OUR HISTORY
Since the beginning, our mission has simply been to never stop moving. To never stop exploring, iterating and trying new things. From the driverless cars of the future, to getting better traction on Mars, we are not just putting tyres on your car, we're putting technology into motion.
1898: Goodyear’s Beginnings - Frank Seiberling borrows $3,500 from his brother-in-law Lucius Miles for the down payment needed to buy an abandoned strawboard factory on the banks of the Little Cuyahoga River in Akron, Ohio, founding The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. Production of carriage tyres, bicycle tyres, horseshoe pads and rubber sundries begins.
1900: The origin of Wingfoot - A meeting to discuss the idea of a suitable trademark is held in August 1900. Among the sketches prepared for the meeting is one using the winged foot of Mercury.
1901: First straight-side tyre with braided wire bead is developed by Goodyear.
1903: First tubeless automobile tyre by Goodyear Ture & Rubber Company is granted patent.
1907: Goodyear tyres on the Model T - 1,200 sets of tyres sold to Henry Ford for use on Model T automobile.
1909: First pneumatic rubber airplane tyres are developed by Goodyear to replace sled runners and bicycle tyres aviation pioneers were then using.
1910: Goodyear expands internationally - Company's first subsidiary and plant outside of the U.S. acquired in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada.
1915: First sales branches open in Australia, Argentina, and South Africa.
1916: The world’s largest tyre company - Goodyear becomes the world's largest tyre company, initiates slogan "More people ride on Goodyear tires than on any other kind."
1917: The introduction of the Blimp - Goodyear builds its first blimps for the company and the U.S. Navy.
1925: Goodyear Blimp, the Pilgrim, is the first commercial non-rigid airship to use helium.
1937: First synthetic rubber tyre - Goodyear builds and tests first American-made synthetic rubber tyre.
1947: First nylon tyres developed by Goodyear.
1949: Tyres on TV - Television first used for advertising with Goodyear sponsorship of The Goodyear Review
1956: Goodyear takes to the track - full line of stock car racing tyres marketed.
1963: Goodyear’s tyre production hits 1 billion
1965: Full range of radial-ply tyres made available in a full range of sizes to all auto manufacturers
1967: Custom-wide tread polyglas announced - combining best characteristics of bias-ply tyres, radial-ply tyres, and the popular "wide footprint”.
1971: Goodyear takes outer space - first tyres on the moon (Apollo 14) supplied by Goodyear.
1972: Custom “steelgard” radial tyre introduced — the only steel-belted radial accepted by all U.S. carmakers for their 1973 models.
1977: First all-season tyre introduced - Goodyear introduces two notable advances in tyre design. “Tiempo”, the first all-season tyre and the revolutionary fuel-saving elliptic tyre.
1981: New family of Eagle high-performance tyres introduced at Daytona, Florida.
1983: Goodyear's three billionth tyre is manufactured at the Danville, Virginia truck tyre plant.
1987: The Eagle radial racing tyre makes its debut and carries Al Unser Sr. to victory in the Indianapolis 500.
1992: Goodyear introduces the first extended mobility, or run-on-flat, tyre for the Chevrolet Corvette.
1994: Goodyear’s tyre manufacturing begins in China.
1997: Deal signed with NASCAR, making Goodyear the "exclusive tyre supplier" of NASCAR's top three race divisions.
1999: Goodyear announces a global alliance with Japan's Sumitomo Rubber Industries, which has rights to the Dunlop tyre brand in much of the world, to establish six joint ventures in North America, Europe, and Japan.
2005: Instant puncture repair technology (Duraseal) for commercial tyres is introduced to repair punctures when they occur.
2006: South Pacific Tyres becomes wholly Goodyear-owned subsidiary.
2016: Eagle 360 named by Time Magazine as one of the best inventions of 2016.
2017: Goodyear wins “Environmental Achievement of the Year” award
2021: Goodyear acquires the Cooper Tire & Rubber Company
2024: Goodyear appoints Tyremax as the distributor of Goodyear tyres, and National Tyre and Wheel of Dunlop tyres in Australia.