Date:         Thu, 11 May 2000 22:40:34 EDT
Reply-To:     Jshopper1@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Dennis Lockwood <Jshopper1@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: FW: tire codes
Comments: To: jeffcrane@email.msn.com
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

Must weigh in.  About 12 years ago I worked a contract job at Michelin in
Greenville, SC.  I saw how the tires were made, the materials, the production
lines.  The tire making equipment was imported from France, the engineering
drawings for the plant were bilingual (English and French) and drawn in
France.  Rubber and steel was procured to Michelin standards locally.  At the
time, the plant where I worked (US-1) was making Michelins for OEM
applications on Ford Taurus and Chrysler cars and vans.  The plant also
mounted and balanced the tires on the wheels for the car manufacturers.  The
plant lobby proudly displayed quality awards from both manufacturers.
Although this plant built tires for American cars, other American Michelin
plants built airplane tires, truck tires, and specialty application tires.
At the time, all Michelin tires listed in English their country of origin.
Sorry to hear that they now don't.  Those US made Michelin tires were of the
highest quality.  Tires for European applications were imported from their
European factories.  At the time the US Michelin factories did not build
tires for European cars.
With regard to the tire industry mergers and acquisitions, those American
plants taken over by European manufacturers probably still make the same
tires that they always have.  The only difference is the fact that the side
wall brand name is now different.  It is a shame, the uninitiated buyer will
think that Michelin quality is available at discount prices.  Not the same.
Tsk, tsk.
In a word, buyer beware.  The Michelin tires made in the US are probably
still designed for American car applications.  Tires for Euro applications
probably still come from the continent.

Dennis Lockwood
91 Carat (original owner)