It’s like comparing Bobby Carlton and George Best, or Ian Botham and Geoffrey Boycott. They are all giants in their respective fields and deserve credit for the same. But we are human beings, and we can’t help but love comparisons. Today we are going to do something along those lines.
The subjects of comparison today are two of the biggest names in the multi-billion dollar tyre industry. If you drive a car, a van, an SUV or even an aeroplane, chances are you have used their tyres at least once in your lifetime. Together, these two companies sell more tyres than the next five combined. You may have already guessed it- we are talking about Bridgestone and Michelin.
The beauty of today’s world is that these two companies, along with hundreds of others, can exist harmoniously despite being bitter rivals. If you live in Manchester and visit an auto garage like Gilgal Tyre Manchester, you will find Bridgestone tyres stacked right alongside Michelin tyres.
Okay then, let’s get at it.
Market Share
There’s very little to distinguish between the two in this aspect. Bridgestone sits at the top of the pile with Michelin breathing down its neck at the next spot. In 2017, Bridgestone sold tyres worth 26.2 billion USD while Michelin came a close second with 23.4 billion USD.
Both these companies operate around the world and have various manufacturing plants in different countries. Bridgestone employs around 143,000 people in its 141 manufacturing facilities in 24 different countries, while Michelin employs about 112,000 employees in its 69 facilities around 18 countries.
Together, they produce north of 300 million tyres every year. If you take a drive around Manchester, you’ll notice that most cars use either one of these two tyres Manchester.
Motor Sports
Motorsport is the highest peak for any tyre manufacturer to climb. That’s because the performance of a racing car is heavily dependent on its tyres and there are experts in every camp who dissect the performance of each and every tyre before the racing begins.
Quite predicatively, both Michelin and Bridgestone have performed admirably in this department. Both these companies started to supply F1 tyres around the same time, Bridgestone in 1976-77 and Michelin in 1977-78. Car boasting Bridgestone tyres have won 175 races compared to Michelin’s 102.
Michelin withdrew from Formula 1 in 1984 and re-entered in 2001, a time when Bridgestone was the sole supplier. That started a bitter rivalry in the F1 circuit between these giants. The same year, Williams swept the fourth round of the Imola season, equipped with Michelin tyres.
Bridgestone didn’t take it too kindly. They hit back the next year, with the fabled collaboration with Ferrari’s F2002. Yep, you guessed it. Schumacher’s legendary 2002 season, where he won an unprecedented 11 titles and ended the season with 144 points (both world records at that time, later broken by himself in the 2004 season) was on Bridgestone tyres.
The war between these two tyre giants in F1 kept on raging in the years to come. But Bridgestone piped past Michelin on most instances, because you know, Michael Schumacher!
The Verdict
There’s very little to choose between the two. They are both market leaders and pioneers in tyre innovation. If you don’t believe us, just keep an eye on car tyres in Manchester. You’ll notice how the market is dominated by these two. However, at the moment, Bridgestone is ahead of Michelin, even if it’s by a hair’s length.
Don’t let that cloud your judgement though. Like we have said many times over, you wouldn’t regret buying any of these tyres Manchester or anywhere in the over 150 countries they cater to.
Tyres Manchester- Gilgal Tyres 