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Continental

Brand Directory

Country:

Germany

Primary Focus:

Tires

Years of Operation:

1871 - ?

General Information

The Continental AG (in Germany commonly known as Conti) is today one of world's largest tire manufacturers. Most bicycle tire production is located in Korbach where tubular tires are still handmade. In the early years they were very successful (for example, in the years 1896 and 1897 they paid out a 55%-dividend!) and have grown from a plant with 250 employees in 1875 up to 13.000 in 1914. This rapid development originates from the prosperity of the bicycle industry, itself quickened by the invention of the pneumatic tire.

History

1871, 8. October
Founded as an Inc. named Continental-Caoutchouc- und Gutta-Percha Compagnie in Hanover. Besides soft rubbered goods production covered from the beginning tires (solid tires) for bicycles and coaches.
1882
The rampant horse is adopted as trademark.
1892
Continental is the first German company to manufacture pneumatic tires for bicycles.
1893
Production volume of bicycle pneumatics: 55.632¹1894
Production volume of bicycle pneumatics: 161.565¹
1895
Production volume of bicycle pneumatics: 211.059¹
1896
Production volume of bicycle pneumatics: 387.537¹
1909
Specimens of synthetic rubber developed at the Bayer laboratories are successfully vulcanized at Continental and processed to make the first test tires.
1921
The company's 50th anniversary sees Continental as the first German company to bring cord tire onto the market. The stiff linen square-woven fabric is thus replaced by the more pliable cord fiber fabric.
1926
Carbon black is used as a reinforcing filter to give the tire more resistance to wear and ageing, as well as its characteristic color.
1928/29
Merger with major companies of the German rubber industry to form Continental Gummi-Werke AG. Takeover of Excelsior Gummiwerke in Hanover-Limmer and Peters-Union Korbach/Hesse.

1936
Synthetic rubber is introduced into the tire manufacturing process.

1938
Foundation stone is laid for the tire plant in Stöcken, Hanover.

1945
Heavy bomb damage to the plants in Hanover-Vahrenwald and Korbach. The British military government grants permission as early as June, 1945 for the Hanover factories to resume production.

1979
Takeover of the European tire operations of Uniroyal, Inc., USA, gives Continental a wider base in Europe

1985
Takeover of the tire operations of the Austrian company Semperit.

1987
Acquisition of the North American tire manufacturer General Tire, Inc. The company has been operating under the name of Continental Tire North America, Inc., since 2001.

Source: http://www.conti-online.com/generator/www/com/en/continental/portal/themes/continental/history/history_en.html
¹All mentioned production volumes from: Paul von Salvisberg: Der Radfahrsport in Bild und Wort, Munich 1897 (Reprint Hildesheim 1980) P. 265

Components
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Tires (8)
Recent Added / Updated Components
Component Name	Category	Added / Updated
Continental Grand Prix 3000	Tires	05/11/2016
Continental SuperSport Ultra	Tires	02/07/2016
Continental Super Sport	Tires	08/02/2011
Continental LA84	Tires	06/13/2011
Continental Grand Prix GP3000	Tires	09/25/2010