A
pioneer in tire production, AVON initially produced
solid tires, and built their first pneumatic tire
production facility for automotive tires in 1901.
A consistent innovator in many aspects of tire
manufacturing, AVON was among the first companies
to manufacture a popular cord motor tire in the
1920s.
In
1933, AVON tires were chosen as Original Equipment
on Rolls-Royce cars. Additionally, AVON tires
are known for also having been fitted as Original
Equipment to top vehicle marques such as Aston
Martin, Bentley, Jaguar, Land Rover, and Morgan.
AVON
was producing 1.5 million bias ply tires annually
in 1961, partly due to the recognition they received
for developing a tread rubber compound that greatly
enhanced wet road grip.
Through
the 1970s AVON was at the forefront of radial
tire development, which with their much greater
durability, first complemented then superseded
their cross ply (bias ply) predecessors.
AVON
started automobile race tire production in 1981,
and established its own international racing tire
division in 1983. Read AVON Tires Racing History
for more information.
Worldwide
expansion increased steadily, and in 1997 the
company was acquired by Cooper Tire & Rubber
Co. in the United States to create Cooper-AVON
Tyres Limited.
Cooper-AVON
Tyres Ltd. was the first tire manufacturer in
the world to earn the prestigious ISO 9001 quality
award.
From
its humble beginning as a rubber products manufacturer
in a former cloth mill, AVON Tyres' progress has
been remarkable.
