Most of the world’s tire market is controlled by only 5 or 10 large manufacturers, whose names are constantly in the public eye. However, these companies would never have achieved their impressive production rates, had it not been for the main ace that they had up their sleeve — the subsidiary brands. We have tried to include in this material the most definitive selection of subsidiaries of the largest tire companies represented at the global market, and we are proud to share it with you.

The height of fashion for the tire industry giants to «build up muscle» by means of acquiring less famous tire brands fell on the 1990’s. The companies that became these giants’ affiliates only benefited from it — not only did the leading manufacturers install state-of-the-art machinery and equipment at their production facilities but they also shared their know-how in the area of technologies and materials, at the same time engaging top specialists for developing new products.

The price tag seems to be pretty much the only difference between the subsidiary brand and the original product. Furthermore, pretty often you can see a situation when the tires branded as «original» and their «younger brothers» as much as travel down the same beltline of one and the same tire factory. What you see with you naked eye, however, is the difference in prices — the ruthless marketing, while praising the achievements of the flagship brand, seems to be overlooking the fact that the sub brand is subject to just as rigorous quality standards. Consequently, the tires produced by affiliate companies can essentially be absolutely the same product that has at the very same time a much more budget-friendly price tag.

In order to make it easier for you to get your bearings, we are giving the lists of tire sub brands in an alphabetical order, subdivided into geographic regions of the leading tire makers: Europe, USA, Japan, and South Korea.

Europe

Continental

There are a dozen subsidiaries successfully operating under the roof of Continental AG headquartered in Hannover, Germany. These companies manufacture tires for virtually any vehicle you can possibly think of – from motorcycles to grand scale farm and construction vehicles. The rubber from this German brand and its “subs” is known for its high margin of safety and predictable driving behavior. The production facilities of Continental AG are scattered all across the globe, from the USA to Australia.

The most popular sub brands of this German tire maker is the Czech brand Barum, Swedish brand Gislaved, and Slovakian Matador:

Michelin

The French company Michelin began its thorny path to the Olympus of the tire world from making bicycle tires. Today, a century and a half later, this world-renowned brand owns production facilities in 15 countries across the globe, as well as a few of its own research and development centers in France, Japan, and the USA, where highly qualified engineers develop and implement new cutting-edge technologies. This holds true not only for the flagship brand but also for its subsidiaries, the full list of which is presented below:

Along with the above sub-brands, Pneu Laurent, Tyremaster and also Wolber are also in the property of Michelin. They did not make the checklist due to the fact that they almost do not happen in the domestic market.

Pirelli

Originally, Pirelli made a name for itself as a bike tire manufacturer still in the second half of the XIX century. Today, its production facilities successfully operate in 13 countries on four continents. Most of the Pirelli tires are manufactured under their original brand name. However, this is not always the case — there are two subsidiaries nested under the roof of the original brand:

And, while Ceat tires are more frequently spotted in India and Turkey (where their respective production facilities are situated), Formula tires present a budget-friendly alternative to the original brand in the Central and Eastern Europe.

Bridgestone

One of the world’s leading tire makers is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Bridgestone tires are known for high quality and great traction that they ensure in any weather conditions. This is equally applicable to the tires manufactured by the subsidiaries of this Japanese brand:

Finland’s Nokian occupies a special niche in the system of Bridgestone subsidiaries — the corporate parent owns the largest portfolio of shares of this Scandinavian brand but essentially Nokian has an independent management system of its own. The Japanese brand provides assistance in developing and testing new products, as well as implementing new manufacturing technologies. Nokian, in turn, has two more subsidiary companies: Achilles and Nordman.

Toyo

The history of Toyo brand can be traced back to the end of the Second World War when there was a merger of two companies manufacturing various rubber products — Hirano Rubber Manufacturing Inc. and Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. Over the 70 years of its existence, this tire maker has earned a global reputation — its products are represented in more than a hundred countries around the world. These products include tires manufactured under the following brands:

UNITED STATES

Goodyear

Tires that bear a Goodyear logo can be spotted virtually on any vehicle (and airplane!) you can think of — from bikes to jumbo jets. These tires are world-famous for their sturdiness, durability, and high margin of safety. The same also holds true for the subsidiary brands of this American company, which can arguably boast the best possible price/quality ratio out there.

All of the Goodyear «subs» (well, maybe for the sole exception of Sava) has a proud name of its own that is familiar to virtually every motorist. Staying this long in the public eye and a getting a tremendous amount of positive feedback from real car owners testify to the great work of all the divisions of this American tire-making giant.

Cooper

Cooper tires can be spotted both on passenger cars and heavy trucks. A characteristic feature of Cooper tires is their democratic price tag combined with rather low wear, which is achieved by rigorous quality control.

Acquiring the products of subsidiary brands of this American manufacturer will allow you to save up even more money without any damage to your driving safety.

South Korea

Hankook

The name of South Korea’s Hankook is always included in the top-ten of the world’s most famous tire brands. The wide selection of tires manufactured by this company can satisfy the most exacting of customers. Add to this the faithful ranks of subsidiary companies that augment the already large selection of tires with their models:

Kumho

Yet another South Korean brand — Kumho — gained momentum at the early 1960’s after it signed a cooperation contract with the tire company Uniroyal (then an independent entity). The Americans shared new tire making technologies with the Japanese engineers, which made it possible to take the Kumho product to a whole new level. The now-South Korean company occupies the leading positions in the charts of the world’s tire market and owns one «daughter» company — Marshal:

The Marshal tires are produced exclusively for the European market and are virtually not to be seen anywhere else outside of Europe. The European drivers are benefiting from their great performance, durability and dependability.

We wish you a happy shopping for tires!