There are few things in life that can rival the love between man and machine, OK I admit that that statement is not true, but we cannot deny that there is a love between those two entities and its very much real and very special.
Because of this very love, many people spend thousands on the well being of their machines like vehicles. They’ll make sure that everything is running fine and in good condition.
OK, here’s a question if I asked you to name a part in a vehicle that is so important that without it even the engine is nothing than a heavy chunk of metal, what would you say? No need to scratch your head over it, I’ll answer it for you, it’s tires.
Without them your vehicle is this big hunk of metal that just sits there. And today we talk about a tire manufacturer known as Firestone.
Now Firestone has an interesting history, while other tire companies started out in the late 1800s Firestone started a bit later in the 1900s in Akron, Ohio which also happens to be the place where its archrival known as Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company was based, along with tow medium sized competitors known as General Tire and Rubber and BF Goodrich.
Together Goodyear and Firestone were the largest suppliers of tires for vehicles in North America for over 75 years. In 1918 the company opened up for business in Canada in Hamilton, Ontario and in the year of 1922 it made the first Canadian-made tire on September 15th. During the 1920s, Firestone also produced the Oldfield tire which was named after the racing driver Barney Oldfield.
The company expanded exponentially over the years and in World War 2 it got a defense contract from the Army creating plastic helmet liners and the MGM-5 Corporal ground to ground assault missile. However, the ‘70s were not too kind on the company as it faced a billion dollars and debt and was under the threat of a collapse. The end result was the shutdown of 9 of its 17 manufacturing plants, a move of the company to Chicago and a boost in the non tire related businesses it was involved in and had successfully raised its stock price saving itself narrowly from a collaps.
However in 1988, the company sold itself to the Japanese tire manufacturer Bridgestone and now the two exist as a combined forced.
Over the years Firestone has been involved in countless racing events, sponsoring them and creating prototypes for them as we have seen in a few examples above.
Now, you know all you need to know about this company. Use this knowledge as you see fit, in any way possible whether to impress people you know or to initiate conversation.
As always make sure that everything in your car is in good condition before driving, make sure that you wear your seat belt and follow all the laws and rules and drive safely.