Tyre Fun Facts
Did You Know? 8 Surprising Facts About Tyres
Tyres are often taken for granted as simple rubber hoops, but they are the result of over a century of complex engineering and strange history. From the massive scale of global production to the secret ingredients that keep them on the road, there is more to your vehicle’s tyres than meets the eye. Here is our favorite tyre trivia about the only part of your car that actually touches the road.
1. Who is the World’s Largest Tyre Manufacturer?
You might guess brands like Michelin or Goodyear, but the world’s largest tyre manufacturer is actually LEGO. The toy company produces over 300 million tiny tyres every year for its building sets—far more than any automotive tyre brand. While they won't fit your car, they are engineered with the same focus on grip and durability (on a much smaller scale).
2. Why Are Tyres Black?
Rubber is naturally a milky white colour. Tyres are black because of an ingredient called Carbon Black. This is added to the rubber mix to strengthen it and help conduct heat away from the tread. Before this discovery in the early 1900s, tyres were often white or light grey, but they wore out much faster and became brittle under the sun’s UV rays.
3. The Evolution of the Michelin Man
The famous Michelin mascot, Bibendum, is one of the world's oldest trademarks, introduced in 1898. He was originally white because tyres themselves were white back then. He is actually made of a stack of bicycle tyres, reflecting the company’s early roots in cycling.
4. How High is Space Shuttle Tyre Pressure?
The tyres used on the Space Shuttle were roughly the same size as those on a standard truck, yet they were inflated to a staggering 340 PSI. They had to withstand landing speeds of over 250 mph while carrying the weight of a spacecraft. They were filled with nitrogen to prevent them from freezing in space or exploding during the heat of re-entry.
5. Why Do New Tyres Have Little Rubber "Hairs"?
Those tiny rubber "hairs" on new tyres are called vent spews. They aren't there for grip or aerodynamics; they are a byproduct of the manufacturing process. When rubber is pressed into a mould, these tiny vents allow air to escape so that bubbles don't form inside the tyre structure.
6. How Much Does a Bugatti Tyre Cost?
The tyres for a Bugatti Veyron are some of the most specialized in existence. A full set can cost upwards of £30,000. Because they must handle speeds exceeding 250 mph, the tyres are actually glued to the wheel rims to ensure the wheel doesn't spin inside the tyre under extreme force.
7. Are Tyres "Cooked" Like Food?
Manufacturing a tyre is remarkably similar to baking. After the layers of rubber and steel are assembled, the "green" (un-cured) tyre is placed into a mould and "baked" at high temperatures. This process, called vulcanization, creates the chemical bonds that make the rubber durable, elastic, and road-ready.
8. The Fastest Tyre Change Ever
While a standard pit stop is fast, the world record for the fastest time to change all four wheels on a road car (not a race car!) is just 58.43 seconds. This was achieved by a team in Germany, proving that with the right tools, a tyre change can happen in the blink of an eye.
