140 Years Continental 1871– 2011
140 YearsContinental 1871– 2011
The rampant horse is
adopted as trademark.
Continental-Caoutchouc-
und Gutta-Percha Com-
pagnie is founded in
Hanover on October 8 as
a joint stock company.
Manufacturing at the main
factory in Vahrenwalder
Street includes soft rubber
products, rubberized
fabrics, solid tires for
carriages and bicycles.
Production of automobile
pneumatic tires without
tread pattern starts in
Hanover-Vahrenwald.
Continental is the first
German company to
manufacture pneumatic
tires for bicycles.
The first German airship
LZ 1 uses Continental
balloon material to seal
the gas bags.
1871 1882 1892 1898 1900
The first Daimler-
produced car to be
called Mercedes
achieves a sensational
victory on Continental
pneumatics in the
Nice-Salon-Nice
car race.
Continental presents the
world’s first automobile
tire with a patterned
tread.
Continental produces
riveted anti-skid
tires, a forerunner of
steel-studded tires.
The first edition of Continental’s
Road Atlas for motorists and
motorcyclists is published.
Continental invents the
detachable rim for sedans
– a remarkable innovation
to help save time and effort
when changing a tire.
1901 1904 1905 1907 1908
1909 1912 1914
Louis Blériot, the pioneer aviator, writes history with the
first flight across the English Channel. Continental Aeroplan
material covers the fuselage and wings of his plane.
Specimens of synthetic rubber developed at the Bayer
laboratories are successfully vulcanized at Continental and
processed to make the first test tires.
Construction of an
administration building
designed by architect Peter
Behrens begins in Vahren-
walder Street. In 1986, this
building is bought by the
Hanover City Council to
house a technology center.
Triple victory for
Daimlers fitted with
Continental tires at the
French Grand Prix.
The company’s 50th
anniversary sees
Continental as the first
German company to
bring the cord tire onto
the market. The stiff
linen square-woven
fabric is thus replaced
by the more pliable cord
fiber fabric. The first
giant pneumatic tires
are made by Continental
and replace the solid
tires used until that time
on commercial vehicles.
1921 1926 1928/29 1932
Carbon black is
used as a rein-
forcing filler to
give the tire more
resistance to wear
and ageing, as well
as its characteristic
color.
Merger with major
companies of the German
rubber industry to form
Continental Gummi-
Werke AG. Takeover of
plants in Hanover-Limmer
and Korbach/Hesse.
Continental markets a
rubber-metal bonding
under the registered trade
name of Continental
Schwingmetall. It is used
to isolate vibrations and
noise when supporting
motors.
1935-40 1936 1938 1943 1945
Unbroken run of racing
success with Continen-
tal racing tires fitted to
Mercedes and Auto-Union
cars. Four consecutive
wins in the German Grand
Prix, four successes in-
the North African Tripoli
race, three in Italy and
numerous speed records
help racing drivers like
Carraciola, Rosemeyer
and Stuck to achieve
international fame.
Synthetic
rubber is intro-
duced into the
tire manufactur-
ing process.
Foundation stone is
laid for the tire plant
in Stöcken, Hanover.
Patent application filed
for tubeless tires.
Heavy bomb damage to the plants in Hanover-
Vahrenwald and Korbach. The British military
government grants permission as early as June 14
for the Hanover factories to resume production.
1951 1952 1951-55 1955 1960
Production of
steel cable
conveyor belts
starts.
Continental adds
M+S tires for
winter driving to
its range of con-
ventional tires.
In close collaboration with
Daimler-Benz and Porsche,
Continental repeats its pre-
war successes on the track.
Racing in cars fitted with Con-
tinental tires, drivers like Karl
Kling, Stirling Moss and Juan
Manuel Fangio win the 1952
Carrera Panamericana and
the French, British, Dutch
and Italian Grand Prixs.
Continental is also
the first company to
develop air springs
for trucks and buses.
Mass production of
radial tires begins.
At the beginning of
the year Continental
is the first German
company to start
manufacturing tube-
less tires.
1961 1964 1967 1971 1972
Completion of the plant
in Dannenberg (Elbe).
Initial production com-
prises plastic components
for the automotive industry.
Construction of a tire
plant in Sarreguemines,
France. A factory for
industrial products is built
in Northeim, Germany.
Opening of the Contidrom
tire testing facility on the
edge of the Lüneburg Heath.
In 1994/95 the facility is
more than doubled in size to
enable the construction of
new tracks, including a 3.8
kilometer handling course for
high-performance cars. In 2001
a 3.7 kilometer track for noise
assessment is opened.
Europe’s largest hose
manufacturing facilities
are set up at the Korbach
plant. The entire hose
production is transferred
from Hanover to Korbach.
Continental launches the
studless ContiContact
winter tire.
1974 1976 1978 1979
Continental is the first
manufacturer to supply the
European automotive industry
with extrusion-blow-molded
polyurethane gaiters.
In Northeim, one of
Europe’s largest conveyor
belt production lines
comes on stream.
Purchase of
Techno-Chemie,
Frankfurt, one of
Germany’s leading
hose couplers.
Takeover of the European tire
operations of Uniroyal, Inc., USA,
gives Continental a wider base in
Europe (photo: Aachen plant).
1871 1882 1892 1898 19001983 1985 1987 1989/90 1991
Continental hydromounts
– special bearing elements
used in engines for damp-
ing vibrations and noise
– are mass-produced for
the automotive industry.
Takeover of the tire
operations of the
Austrian company
Semperit.
Acquisition of the North
American tire manufacturer
General Tire, Inc.
The company has been
operating under the name of
Continental Tire North
America, Inc. since 2001.
A joint venture is set up together with the
Portuguese company Mabor for the
production of tires in Lousado. 1993 sees
complete takeover of the tire activities
and of a factory producing textile cord.
The industrial products
operations are reorganized
under the ContiTech
umbrella brand.
With its ContiEcoContact
tire, Continental is the first
manufacturer to launch an
environment-friendly
passenger tire.
Benecke-Kaliko AG is
integrated into the ContiTech
division. Key products are
leatherette and foils.
The majority holding in the Czech company Barum
comprises a passenger and commercial vehicle tire
plant in Otrokovice as well as a dealer organization
with about 50 outlets.
Continental currently has more than 2,200 tire retailers
and franchises in 13 European countries, including
various retail organizations such as Vergölst.
1993 1994
The Automotive
Systems division is
established to intensify
the systems business
with the automotive
industry.
1995
1997 1998
Continental presents ISAD (Integrated Starter Alterna-
tor Damper) for which it receives the German Industry
Innovation Award. ISAD combines the vehicle’s starter
and generator in one single unit. This key technology is
a necessary precondition for hybrid propulsion systems
that help to substantially reduce fuel consumption and
emissions.
Acquisition of the
Automotive Brake and
Chassis unit of a
globally active U.S.
company, the core of
which is Alfred Teves
GmbH in Frankfurt/
Main.
1998-99 2000
A new plant for the manufacture of passenger
tires is opened in Timisoara, Romania.
Continental and Nisshinbo set up a joint venture
(Continental Teves Corporation) in the field of brake and
chassis systems for the Japanese and Korean markets.
Continental reinforces its
position as global tire
manufacturer by adding sites
in Argentina, Mexico, South
Africa and Slovakia.
Further steps on the way
towards internationalizing
ContiTech’s operations are
taken in Brazil, Chile, Mexico
(photo) and Hungary.
2001
Continental reinforces its activities within the growing
automotive electronics market by acquiring Temic, an inter-
national electronics specialist (photo: Nuremberg plant).
Majority holdings are purchased in two Japanese
companies manufacturing brake actuation components
and disk brakes.
ContiTech acquires a 51% stake in a Chinese
hose line manufacturer.
2003
Inauguration of ContiTech’s
new plant for the production of
power transmission systems
in Romania and of a factory in
Turkey providing the division
with extra manufacturing ca-
pacity for air spring systems.
To intensify tire activities
with Japanese carmakers,
Continental and Yokohama
establish a 50/50 joint venture.
2002
Unveiling of ContiSport-
Contact 2 Vmax, the
world’s first road tire
approved for speeds up
to 360 km/h.
ContiTech sets up a
joint venture for the
production of air spring
bellows in Korea.
Continental strengthens its position as a
tire manufacturer in the ASEAN region and
Australia by establishing the Malaysian
Continental Sime Tyre joint venture.
2004
Cooperation with ZF Friedrichshafen for
the joint development and marketing of
hybrid vehicle technology.
Inauguration of a new plant
in Mexico for the production
of brake components.
Takeover of Phoenix AG.
With the merger of
ContiTech and Phoenix, the
world’s largest specialist for
rubber and plastics techno-
logy evolves (photo: plant
in Hungary).
Continental expands its production
base in Romania by opening up a
plant making assemblies for automo-
tive electronics – with an on-site R&D
center – in Sibiu, as well as a manufac-
turing facility for air-conditioning lines
in Timisoara.
Continental acquires the wheel sensors
business of a Japanese company with
manufacturing operations in China.
2003 2005
2006 2007
Production of brake calipers commences at the new plant in Zvolen,
Slovakia, and of passenger, light truck and commercial vehicle tires
in Camaçari, Brazil.
ContiTech acquires a Danish manufacturer of power transmission
belts with production facilities in Denmark, China, Korea and India.
Continental purchases the automotive electronics business of the
US company Motorola, Inc., expanding its activities in telematics,
among other fields (photo: Deer Park, USA, location).
With the acquisition of a majority interest in the
Slovak company Continental Matador Rubber
s.r.o. Continental expands its position for the
Tires and ContiTech divisions in Central and
Eastern Europe.
Continental acquires Siemens VDO Automotive
AG and advances to among the top five suppliers
in the automotive industry worldwide, at the same
time boosting its market position in Europe, North
America and Asia (photo: Regensburg location).
2008 2009 2010
Production of lithium-
ion batteries for use
in vehicles with hybrid
drives begins in the
Nuremberg plant.
The new Asian headquarters and a research and de-
velopment center is opened in Shanghai. The center
represents another major milestone for the company’s
growth in China and Asia.
Schaeffler KG becomes the major shareholder of
Continental AG following the conclusion of the take-
over offer published in the summer of 2008.
The ContiSportContact™ 5 P is launched on the
market. The new high-performance summer tire is
specially designed for sports cars and tuning vehicles.
At a glanceFounded in Hanover, Germany, in 1871, Continental can look back
on a history of success. Over the years we have brought individual
mobility to the road and initiated, advanced and collaborated on
a host of technological developments. Today we are among the five
largest automotive suppliers in the world and the second largest in
Europe. As a supplier of tires, brake control systems, driving dynam-
ics control systems, airbag electronics, driver assistance systems,
sensors, systems and components for the powertrain and chassis,
instrumentation, infotainment solutions, vehicle electronics and tech-
nical elastomer products, we contribute towards enhanced driving
safety and environmental protection.
The ContiTech division is also an expert develop-
ment partner for various other key industries. In its
six divisions – Chassis & Safety, Powertrain,
Interior, Passenger and Light Truck Tires, Commer-
cial Vehicle Tires, and ContiTech – Continental has
approximately 150,000 employees at nearly 200
production, research and development locations.
Continental AG
Corporate Communications
P.O. Box 169
30001 Hanover, Germany
www.continental-corporation.com01/2
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