as firehoses. The company also produced rubberized belts, similar to those used on modern vehicles as serpentine belts (fan belt). As the company grew, it began to manufacture pneumatic bicycle tires, eventually leading to the production of pneumatic automobile tires in 1896, this made BFGoodrich the first company in the United States to manufacture this type of tire.
BFGoodrich was not the only tire manufacturer in the United States at the turn of the 20th Century. Among its competitors were Goodyear, Firestone, General and Uniroyal. Due to extensive research and scientific methods, such as tire wear evaluation and longevity testing, BFGoodrich was at the leading edge of the industry. Ford Motor Company, then owned by Henry Ford, chose BFGoodrich tires to be fitted in the new Model A Ford in 1903. That same year, the Model A, equipped with the tires, became the first car to cross the United States from east to west. This event made BFGoodrich a household name. Michelin North America., Inc., makes B.F. Goodrich tires. The Goodrich Corporation, formerly called B.F. Goodrich Company, stopped making tires in 1988 and sold the business and the B.F. Goodrich name to Michelin.
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Wikipedia