Magazine for the professional tire industry
Issue link: https://mtd.epubxp.com/i/630954
33 www.moderntiredealer.com From April 1978: Dealers go to court over Michelin franchise cancellations In early 1978, dealers sued Michelin claim- ing federal anti-trust violations when the tire maker canceled contracts with them. Dealers sought millions in damages citing violations of the Sherman Act, the Clayton Act and fran- chising statutes. The tire dealers claimed they had invested millions in the promotion and establishment of goodwill toward Michelin and its tires. Dealers felt Michelin was "trying to eliminate the middle man with the establishment of more company stores." At the time, Michelin did not comment on the lawsuits. Differences must have been ironed out, as a check on the dealerships involved (which are still in busi- ness) show them selling Michelin tires today. From February 1972: ARA launches surprise attack — No retread stan- dards for now! The American Retreaders Associa- tion (ARA) was in court to oppose Standard 117 of the Department of Transportation's proposed retread tire safety standard. The ARA was not concerned that retreads posed any safety problems, but that the "government-sponsored tests show there is no correlation between the results of the laboratory tests pro- posed in Standard 117 and the actual performance of tires on the road." Voluntary testing is still going on for retreads — this time around to verify them for the Environmental Protec- tion Agency's SmartWay program. From August 1975: Grade labeling update: industry steps up battle This August 1975 Booth cartoon illustrates the mindset of the tire manufacturers concerning the com- plexity of proposed quality gradings which would measure tire tread wear, traction and temperature resistance. The gradings were set up to "enable consumers to make informed choices in tire purchases," said the National Highway Traffc Safety Administration (NHTSA). Tire manufacturers fought hard to prevent the government from implementing tire grade labeling, say- ing it would cause the industry "ir- reparable fnancial injury." Despite the uproar, legislation passed, and a look at today's tire ads fnds tire makers frequently use exceptional quality gradings to sell their tires.