An observation: lots of off-brand summer tires in Europe?

[Klutch9]

I’ve been thinking about this lately, and wanted to get your input if I’m off base or not here. We travelled to Europe this past spring, and I noticed that many vehicles, more than here in the states it seemed, had off-brand tires. Perhaps they were more well known brands there that we don’t get in the states. But this seemed consistent throughout Italy and Greece that many vehicles had tire brands I’d either never heard of, or brands that I know are sub brands.

Additionally, it seems many tires in Europe are summer tires. Not much siping and bigger tread blocks. Granted, the places we visited don’t get much/any snow, but the same can be said of tropical places like Florida, and you still see most cars with “all-season” tires there.

 

[yannis]

Yes, there are many cheaper versions and subsidiaries of well-known brands . Some examples:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barum_(company)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodyear_Dunlop_Sava_Tires

 

[Fish Fry]

I’ve been thinking about this lately, and wanted to get your input if I’m off base or not here. We travelled to Europe this past spring, and I noticed that many vehicles, more than here in the states it seemed, had off-brand tires. Perhaps they were more well known brands there that we don’t get in the states. But this seemed consistent throughout Italy and Greece that many vehicles had tire brands I’d either never heard of, or brands that I know are sub brands.

Additionally, it seems many tires in Europe are summer tires. Not much siping and bigger tread blocks. Granted, the places we visited don’t get much/any snow, but the same can be said of tropical places like Florida, and you still see most cars with “all-season” tires there.

I can only speak for Germany, but people over here don't care as much for tire brands as on other countries.
Of course there are some groups that make a cult around it (as always), but the average Joe Shmock is looking at the price tag.
Depending on where in Germany you live - given enough snowfall - winter tires are mandatory at some point.
Personally I prefer all season tires, but they are not really popular. Mainly because there is no off-roading allowed - there aren't even dust roads or anything, so for most folks it's a moot point.

Frank

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

I’ve been thinking about this lately, and wanted to get your input if I’m off base or not here. We travelled to Europe this past spring, and I noticed that many vehicles, more than here in the states it seemed, had off-brand tires. Perhaps they were more well known brands there that we don’t get in the states. But this seemed consistent throughout Italy and Greece that many vehicles had tire brands I’d either never heard of, or brands that I know are sub brands.

Additionally, it seems many tires in Europe are summer tires. Not much siping and bigger tread blocks. Granted, the places we visited don’t get much/any snow, but the same can be said of tropical places like Florida, and you still see most cars with “all-season” tires there.

IMO Europeans by in large drive less miles so "summer tires" are not a big deal. It may take someone 4-5 yrs to go through a set of summer tires especially when a winter tire is required.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

I believe GT Radial are OEM on some vehicles in Europe

 

[Johnny248]

. Mainly because there is no off-roading allowed - there aren't even dust roads or anything, so for most folks it's a moot point.

Frank

What does no off-roading allowed actually mean?

 

[CapriRacer]

Funny you should bring up brands. I had a webpage on the subject in the final stages, so I decided to publish it:

Barry's Tire Tech: Tire Brands

It doesn't exactly answer your question, so I will now:

Way, way back, tires were a regional product - they were produced close to where they were consumed. For example, if you lived in Austria, you bought Semperit brand tires.

But because of all the consolidation in the industry and the reduction is shipping costs, this is no longer true. For example, the brand "Semperit" is owned by Continental and is used in some parts of Europe as a less than premium brand.

But regional brands are everywhere. In the US, Cooper is a recognized brand, but you will hardly find them anywhere else.

 

[skyactiv]

I believe GT Radial are OEM on some vehicles in Europe

They are OEM on some new vehicles in the USA under Giti. They have a plant in the Carolinas.

 

[MSCH]

I've heard that most of the tire labels in the world are owned and produced by the really big multinational tire companies who have a ton of subsidiaries..

All Season tires are the one size fits all tread pattern good enough for most people, so that is what goes on most cars and trucks at the factory.

you see that M+S label on a tire, that is what it is... technically that MS label means mud and snow but it is on all sorts of all season tires...

 

[Bailes1992]

The majority of tyres you see in cars here in the UK are budget off brands. Most people here think you're nuts if you buy a decent tyre.

Our attitude towards cars over here is very poor in general.

 

[MSCH]

The majority of tyres you see in cars here in the UK are budget off brands. Most people here think you're nuts if you buy a decent tyre.

Our attitude towards cars over here is very poor in general.

might also be representative of the fact you all don't go as far as most Americans.
you can get away with just about anything that will hold air in many cases depending on where you are going and what will happen if you dont make it..

 

[Jimmy_Russells]

The majority of tyres you see in cars here in the UK are budget off brands. Most people here think you're nuts if you buy a decent tyre.

Our attitude towards cars over here is very poor in general.

I'll never understand. Good tyres are dirt cheap over there too compared to here.

Tires are one thing I refuse to skimp on.

 

[Bailes1992]

I'll never understand. Good tyres are dirt cheap over there too compared to here.

Tires are one thing I refuse to skimp on.

The tyres are something that shocked me when I started browsing this forum. Considering our oils are quite a bit more expensive, I was expecting the same for tyres!

Over here we have annual inspections and the legal minimum tread depth is 1.6mm across the centre 3/4ths of the tyre. Not quite sure how that compares to the US?

Personally I'll ditch any tyre if it's nudging 3mm during Winter but usually will stretch it out to 2mm, especially if it's exceptionally dry.

It's also common over here to see cars with 4 mismatched tyres and nobody at all rotates their tyres. Again, people think I'm Mad because I do that.

 

[eljefino]

Doing a search on Walmart for my size I ran into a large number of cheap "off" brand so-called all seasons. But they don't have sipes for snow and I have my doubts. They got the M+S endorsement, just by being blocky, and it was revealed here that these tires are also sold in Europe as summer tires. I still suspect there's a tire shortage, and/ or the name brands aren't in tune with what people want. Walmart, for all its foibles, knows what the public wants and has gotten its hands on containers full of these formerly foreign brands.

 

[Bjornviken]

Doing a search on Walmart for my size I ran into a large number of cheap "off" brand so-called all seasons. But they don't have sipes for snow and I have my doubts. They got the M+S endorsement, just by being blocky, and it was revealed here that these tires are also sold in Europe as summer tires. I still suspect there's a tire shortage, and/ or the name brands aren't in tune with what people want. Walmart, for all its foibles, knows what the public wants and has gotten its hands on containers full of these formerly foreign brands.

M+S tires without 3 peak mountain snowflake symbol is by standards a summer tire in EU. Its not about a tire shortage.

 

[k1xv]

The majority of tyres you see in cars here in the UK are budget off brands. Most people here think you're nuts if you buy a decent tyre.

Our attitude towards cars over here is very poor in general.

Any country that built Robin Reliants, allowed them on the road, and actually had paying customers/owners, has a very very poor attitude toward cars.

 

[Fish Fry]

What does no off-roading allowed actually mean?

That pretty much every street/road that is not paved is of limits, let alone driving anywhere off the road.

 

[Johnny248]

That pretty much every street/road that is not paved is of limits, let alone driving anywhere off the road.

wow lol so un-American. Are things like SXS's a thing there?

 

[supton]

Over here we have annual inspections and the legal minimum tread depth is 1.6mm across the centre 3/4ths of the tyre. Not quite sure how that compares to the US?

Usually the law is 2/32’s of an inch, which is your 1.6mm.

Too shallow for me, I too get rid of at double that.

 

[Fish Fry]

wow lol so un-American. Are things like SXS's a thing there?

Not really - you can spot them sometimes, but just on the road of course.