Where Are Continental Tires Made? Facts & FAQs
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Ed Malaker
- Last updated:
Continental is a popular brand of tires that has been around for several years and is quite popular. You can find the tires on vehicles worldwide, and many people want to know if they are an American brand. The short answer is no. Continental is not an American company, but it makes tires in the United States, so keep reading as we take a closer look at the company to help you be better informed.
What Are Continental Tires?
Continental is a German company that got its start in 1871. By the 1920s, it was merging with other rubber companies to form the largest of its kind. It has continued to expand ever since, creating factories in several locations. Today, it has the only tire manufacturer in China, employing more than 1,700 people. Continental makes tires for automobiles, motorbikes, and bicycles.
Are Continental Tires Made in the United States?
While the headquarters of Continental is in Germany, it has many satellite locations. Several are in the United States, including plants in Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia, Texas, and Illinois. Besides the Continental brand, some states use the Continental facilities to create the General Tire brand, which is less expensive and not as high quality.
What Tire Companies Are American?
Cooper Tire
Cooper Tire is an American company that began operating in 1914. Today, it’s one of only two American companies that still produces tires for automobiles, trucks, motorcycles, and racing. It has factories in Finley, Ohio, and Texarkana, Arizona.
It was listed on the stock exchange in 1960, and Goodyear acquired it in 2021. It’s currently responsible for the large line of Cooper tires and Dean, Mastercraft, Mickey Thompson, Roadmaster, and Starfire tires.
Goodyear Tire
Goodyear Tire got started in 1898, and with the recent acquisition of Cooper Tire, it’s currently the largest tire manufacturer in the United States. It invented vulcanized rubber, which helps add durability to the tires, and it was the first to come up with a quick and easy way to remove tires from cars.
Goodyear produces tires for cars, trucks, campers, and more today. It also makes airships, like the Goodyear Blimp, which is one of America’s most recognizable advertisements.
Other Tire Companies
Other popular tire companies include Bridgestone, a Japanese company, and Michelin, a French company that makes many of the tires used in the United States. Other honorable mentions include Pirelli, an Italian manufacturer, Yokohama, a Japanese manufacturer, and BFGoodrich, another Japanese company. There are a few others, but this covers most of the tires you will currently find on the road.
Final Thoughts
While Continental is not an American company, the German tire manufacturer has several locations in the United States that help it meet the country’s demand for new tires. For example, there are factories in North Carolina, Texas, Georgia, Illinois, and Michigan that produce plenty of tires each day. There are also Continental factories in other countries, like China, where it is one of the only businesses of its type currently operating there.
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Featured Image Credit: KULLAPONG PARCHERAT, Shutterstock
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