Englebert (tyre manufacturer)

Englebert was a Belgian tire manufacturer that was acquired in 1979 by Continental. Englebert became famous in the 1950s through his successful involvement in international motorsport.

History

Artillery Officer Oscar Englebert opened 1868 in Liège a business for rubber products, including baby pacifiers. Soon Englebert started experiments with tires - but it focused at that time the tires of bicycles and horse-drawn carts. 1898 launched the Belgian company O. Englebert Fils & Co. GmbH as one of the first in Europe with the production of bicycle and car tires.

1899 racing cars were first equipped with the Belgian tires, Englebert 1912 employed more than 400 employees. 1926 belonged to the tire manufacturer 's five largest companies in the European rubber industry and had 3,500 employees. From the late 1920s Englebert expanded abroad and first opened a factory in Aachen, later in Clairoix (France). 1937, the one millionth tire was produced.

At the beginning of the 1950s reinforced Englebert its commitment to motor sport and rose as tire supplier to the newly formed Formula 1. First, the French factory team Gordini was equipped with tires. His international reputation gained Englebert but from the successful cooperation with the Italian tradition Team Ferrari from 1955 to 1958 in both the Formula 1 and in sports car racing. This partnership will result in a total of two world title by Juan Manuel Fangio and Mike Hawthorn and seven Grand Prix victories.

In the Mille Miglia 1957, the company experienced its darkest hour, when the Englebert Ferrari frosted by Alfonso de Portago raced at Guidizzolo in the audience, while eleven people were killed. Both against Ferrari and against the Belgian tire company has been indicted for manslaughter. Both methods, however, were later discontinued. End of 1958, Englebert withdrew from motorsport.

In the same year, the company entered into a cooperation agreement with the American company Uniroyal, who belonged to this period the three largest tire manufacturers in the world. Englebert was renamed the episode under the name Uniroyal Englebert, 1967, it was only Uniroyal. 1979, the European part of Uniroyal was integrated into the Continental Corporation. The Uniroyal brand continues to exist until today, Englebert was abandoned by Continental.

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