AUTOMOBILE TIRES

So, you think that automobile sales are the highest in the world eh? You probably do, owing to the fact that nearly everyone you know has one (or more!) automobiles. Think again! Remember that for every automobile ever sold, there are four of these items sold. In fact, I would go so far as to say that without these items, you could scarcely sell any automobile at all. More than that, it would be well nigh impossible for you to sell automobiles at all if you did not sell these items along with them. What exactly am I talking about? Well, I am talking about those critical yet often ignored or sidelined parts called automobile tires.

I doubt if you have ever thought about it, but during the whole time that you use your automobile, you must be running out of automobile tires. A conservative estimate would reveal that you run out of an average of three sets of automobile tires (which makes it twelve automobile tires) in a period spanning five years. And if you are one of those who like the rough and rumble of the outdoors, you are likely to increase this average to one set of automobile tires each year. So, as you can see, the demand for quality automobile tires outstrips that of the automobiles themselves.

This was probably the reason why, when rubber first began to be produced, it was considered the ‘golden sap’. Places like Malaya and Singapore (then known as the Malayan Peninsula) were the chief producers of this golden sap and consumer nations like the United States and almost the whole of Europe made a beeline to get to this area and access the produce. The raw materials were lapped up faster than they could be produced. This is what probably prompted a number of European colonialists to set up base in these countries. And the bulk of their produce was converted into automobile tires.

Today, decades have gone by, but the demand for automobile tires don’t seem to be waning. In fact, going by the current trends in the industry and the hefty bottom lines of manufacturers of automobile tires (think Michelin, think Dunlop!) it can safely be said that the demand for automobile tires has only grown by leaps and bounds. And with cars getting more affordable to own and cheaper to maintain, the trend is only set to continue.