Goodyear based Vintage Collectable Ads

Looking back, the founding of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company in 1898 seems especially remarkable, for the beginning was anything but auspicious. The 38-year-old founder, Frank A. Seiberling, purchased the company’s first plant with a $3,500 down payment -- using money he borrowed from a brother-in-law Lucius C. Miles. The rubber and cotton that were the lifeblood of the industry had to be transported from halfway around the world, to a landlocked town that had only limited rail transportation. Even the man the company’s name memorialized, Charles Goodyear, had died penniless 30 years earlier despite his discovery of vulcanization after a long and courageous search.

Yet the timing couldn't have been better. The bicycle craze of the 1890s was booming. The horseless carriage, some ventured to call it the automobile, was a wide-open challenge. Even the depression of 1893 was beginning to fade. So on August 29, 1898, Goodyear was incorporated with a capital stock of $100,000.

David E. Hill, who purchased $30,000 of stock, became the first president. But it was the dynamic and visionary founder, hard-driving Seiberling, who chose the name and determined the distinctive trademark. The winged-foot trademark, inspired by a newel-post statuette of Mercury in the Seiberling home, has been altered over the years. Yet, it remains an integral part of the Goodyear signature, a symbolic link with the company’s historic past.

Something else about these legendary early years lingers on through Goodyear’s history. Something elusive and intangible, yet very real. Something about the people. People like Seiberling, actually trying to liquidate family-owned property in 1898 when he ended up taking that once-in-a-lifetime chance to buy -- at a bargain -- the seven-acre tract that became Goodyear. People like George M. Stadelman, a man who avoided crowds and never made a speech, yet had a gift of integrity and foresight that guided Goodyear’s sales through a critical 20 years. People like Paul W. Litchfield, whose conviction and leadership helped inspire Goodyear’s development for nearly six decades.

With just 13 employees, Goodyear production began on November 21, 1898, with a product line of bicycle and carriage tires, horseshoe pads and -- fitting the gamble Seiberling was making -- poker chips. The first recorded payroll amounted to $217.86 based on the prevailing wage of 13 to 25 cents an hour for a 10-hour day. After the first full month of business, sales amounted to $8,246. Since the first bicycle tire in 1898, Goodyear pedaled its way toward becoming the world’s largest tire company, a title it earned in 1916 when it adopted the slogan "More people ride on Goodyear tires than on any other kind," becoming the world’s largest rubber company in 1926.

Today, Goodyear measures sales of nearly $20 billion, although it took 53 years before the company reached the first billion-dollar-year milestone. And it all began in a converted strawboard factory on the banks of the Little Cuyahoga River in East Akron, Ohio. Spanning the years, through all of those yesterdays, a legion of firsts and facts and figures appears that reflect the making of a company.

THE GOODYEAR SYMBOL

Goodyear Wingfoot Symbol The responsibility for the adoption of the Wingfoot symbol, known today in every civilized country on earth, rests to a great extent with Frank Seiberling, the founder and for many years president of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company.

In the old Seiberling home in Akron, on a newel post of the stairway there stood a statue of the famous god of mythology known to the ancient Romans as Mercury, and to the Greeks as Hermes.

Mr. Seiberling's attention was attracted to the statue, and he felt that the god it portrayed embodied many of the characteristics for which Goodyear products were known.

A meeting to discuss the idea of suitable trademark was held at the Seiberling home in August 1900. Something distinctively Goodyear was needed to distinguish it from other companies.

Among the sketches prepared for the meeting at Mr. Seiberling's suggestion was one using the winged foot of Mercury.

Everyone present agreed that this should be the symbol for the company, with the Wingfoot to be set in the middle of the word "Goodyear." The original Wingfoot, however, was much larger in relation to the word "Goodyear" than the one in use today.

Mercury in ancient times was the god of trade and commerce; but it was as a swift messenger for all the gods of mythology that he was best known, and as such he has continued to be known through the centuries.

The idea of speed had much to do with Goodyear's selection of the symbol, for the wingfooted Mercury was regarded as a fleet herald of good news. But it is as a herald or carrier of good tidings to users of Goodyear products everywhere that the Wingfoot now stands in the minds of the people of the world.

Goodyear Timeline

1898 Frank A. Seiberling borrowed $3,500 from his brother-in-law Lucius C. Miles for the down payment needed to buy an abandoned strawboard factory on the banks of the Little Cuyahoga River in Akron, founding The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. Initial capital stock was $100,000. Company named in honor of Charles Goodyear, who discovered the rubber vulcanization process in 1839. David E. Hill, who purchased $30,000 of the company’s initial stock, named president.

1899 Raymond C. Penfield, Frank Seiberling’s brother-in-law, became second president...Automobile tires added to the original product line of bicycle tires, carriage tires and horseshoe pads...Sales for first full year of operation totaled $508,597, generated profit of $34,621.

1900 Company exhibited solid tires at Auto Show in New York. Paul W. Litchfield joined Goodyear as factory superintendent. Tillinghast bicycle tire license withdrawn, forcing Goodyear to alter production methods. Two-story office building constructed

1901 First advertisement in Saturday Evening Post with wingfoot trademark. Goodyear developed first straight-side tire, with braided wire bead.

1902 George M. Stadelman joined the company as sales manager for carriage tires. Grant patent on carriage tires declared invalid, Goodyear's bond money returned. Construction started on new factory building, four times larger than original plant.

1903 Lucius Miles became president. Paul Litchfield granted patent on first tubeless automobile tire.

1904 Seiberling-Stevens patent issued for tire building machine....First detachable rim developed by Goodyear to replace one-piece clincher rim.

1905 Goodyear became leader in manufacture and sales of carriage tires....300 employed, 28 in sales department.

1906 Frank Seiberling became president....Goodyear produced the world's first quick, detachable, straight-side tire.

1907 Goodyear cord tire for electric automobiles introduced....A night shift started in the plant....Branch office opened in Detroit….1,200 sets of tires sold to Henry Ford for use on Model T automobile.

1908 Large addition to the factory built....First All-Weather tread design adopted - a diamond-studded pattern used with only minor modifications for nearly 40 years....Forerunner of research and development departments originated.

1909 Goodyear developed first pneumatic rubber airplane tire, to replace sled runners and bicycle tires aviation pioneers then were using....State-Seiberling tire building machine patented.

1910 Company's first subsidiary and foreign plant acquired in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada....Labor department established in Akron....First testing machine for airplane tires, forerunner of today's dynamometer built by Goodyear.

1911 Akron plant operated 24 hours a day....Goodyear tires used for first U.S. mail flight on September 23....Goodyear tires also used on first transcontinental flight from Long Beach, California to Long Beach, New York, (84 days and 63 landings) and on world record flight from St. Louis to New York (11 days).

1912 Goodyear established one of the first industrial hospitals in the U.S....First issue of employee newsletter Wingfoot Clan published....Branch office opened in London....Goodyear built its first blimp.

1913 Expanding non-tire production, mechanical rubber goods department started, first conveyor belt constructed....Connecticut cotton mill acquired....Flying Squadron (employee training) originated....Upson and Preston, Goodyear entrants, won International Balloon Race.

1914 Goodyear built first "kite" observation balloons for the British....Eight-hour day became standard, along with paid vacations for all employees....All of the cars in the Indianapolis 500 used Goodyear tires.

1915 Sales branches opened in Australia, Argentina and South Africa....First clock tower built in factory building erected on Market Street in Akron....Carbon black, a World War I substitute for zinc oxide, introduced in tire compounding.

1916 Goodyear became world's largest tire company, initiated slogan "More people ride on Goodyear tires than on any other kind"....First pension plan started....Second plant constructed in Akron....Goodyear acquired first rubber plantation in Sumatra, first cotton ranch in Arizona....Wingfoot Lake acquired in Akron to provide water for manufacturing operations....Edwin J. Thomas joined Goodyear.

1917 Sales pass $100 million....First "cross-country" (Akron to Boston) truck line, the Wingfoot Express, started by Goodyear - first trip took 24 days....First blimps built for U.S. Navy....Company purchased coal mine and became a pioneer in mechanized mining.

1918 Goodyear Heights bus line, one of the first in the country, in operation at 2 cents a ride in Akron....Goodyear pontoons on racing balloons became forerunner of inflatable life rafts....Construction started on Goodyear Hall in Akron.

1919 The Industrial Assembly established to help give Goodyear's 30,000 employees a democratic voice in management....First bullet-proof gasoline tanks for planes developed by Goodyear.

1920 Post-World War I depression reduced tire production to 118,000 units in December, compared with a high in April of 837,000 units. Goodyear Hall opened in Akron, construction slowed by war....Tire factory opened in Los Angeles.

1921 Goodyear refinanced and reorganized....Frank and Charles Seiberling resign....Edward G. Wilmer, Milwaukee lawyer and financier, named to presidency.

1922 Tire production increased, for a 50% gain over 1921....Captax, an organic accelerator invented by Goodyear, helped reduce production costs....First cord sectional air-bag for curing tires produced and patented.

1923 George Stadelman became president....Edward Wilmer named chairman....New Supertwist cord spurred successful growth of pneumatic truck tires....Balloon tires introduced.

1924 Goodyear acquired Zeppelin patents, making possible construction of rigid airships in the U.S....Goodyear-Zeppelin Corporation formed....Increasing rubber prices resulted in Goodyear research into synthetic rubber.

1925 Rubber prices reached peak of $1.23 under Stevenson Act....Dr. Karl Arnstein joined Goodyear as airship designer....50,000 cubic-foot blimp, the Pilgrim, is the first commercial non-rigid airship to use helium....Rim production begun by Goodyear.

1926 Paul Litchfield named president, replacing George Stadelman after his death....Goodyear became the world's largest rubber company on the basis of sales, $230,161,356. Company's crude rubber requirements were about one-seventh of the world's total production....Refinancing effected, control of Goodyear returned to stockholders.

1927 Goodyear became first company in rubber industry to establish a Hospital Association for employees....Company applied for synthetic rubber patents for Chemigum....Airwheel, a low-pressure tire, developed for airplanes - later adapted for passenger car use....Australian and English tire plants in production.

1928 First Double Eagle tire developed. Company awarded contract to build rigid airships Akron and Macon for the U.S. Navy....2,500 acres acquired for rubber plantation in Philippines. Research on rayon cord for truck tires initiated.

1929 Construction of world's largest airship dock started in Akron....Spot welding of aluminum alloy developed by Goodyear....Gadsden, Alabama tire plant and two Georgia textile mills began operation. Stock market crash of 1929 ushered in the Great Depression.

1930 President Paul Litchfield named chairman....Pneumatic tire production fell from more than 23 million units in 1929 to less than 18 million units....Airwheel tires used on Fords, Chevrolets....Additional land acquired for third Sumatra rubber plantation.

1931 Rigid airship Akron launched, construction on sister-ship Macon begun....Rubber-tired tractors demonstrated, based on work in a Florida orange grove on low-pressure Airwheel tires....Argentina plant started.

1932 Six-hour day inaugurated to spread the work and alleviate unemployment caused by the Depression....The first hydraulic disc brakes for airplanes developed by Goodyear.

1933 First year since Depression began that tire production showed increase....Airship Macon completed....Synthetic rubber research reactivated as full-time project....Magnesium alloy airplane wheel developed....Decatur, Alabama textile mill acquired....Goodyear Bank established in Akron.

1934 Pliofilm, rubber-based packaging film, developed....Tire plant construction started in Java....Earthmover tire introduced....First studded mud and snow tire announced.

1935 Kelly-Springfield Tire Company purchased....Explorer II, Goodyear-built stratosphere balloon, set altitude record of 72,395 feet....Indonesian tire plant started....Rubber plantation in Panama begun....LifeGuard tube first marketed....First rayon truck tire introduced....First sit-down strike began November 8.

1936 Airfoam production started....Shoe product production begun in Windsor, Vermont. New rubber plantation acquired in Costa Rica....Strike to establish union as bargaining agency lasted five weeks....Sure Grip go-anywhere tire announced.

1937 Goodyear built and tested first American-made synthetic rubber tire....Production begun at Jackson, Michigan tire plant....Neolite development started....Amphibious Marsh Buggy tire developed.

1938 Work begun on tire plants at Sao Paulo, Brazil and Norrkoping, Sweden....First rayon passenger tire introduced....Double Eagle and LifeGuard used on some new cars....Goodyear built its largest heavy-duty truck tire with a carrying capacity of 25,000 pounds.

1939 Construction of molded goods plant begun at St. Marys, Ohio....Goodyear tires used on Admiral Richard Byrd's Snow Cruiser for Antarctic expedition....Goodyear Aircraft Corporation formed, grew from a work force of 30 to 35,000 in two-and-a-half years....Goodyear conveyor belt system used at Shasta Dam to haul aggregate nearly 10 miles.

1940 Edwin J. Thomas named Goodyear’s eighth president, Paul Litchfield continued as chairman and CEO....Construction started on Chemigum plant....Goodyear-type self-sealing tanks adopted as standard for combat aircraft....Retirement annuity plan for salaried employees initiated.

1941 Two plants in Akron and one in Arizona started for Goodyear Aircraft....U.S. Navy ordered 21 blimps....Mexican plant started production....Sales increased 52% over 1940, reflecting Goodyear's participation in defense program....Tire production restricted immediately after Pearl Harbor, December 7.

1942 Company awarded contract to build Corsair fighter planes....By year's end, considerable production converted to war production, including guns, shells, tank tracks, gas masks, rafts and bullet-sealing tanks....Built government synthetic rubber plants in Akron, Houston and Los Angeles....Goodyear holdings in Sumatra, Philippines and Java invaded by Japan.

1943 Goodyear awarded contract for major components of B-29 bomber....Research developed for continuous process for reacting stage of synthetic rubber manufacture, effectively increasing reactor capacity and reducing cost....New Goodyear Research Laboratory dedicated in Akron.

1944 3,000th Corsair fighter airplane constructed by Goodyear Aircraft....Plant acquired at Lincoln, Nebraska for fuel tank production....Neolite sole production begun....Goodyear started construction of Topeka, Kansas tire facility for the U.S. government.

1945 V-J Day brought with it cancellation of more than $400 million of government contracts, return of first of more than 26,000 employees in U.S. armed forces....Lincoln, Nebraska and Topeka, Kansas factories purchased from government....Work started on tire plant in Peru.

1946 Goodyear continued operation of synthetic rubber plants in Akron, Houston and Los Angeles for government....Construction of synthetic rubber pilot plant begun....New plants started in Cuba and South Africa....First experimental tires with wire cord produced.

1947 First nylon tires developed....Super-Cushion tire announced, required only 24 pounds of air pressure.....Niagara Falls, New York chemical products plant started production....Crosswind landing gear for aircraft developed by Goodyear.

1948 50th anniversary....Super-Cushion tire became original equipment on many new car models....Java and Sumatra rubber plantations repossessed....Synthetic rubber plants converted to production of cold rubber....Post-war competition increased.

1949 Plans for Luxembourg plant begun....Vinyl flooring introduced, supplementing Goodyear's line of rubber flooring dating back to 1905....Television first used for advertising with Goodyear sponsorship of "The Goodyear Review," hosted by Paul Whiteman.

1950 Company-financed pension plan adopted for all employees....Goodyear produced 500-millionth tire in July....Korean War imposed government allocation on use of both natural and synthetic rubber....Electrically heated rubber deicing equipment developed for aircraft...."The Greatest Story Ever Told" radio program initiated.

1951 First $1 billion sales year for Goodyear and the industry.... Research perfected oil-extended synthetic rubber, a technique that effectively increased rubber supply 20%-25% and improved quality....Korean War spurred return of defense production in many Goodyear facilities....Sales company organized in Tokyo....Goodyear, with Philco, co-sponsored “TV Playhouse.”

1952 Goodyear selected by Atomic Energy Commission to operate $1 billion facility (Uranium 235) in southern Ohio....Restrictions and controls on synthetic and natural rubber removed for first time since World War II....Goodyear Aircraft closed eight weeks during contract negotiations....N-type airship delivered to Navy, largest ever built....Suburbanite winter tire announced.

1953 Congress authorized transfer of government-owned synthetic rubber plants to private ownership....Company-paid hospitalization plan inaugurated....Three-story-high 3-T machine developed and built for tempering nylon tire fabric....Goodyear Aircraft at capacity on defense orders.

1954 Goodyear successful bidder on two government-owned synthetic rubber plants....Complete new line of tubeless tires introduced....World's first commercial passenger conveyor belt built by Goodyear for Hudson and Manhattan Railroad....First rubber railroad crossing installed in Akron....First nationwide strike in company's history lasted 52 days....3-T nylon cord tires announced.

1955 Research succeeded in producing in laboratory a close duplicate of the natural rubber molecule....LifeGuard Blowout Shield announced for tubeless tires....Work started on new plant in Colombia….North Chicago, Illinois hose plant acquired....New type of blimp built for Navy for use in aircraft early-warning system....Tubeless earthmover and grader tires developed.

1956 Goodyear-operated atomic plant completed....New tire plants begun in Philippines, Venezuela and Scotland....Edwin Thomas named CEO, replacing Paul Litchfield who held post 30 years, Litchfield remained chairman....The Captive-Air Safety Shield tire ("the tire with the built-in spare") announced....Full line of stock car racing tires marketed....New radiation lab at Research, electronics and aircraft research buildings opened in Litchfield Park, Arizona and Akron.

1957 Tread rubber plant opened in Chablis, Washington.Land acquired in Guatemala for rubber plantation....Goodyear International Corporation replaced The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Export Company....Natsyn, the natural-type synthetic rubber, produced in a pilot plant....Steel cord used in Captive-Air Safety Shield, replacing nylon....Compulsory retirement age reduced to 65 for hourly workers, 68 for salaried employees....Goodyear Aircraft developed projected program for orbital space stations and manned flight to outer space.

1958 Paul Litchfield retired, Edwin Thomas named chairman; Russell DeYoung, president....Goodyear Aircraft awarded research and development contract for SUBROC anti-submarine system.....Polyester resin plant construction started at Point Pleasant, West Virginia....Unisteel truck tire introduced, with radial wire plus three-ply breaker belt....Production of foam-padded instrument panels begun for 1959 model cars.

1959 New plant construction started at Amiens, France; Medicine Hat, Canada; and plans begun for New Delhi, India....Arrangements made for tire manufacture in Italy, Portugal and Chile....World's largest Pillow tank of 50,000-gallon capacity produced for off-shore fuel storage....Terra Tire tires introduced for golf carts....Mickey Thompson set new land speed records on Goodyear tires at Bonneville Salt Flats.

1960 Total assets passed the $1 billion mark....Goodyear-shod car won Daytona 500 race….Petrochemical Center begun in Beaumont, Texas for production of Natsyn and Budene synthetic rubbers at cost of $20 million, company's largest single capital investment at the time....Government/Goodyear Atomic contract renewed....Goodyear Aircraft named prime contractor for SUBROC anti-submarine system....Mickey Thompson broke the 400 mph barrier at Bonneville Salt Flats, going 406.6 mph on Goodyear tires....Cuban facilities expropriated by the Cuban government.

1961 New plants started at Tyler, Texas and Turkey....Fulda (German tire manufacturer) and Metal Wheel Company acquired....Tire production arrangements completed in Southern Rhodesia and Malaysia....Vitafilm (shrinkable packaging film), Super Ortac and Acala hose, two-ply auto tires, Super Torque farm tires shared new product spotlight....Use of shredded wire undertreads in off-the-road tires expanded....Tufsyn rubber in tire treads announced.

1962 New chemical plant started in Le Havre, France....Vytacord polyester cord announced....Research scientists discovered sprayable polyurethane rubber....Goodyear Aircraft awarded government contract for development of high resolution radar for world's fastest fighter plane....Super Single tire and rim announced as replacement for duals on trucks....Goodyear racing tires used on more winning stock and sports cars than any other brand.

1963 Goodyear produced its billionth tire....Goodyear Aircraft changed its name to Goodyear Aerospace reflecting its increasing involvement in space programs....A second blimp, the Columbia, joined the Mayflower for displaying promotional and public service messages....Craig Breedlove set the world's land speed record, traveled 407.45 mph at Bonneville Salt Flats in his Spirit of America equipped with special Goodyear tires....New Double Eagle with LifeGuard Safety Spare announced…."Go, Go, Goodyear" theme introduced.

1964 Russell DeYoung named chairman and CEO, succeeding retiring Edwin Thomas, Victor Holt Jr. named president....Goodyear achieved $2 billion in sales (13 years after reaching $1 billion)....Motor Wheel Corporation became a subsidiary....Flexsteel, a radial ply truck tire, added to the line....Goodyear Memory Belt introduced, automatically routes packaged items, using coded information stored in the belt's matrix....Craig Breedlove set speed record at Bonneville Salt Flats, 526.28 mph in a jet-powered Spirit of America equipped with Goodyear tires....Goodyear entered international racing field for first time....New Italian plant started.

1965 Radial-ply tires made available in a full range of sizes to all auto manufacturers - for consideration for use on future car models....Forty-one linear miles of Goodyear butyl sheeting used to seal the joints of the Houston Astrodome....Prime Wrap, a new packaging material for use by food chains, introduced....Padded dashboards, many of them produced with Goodyear foam products, became standard on virtually all U.S. cars....Winter tires with Safety Spikes first introduced....Craig Breedlove broke speed record at Bonneville Salt Flats at a speed of 600.601 mph on Goodyear tires....In less than two years after entering international racing competition, Goodyear won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, France....Work began on a new tire plant in Guatemala.

1966 Goodyear became first company in rubber industry to install a graphics unit that enabled technical personnel to communicate directly with a programmed computer and receive the graphic answers almost immediately....Thirty foot wire grid communications satellite built by Goodyear Aerospace and successfully launched....Planned city at Litchfield Park, Arizona continued to progress on a 12,000-acre site....Motor Wheel Corporation became prime rim and wheel supplier for military vehicles, opened first plant outside U.S. in Chatham, Ontario, Canada....More than 100 new retail outlets opened....Pliopave rubber additives used in paving approximately 43 acres of Langley Air Force Base in Virginia.... Jack Brabham won World Driving Championship on Goodyear tires....Plants started in Jamaica and Australia.

1967 Despite a two-week strike at 11 U.S. plants, sales and earnings set record....Best year for Goodyear Aerospace since World War II....Metal Products Division integrated into Motor Wheel Corporation....Number of Goodyear plants worldwide passed the 100 mark, work started on plants in Northern Ireland, Germany....Custom Wide Tread Polyglas tire announced, combining best characteristics of bias-ply tires, radial-ply tires and the popular "wide footprint"....Largest installation to date of memory belt completed at the U.S. Postal Department's new Air Mail Facility at San Francisco's International Airport....A.J. Foyt rode to victory at the Indianapolis 500, and Dennis Hulme won the 1967 World Driving Championship, both on Goodyear tires.

1968 Polyglas tires became standard or optional equipment on almost all 1969 model cars....Pathfinder Polyglas introduced, a snow tire designed specifically for front wheel use....Goodyear Aerospace balloons traveled on Apollo 7 journey, helped right spacecraft after splashdown....Instant-Floor introduced - new 12" x 12" do-it-yourself vinyl tiles with pressure-sensitive backing....Sprayable colored Neothane applied to 170,000 square feet of roof at new civic center in San Rafael, California....Foam products involved in supplying energy-absorbing latex foam for head restraints required as standard equipment on new cars....Data acquisition system installed at Goodyear Research, making laboratories the most highly computerized in the rubber industry....Bobby Unser added the company's second consecutive victory in the Indianapolis 500....Tire plants in Greece and Thailand started.

1969 Goodyear's first $3 billion sales year, it took only five years to go from $2 billion to $3 billion....Virtually all of Goodyear International's plants either were modernized or expanded....New test equipment for airplane wheels and brakes placed in operation in Akron....Goodyear Tire Center franchise program initiated....Crashworthy fuel cells developed for aircraft....Goodyear Aerospace supplied components for the Boeing 747.

1970 Eight-week strike, continued work stoppages and strikes at major customers in automotive and transportation industries, reduced sales and profits throughout the industry....Industrial products plant begun at Lyon, France....Steel-belted Double Eagle Polysteel tire introduced....Wide range of belted Glas-Guard tires introduced for campers, vans and pickups....First tires on the moon (Apollo 14) supplied by Goodyear....Staran, world's fastest computer, introduced by Goodyear Aerospace for air traffic control....Transport Systems, a development and marketing organization, created to accelerate use of Speedwalk/Speedramp passenger conveying systems....Carbon-composite brake disc material, developed by aviation products, expected to improve aircraft brake life by as much as 100%....Chemical Division, world's largest producer of synthetic rubber, became leading producer of polybutadiene rubber as well....Gary Gabelich set new land speed record of 622.407 mph in his Blue Flame equipped with special Goodyear tires.

1971 World's largest tire (11 1/2 feet high, 7,000 pounds) built at new $23 million super-tire facility at Topeka, Kansas....Polysteel tires now marketed nationally....Jackie Stewart won World Driving Championship....New Speedwalk/Speedramp installations completed at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport; Standiford Field in Louisville, Kentucky, and Meriden Square in Meriden, Connecticut....Goodyear polyester used in double-knit wearing apparel....Goodyear Aerospace side-looking radar gained new application in surveying and mapping two million square miles of Venezuela and Brazil programs designed to open the areas for inhabitation....New tire plants scheduled for Brazil, Zaire, Morocco and Taiwan.

1972 Charles J. Pilliod Jr. elected 11th president of the company....Goodyear became first in the industry to record sales in excess of $4 billion....Custom Steelgard Radial tire introduced - the only steel-belted radial accepted by all U.S. car makers for their 1973 models....Side-looking radar, pioneered by Goodyear Aerospace, used extensively by U.S. Air Force on F-4 phantom jets....New tire plants began production in Kinshasa, Zaire, and Casablanca, Morocco....Environmental improvement projects amounted to $3 million, bringing the total to $19 million expended since 1966....Company's four-year-old franchise program added its 100th Goodyear Tire Center....Mark Donohue won the Indianapolis 500 on Goodyear tires, setting a record speed of 162.962 mph....The Goodyear Conservation Awards Program completed 25 years of recognizing resource management by the nation's soil and water conservation districts.

1973 Company celebrates 75th year....Despite price controls and raw materials shortages, sales were a record and earnings were second highest in history....New packaging film plant in Merced, California….New industrial brake plant in Berea, Kentucky....New multi-million dollar tire plant in Americana, Brazil....Custom Steelguard remained only steel-belted radial tire approved by all four U.S. car makers for 1974 models....Board of directors held its first meeting outside of U.S., in Luxembourg….Goodyear Atomic received five-year contract extension with Atomic Energy Commission for continued operation of gaseous diffusion plant in Portsmouth, Ohio....26 of 33 cars at the Indianapolis 500 rode on Goodyear tires, including winner Gordon Johncock....Keep America Beautiful Inc. selected Goodyear's corporate-wide environmental improvement program as the nation's finest.

1974 Despite problems of recession and inflation, Goodyear became first in rubber industry to exceed $5 billion in sales....Goodyear International, with 67 manufacturing facilities in 34 countries, compiled record sales for the 20th consecutive year....Charles Pilliod Jr., elected fifth chairman of the board, John H. Gerstenmaier named president, Richard A. Jay named vice-chairman....Custom Polysteel Radial and new top-of-the-line double Eagle Radial, with belts of Flexten cord, announced....A new winter tire designed for use without metal studs, the F32 All Winter Radial, introduced....Goodyear tires were on the winning cars in 151 out of the 226 major racing events throughout the world, including Johnny Rutherford's win at Indianapolis....Largest U.S. Air Force contract of its type awarded to Goodyear Aerospace for aircraft wheels, brakes and parts....U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare presented outstanding public service award to Goodyear for blimp messages promoting the 1973 Social Security programs....For the 59th consecutive year it was still true - "More people ride on Goodyear tires than on any other kind."

1975 Despite inflation, recession and a depressed auto industry, sales continued at a record level....Chairman Charles Pilliod Jr., named Employer of the Year by National Industrial Recreation Association....Natural rubber processing plant started production at Benin City, Nigeria....Russell DeYoung, retired chairman, honored by Indonesia for contributions to country's economy....Goodyear and Oil Shale Corporation planning pilot plant at Rocky Flats, Colorado to turn scrap tires into oil, steel and carbon black....Indianapolis 500 won by Bobby Unser in all-Goodyear field, marking first time in 13 years one company supplied all tires....Goodyear Motor Sports Club started for auto racing fans....Largest single tire service contract in history awarded to Goodyear for trans-Alaskan pipeline project....General Dynamics awarded Goodyear Aerospace wheel and brake contracts for F-16 fighter jet....Flexten cord incorporated into auto-radial truck and bias-belted earthmover tires....More than $141,000 in the form of $100 checks distributed as bonuses to employees and retirees who purchased new 1975 cars, a move undertaken to provide "another shot for the economy."

1976 Sales of $5.8 billion established a record, despite a 130 day strike at 15 major plants....Capital expenditures for properties and plants were $226.1 million....Involved were modernization, conversion and expansion of 10 U.S. plants....A hose plant at Mount Pleasant, Iowa, started production....Company and employees rallied to the aid of Guatemala in February following massive earthquakes....Supplies were airlifted to stricken areas....Company received largest single conveyor belting order from Duval Sierrita copper mine in Arizona....Topeka, Kansas plant produced super earthmover tire of Nylosteel 11½ feet high, 5½ feet wide, weighing more than 12,500 pounds for world's largest loader....Chemical Division shipped first shatterproof polyester resin bottles....A Holstein bull calf, equipped with an air driven artificial heart developed jointly by Goodyear and the Cleveland Clinic, lived a record 145½ days....Researchers designed a tourniquet of durable natural rubber for use during surgery on an elephant in Miami, Florida....Company began drilling for natural gas on its Akron properties.

1977 Goodyear introduced two notable advances in tire design; Tiempo, a tire for year-round use in all climates, found immediate acceptance in the market and the revolutionary elliptic tire demonstrated its gas saving capacity and drew the interest of automakers.....Ground was broken for a new, highly automated tire plant in Lawton, Oklahoma, representing an initial investment of $80 million.....Goodyear took steps to meet the world's growing demand for natural rubber, a $10 million expansion of its Brazilian plantation was made possible by the company's success in controlling leaf blight that had plagued South America for decades….Goodyear acquired a second rubber plantation in Sumatra....To meet the rising demand for shatterproof, polyester drink bottles, the company began expansion of its polyester resin plant at Point Pleasant, West Virginia for the second time in three years....Gas centrifuges to enrich uranium for nuclear power were under development by Goodyear Aerospace for possible use in the $4.2 billion expansion of the government's nuclear enrichment program at Piketon, Ohio....The company's program to ensure needed gas supplies for production processes was stepped up, three wells were drilled at the Akron properties, one at the Stow, Ohio mold plant and one near the Jackson, Ohio plastics plant....A.J. Foyt made history on Goodyear tires winning his fourth Indianapolis 500....Sales record of $6.6 billion and earnings record of $205 million were set.

1978 Plans announced to turn an idle Akron tire plant -- closed as a result of rising costs -- into a new $75 million Technical Center....Goodyear became the first company in the rubber industry to top the $7 billion mark in sales, led by the most successful tire in company history, the Tiempo....The all-season tire sold 3.5 million in its first year....On August 29, the company marked its 80th anniversary....John H. Gerstenmaier was elected vice-chairman and chief operating officer with Robert E. Mercer succeeding him as Goodyear’s 13th president....$69 million expansion of radial tire production facility at the Gadsden, Alabama plant began production....Point Pleasant, West Virginia plant was expanded again to cope with the increasing number and popularity of polyester uses, making a total of $30 million spent on the plant in a three-year period, increasing production 20%....Ashland, Ohio plant increased production to meet the demand for Pliogrip, an adhesive used to bond car components....$10 million latex plant was opened in Calhoun, Georgia....Expansions of tire making facilities totalling $15.5 million made in Malaysia and Luxembourg....Goodyear Aerospace received contract to develop an Imaging Radar System to map the planet Venus....Conservation efforts enabled the company to reduce energy consumption 13.4% since 1971....Scrap tires used as construction material for more than 2,000 artificial reefs and floating breakwaters....Toxicology lab established to determine the safety of chemicals....Mario Andretti won the World Driving Championship, Al Unser the Indianapolis 500, and Kenny Roberts became the first American to win the World 500cc Motorcycle Grand Prix - all on Goodyear tires....A new and larger airship Mayflower was launched....The National 4-H Bicycle Program completed its 10th year under Goodyear sponsorship.

1979 An $11.4 million federal grant to accompany Goodyear's $75 million Akron Technical Center was announced....The Wingfoot radial, a new high performance auto tire, made debut at Chicago Auto Show....Dampened by gasoline shortages, the demand for auto and light truck tires declined....Rick Mears won Indianapolis 500 on Goodyear tires....U.S. cities install Goodyear-made rubber railroad crossings at rate of two every work day....$71 million expansion announced for radial truck tire facilities at Danville, Virginia....New airship Enterprise christened in Pompano Beach, Florida.

1980 Soft drink bottles remained the single largest market for polyester. Arriva all-season radial tire introduced with a major advertising campaign during Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York. For the third time, Johnny Rutherford won the Indianapolis 500 and Kenny Roberts won his third straight World 500cc Motorcycle Road Racing Championship, both on Goodyear tires....Largest Goodyear plant expansion in history slated for Mexico City at $107 million....Goodyear established record sales and earnings for 1980....Sales were $8.4 billion and earnings were up 57.8% over 1979 to $230.7 million.

1981 John Gerstenmaier, vice chairman and chief operating officer, retired after 42 years of service....The company announced expansion of its Arriva tire line with 11 new sizes for import cars....New family of Eagle high performance tires introduced at Daytona, Florida....Goodyear's method to chemically dispose of hazardous PCBs was honored by a White House agency, receiving the 1981 Environmental Industry Award in the field of hazardous waste control....U.S. Department of Energy announced extension of the Goodyear Atomic contract for five years....1982 model Datsuns came to the U.S. from Japan equipped with Goodyear radial tires produced in Union City, Tennessee....Goodyear announced the phase-out of its industrial products operations in Akron....Bobby Unser won the Indianapolis 500 on Goodyear tires....Employees helped to achieve a savings of $218 million in energy conservation since a worldwide energy conservation program was announced in 1971....Versigard, a new rubber roofing system was introduced....1982 model cars came out with 100% radial tires as standard equipment for the first time....Goodyear tires scored a Grand Prix victory and helped a driver win the World Driving Championship for the eighth time in nine years.

1982 Goodyear tires made their debut on turbo-charged cars at the South African Grand Prix....Chairman Charles Pilliod Jr., received the Horatio Alger Award....Goodyear Bank sold to National City Bank....Benny Parsons used Goodyear tires to become the first stock car driver qualifying for a NASCAR Grand National race at more than 200 mph....Double Eagle Radial tires were introduced....Gordon Johncock used Goodyear Eagle Speedway Specials to win the Indianapolis 500.... Phase-out of motorcycle tire production announced....Goodyear Highway Hero program established to honor truck drivers for acts of heroism and public service....Keke Rosenberg clinched the 12th World Drivers Championship for Formula 1 racing following a season on Goodyear tires....The first American-built Honda rolled off the assembly line at Marysville, Ohio on Goodyear Corsa GT tires....The “Wall Street Transcript” named Charles Pilliod Jr. the top rated CEO for the second year....GM's new Chevrolet Corvette equipped with the Eagle VR50 tire.

1983 Goodyear announced plans to build a $50 million wire cord plant in Asheboro, North Carolina....Announcement was made of the merger of Goodyear and Celeron Corporation, a diversified natural gas pipeline company....Robert Mercer was elected chairman and chief executive officer, succeeding Charles Pilliod Jr., Tom H. Barrett named president and chief operating officer....Goodyear's three billionth tire was manufactured at the Danville, Virginia truck tire plant. Goodyear announced development of radial tires for aircraft....Tom Sneva won Indianapolis 500 on Goodyear tires.

1984 Vector, the third generation all-season radial auto tire, introduced....Goodyear announced plans to invest $250 million to convert Kelly-Springfield plant in Tyler, Texas to radial passenger tire production.... Goodyear announced expansion of its Luxembourg radial earthmover tire production facility....Chairman Robert Mercer named the best rubber industry CEO by “The Wall Street Transcript”....Continuance of the $840 million pipeline project of Celeron Corporation authorized by board of directors....Worldwide sales reached a record $10.24 billion, and earnings were a record $411 million.

1985 Lotus of England featured Eagle high performance tires as original equipment....Goodyear boosted earthmover investment in Topeka, Kansas by nearly $23 million....Bill Elliot won Daytona 500 on Goodyear tires....Goodyear and Japan's Toyo Tire & Rubber Company entered joint tire venture....“Financial World” named Robert Mercer outstanding CEO in the rubber industry.... New Tiempo tire line announced....Goodyear began nationwide emergency road service program....Major permits completed for Celeron's California to Texas oil pipeline....Danny Sullivan won Indianapolis 500 on Goodyear tires....Company founder Frank Seiberling inducted into the Tire Industry Hall of Fame.....

1986 Goodyear purchased Long Mile Rubber Company, the largest full line tread rubber producer in the U.S., and Min Tire Equipment Inc., a premier supplier of rubber extruder equipment and industrial machinery....Financing was completed for construction of the Celeron West Coast to Texas Gulf Coast pipeline....Sales operations for Versigard rubber roofing expanded into Europe....Plans announced for a $29 million technical center in Japan....A natural rubber research and quality control lab opened in Singapore....Goodyear Corsa GT tires selected as the exclusive tire for the Hyundai Excel car....Industrial Products Division received a $2 million contract from Krupp Industrietechnik of West Germany for a conveyor belt for a Texas coal mine.... A China Affairs office opened in Hong Kong....Maxxim, a total gasoline vapor recovery hose, introduced....British financier Sir James Goldsmith, Hanson Trust and a group of investors purchased 11.5% of Goodyear stock in a takeover attempt....Goodyear moved to acquire stock held by the Goldsmith investment group....A restructuring program was announced that included the sale of Celeron Corporation, Goodyear Aerospace, Motor Wheel Corporation, Goodyear Farms and The Wigwam resort in Arizona....The Windsor, Vermont shoe products plant closed....The Rome, Italy base for the Airship Europa was sold and the airship retired....Goodyear discontinued financial support for Formula 1 Grand Prix racing.

1987 In the wake of the unsuccessful takeover attempt by Goldsmith investment group, Goodyear made a tender offer for up to 40 million shares of its common stock at $50 each....Goodyear Aerospace was sold to Loral Corporation for $640 million....Motor Wheel Corporation was purchased by its management ....The New Toronto, Canada plant and the Kelly-Springfield plant in Cumberland, Maryland were closed....Arizona holdings, including Goodyear Farms, Litchfield Park and Westinghouse-Goodyear properties, sold for $221 million to SunCor Development Corporation....Following the sale of Goodyear Aerospace, an aviation products department was established, the company continuing the manufacture of aircraft tires and operation of its Air Treads and brake overhaul units....Goodyear and Pacific Dunlop Ltd. formed South Pacific Tyres Ltd. with manufacturing and retailing operations in Australia, New Zealand and Papua, New Guinea....Goodyear named exclusive supplier of Poly-V serpentine automotive belts for the Chevrolet Corvette....Nippon Giant joint venture, 50% Goodyear owned, began production of earthmover tires in Japan....Celeron "welded out" the 1,225 mile mainline segment of the All American pipeline from Santa Barbara, California to McCamey, Texas....Kelly-Springfield announced that it would build a new headquarters and tire testing facility in Cumberland, Maryland....The Eagle ZR-S high performance street radial tire was introduced - the first with a "Z" speed rating indicating it was designed to operate at speeds of more than 149 mph....Chairman Robert Mercer received the Distinguished Service Citation Award from the Automotive Hall of Fame....A new airship was christened The Spirit of Akron in recognition of the community's support for the company....Goodyear subsidiary Hose Coupling Manufacturing Inc., was sold....Goodyear produced the first original equipment, 17-inch, Z-speed-rated performance tire, the Eagle ZR40 Gatorback, for the 1988 Chevrolet Corvette....The Eagle NCT tire was customized for Rolls Royce autos sold in the U.S.....Plans announced to invest $70 million for high performance tire production in Lawton, Oklahoma....The Eagle radial racing tire made its debut and carried Al Unser Sr. to victory in the Indianapolis 500.

1988 President Tom H. Barrett was elected to succeed Chairman Robert Mercer as chief executive officer, effective January 1, 1989.... Ground was broken for a $320 million tire plant at Napanee, Ontario, Canada....The second phase of a $132 million high performance tire expansion began at Lawton, Oklahoma....Phase one of a $52 million expansion at the Danville, Virginia truck tire plant was completed....In Americana, Brazil $35 million was invested for increased production of auto tires and light and medium truck tires....An $18.8 million expansion and modernization project began at Kelly-Springfield's Fayetteville, North Carolina tire plant....Industrial Products Division celebrated its 75th anniversary with the dedication of a $4.1 million joint venture V-belt plant in Taiwan and a $10 million expansion there.... Goodyear's fourth generation all-season tire, the Invicta GL, was introduced....The first special application farm tire for use with vegetable row crops was introduced....Goodyear airships honored by the Freedoms Foundation for public service night sign messages.

1989 Aviation tire and Air Treads operations consolidated....Tom Barrett succeeded retiring Chairman Robert Mercer....A project to add high-performance auto tire production at Gadsden, Alabama was announced....The second phase began of a $133 million Lawton, Oklahoma high-performance tire expansion....Expansion and modernization at Danville, Virginia was completed....A $32 million Topeka, Kansas project began to increase medium radial truck tire production....Auto tire production at Kuala Lampur, Malaysia increased to serve the Japanese auto industry....A $4 million Asheboro, North Carolina expansion began producing wire for tire plants....The South Pacific Tyres joint venture began a $170 million project to build a steel radial truck tire plant and modernize facilities in Australia and New Zealand....A $64 million project began to increase synthetic rubber capacity and development at a new specialty polymer facility at Beaumont, Texas....Work began on a $31.5 million Houston, Texas expansion to boost production of nitrile rubber and latex products....The Polyester Division completed a $50 million expansion at Point Pleasant, West Virginia....A $5.2 million expansion of the Akron Polyester Research and Development Center was completed....SIBR rubber developed to improve heat resistance of high performance and racing tires....Goodyear produced customized tires for the U.S. Navy's A-12 attack bomber, the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 jet and developed the first asymmetrical aircraft tire tread for the U.S. Air Force's F-15 fighter.

1990 The new state-of-the-art tire plant in Napanee, Ontario, Canada began limited production....A $25 million expansion was approved for Point Pleasant, West Virginia polyester plant....Two exclusive custom brand tires - the Concorde Calibre and All-American Decathlon - were unveiled for price conscious consumers....The Daytona 500 kicked off a new major advertising campaign with the theme, "The best tires in the world have Goodyear written all over them."....$13 million modernization approved for polyester plant in Scottsboro, Alabama....$3 million modernization plan was slated for fabric mill in Cartersville, Georgia....Goodyear provided race tires for sun-powered vehicles driven by college students in a 1,600 mile competition....Roofing systems plant closed in New Bedford, Massachusetts.....Medium and heavy-duty radial truck tire production phased out at the Valleyfield, Quebec, Canada plant....Four new Just Tires stores began operating in the Memphis, Tennessee area....South Pacific Tyres opened a $62.5 million radial truck tire plant in Melbourne, Australia....Shoe Products Division relocated to Hudson, New Hampshire.

1991 Goodyear airships visited 12 major markets in the United States as Blimp Tour '91 increased retail traffic and tire sales....Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President Tom Barrett retired. Stanley C. Gault was elected chairman and chief executive officer....Hoyt M. Wells was elected Goodyear president and chief operating officer.... Goodyear sold 12 million new shares of its common stock....Four tires were introduced in an unprecedented launch: the Aquatred, Invicta GFE, Wrangler GSA and Eagle GSC....The new, highly innovative Aquatred tire garnered praise and acceptance from the media and consumers alike....Air Treads formed a joint venture with Mitsui & Company Ltd. of Japan to serve the expanding aviation tire business in Asia....Board of directors approved $39 million to nearly double capacity at the Bangkok, Thailand tire plant....Dutch chemical firm Akzo agreed to buy the Scottsboro, Alabama polyester tire cord and fabric plant for $105 million....Goodyear support of the Persian Gulf War was recognized by several awards....Company awarded the 1991 James S. Cogswell Award for Outstanding Industrial Security Achievement from the U.S. Department of Defense.

1992 Goodyear sold nearly all of its food and industrial films business to Huntsman Holdings Corporation....Goodyear began selling tires through mass-merchandiser Sears....To increase radial tire production, an $8 million expansion was announced for the Lawton, Oklahoma plant.... Goodyear completed the sale of its polyester businesses to Shell Oil Company....The rubber plantation in Indonesia observed 75 years of operation....”Consumer Digest” magazine named the Goodyear Eagle GA tire a "best buy" for 1993....Board of directors approved $4.6 million to increase capacity at steel tire cord plant in Asheboro, North Carolina.....Goodyear introduced the first extended mobility, or run-flat, tire for the Chevrolet Corvette....The Workhorse Extra Grip radial light truck tire made its debut....Trackman, an endless rubber track for retro-fitting on skid-steer farm, business and construction vehicles, was introduced....Gadsden, Alabama plant began a $26 million expansion to keep up with demand for Wrangler light truck tires.

1993 The All American pipeline entered into long-term crude oil transportation agreements with several major California offshore oil producers....A joint venture was announced with India's Ceat Ltd. to build tires....The company opened a representative's office and its first tire store in Beijing, China....Distribution was expanded through adding approximately 1,000 new dealers and mass-merchandising outlets for Goodyear tires in the United States....Goodyear introduced the 300 Series Unisteel commercial truck tire system, several new light truck tires, a broad market touring tire, automotive and industrial hose products with environmental benefits and quieter more efficient V-belts....The Aquatred tire, winner of more than a dozen awards, including Japan's prestigious "Good Product Design Award," reached two million units in the United States.

1994 The market for the highly popular Aquatred tire expanded with introductions of a new aqua-channel tire, the Wrangler Aquatred for light trucks and SUVs....Ford chose the Eagle GS-C for its Mustang Cobra, which paced the Indianapolis 500....Just Tires stores expanded into Philadelphia and Los Angeles, with a total of 70 outlets in all markets....Goodyear opened an "electronic store" on CompuServe, an on-line subscription service - Goodyear was the first and only major tire manufacturer with a CompuServe store....The company introduced its innovative Customer Trust program, which allowed customers to specify the desired level of diagnosis and service for auto service outlets....Goodyear celebrated its 300th Grand Prix victory in Barcelona, Spain....Manufacturing capacity at the Topeka, Kansas plant was increased....The Kelly-Springfield subsidiary marked its 100th anniversary....The Chinese government granted applications for the Goodyear Dalian joint venture to manufacture tires in China....Construction began on expansions in Malaysia and Indonesia....Goodyear acquired a 60% interest in a $20 million joint venture with Qingdao Gold Lion Hose Company, the largest producer of auto hose in China....The company acquired its partner's one-half interest in Techbelt Pacific....The All American Pipeline System showed a full year of operating profit....All-time record sales for 1994 were $12.3 billion, with record income of $567 million.

1995 With Hoyt Wells retirement, Samir G. Gibara became Goodyear's president and chief operating officer....International expansion into high growth economies continued as Goodyear acquired majority control of TC Debica, the leading Polish passenger tire manufacturer....New tire production came on stream at Goodyear Dalian in China....Goodyear acquired an air springs operation in Brazil....A $15 million investment was made in Luxembourg in conjunction with extending the work week to seven-day operations....In the U.S., Goodyear's distribution channels expanded with the addition of both Montgomery Ward and Penske Automotive Centers....New tire introductions included the Aquatred II, Ultra Grip HP and Eagle #1.... Goodyear introduced the Gatorback Poly-V automotive belt, providing unsurpassed performance for high-horsepower applications....In racing, Goodyear marked its 1,000th NASCAR Winston Cup victory....A new distribution facility in Georgia consolidated activities of five distribution centers across the southeastern U.S. to provide greater selection and next day service for customers....Efforts to find alternative uses for scrap tires advanced as 72 percent of all U.S. generated scrap tires were consumed in environmentally sound energy recovery and recycling programs....Sales of $13.2 billion and earnings of $611 million were the highest in Goodyear's 97-year history.

1996 Goodyear completed several international acquisitions, expanding its global scope....Acquired a 50 percent stake in Sweden's Dackia, a tire retailer....Purchased tire assets of Sime Darby Pilipinas in the Philippines....Purchased a 60 percent interest in South African tire company Contred....Bought the assets of Belt Concepts of America, a lightweight conveyor belt maker, in Spring Hope, North Carolina....Formed Goodyear Polska subsidiary to sell products in Poland....Closed tire plant in Thessaloniki, Greece....Introduced Infinitred, the industry's first auto tire to carry lifetime treadwear warranty.

1997 Expanded European presence with a tire and engineered products joint venture with Slovenia's Sava Group....Signed an off-take agreement with Sumitomo Rubber, exchanging U.S. replacement tire manufacturing capacity for Japanese capacity and began a market test to sell each other's tires....Increased ownership in India's South Asia Tyres from 60% to 74%....Engineered Products bought the assets of Venezuelan hose manufacturer Indomax and three affiliated companies....Announced plans to build a power transmission products plant in Mexico.... Introduced the "Serious Freedom" advertising campaign in North America....Signed deal with NASCAR, making Goodyear the "exclusive tire supplier" of NASCAR's top three race divisions....Became the exclusive NASCAR-licensee of automotive-aftermarket belts and hose....Blimp fleet doubled with two airships added in Europe and one in Latin America....Introduced Eagle pd synchronous belt and sprocket assembly for power transmissions....Began construction of a conveyor belt technical center in Marysville, Ohio....Closed the Morant Bay, Jamaica tire plant....Announced withdrawl from Formula 1 racing after 1998 season....Introduced Eagle HP and Eagle HP Ultra high-performance tires....Announced a six-year, $600 million expansion plan for Goodyear Chemicals that included two new plants, expansions and implementation of new technologies....Began hiring 200 new engineers and scientists to augment technical and engineering staffs in Akron and Luxembourg.

1998 Goodyear celebrated its first 100 years in business....Purchased the remaining 40% interest in Contred tire and engineered products subsidiary in South Africa....Purchased the remaining shares of India's South Asia Tyres....Sold the All American Pipeline, Celeron Gathering and Celeron Trading and Transportation....Sold a latex plant in Calhoun, Georgia to GenCorp....Sold extruded rubber business to Longwood Elastomers....Formed a belt-drive systems development alliance with Litens....Announced the development of an advanced tire manufacturing process called IMPACT....Introduced a new steel passenger car tire technology known as Ultra-Tensile Steel Wire, using it in the Eagle Aquasteel EMT run-flat tire and Eagle F1 Steel tires....Announced plans to close Kelly-Springfield's Cumberland, Maryland offices....Completed a $15 million expansion of Luxembourg Technical Center....Introduced Tracker Mudrunner tire for ATVs....Developed the industry's first non-directional radial farm tractor tire....Selected Beaumont, Texas as the site for the first phase of Goodyear Chemical's $600 million expansion....Announced $18 million in expansion projects for plants in Union City, Tennessee and Decatur, Georgia....Completed a $14 million expansion of the Beaumont, Texas chemical plant.

1999 Invested $20 million in new state-of-the-art equipment in Union City, Tennessee tire plant to make it the second North American facility producing run-flat tires....Introduced Regatta 2 all-season radial tires in North America....Increased radial tire capacity at Napanee, Ontario, Canada plant with a $12 million expansion.... Announced $1 billion global alliance with Japan's Sumitomo Rubber Industries, which had rights to the Dunlop tire brand in much of the world, to establish six joint ventures in North America, Europe and Japan. Goodyear became the world's largest tire company when the alliance took effect....Became national title sponsor of the All-American Soap Box Derby.

2000 For the third year in a row, Goodyear earned top honors in the Rubber and Plastics Products category of “Fortune” magazine’s list of America’s Most Admired Companies....Formed a joint venture with Treadco, combining U.S. truck tire service and retreading outlets into a network of almost 200 service centers and 77 retreading plants, the world's largest, creating Wingfoot Commercial Tire Systems....Reached an agreement with Michelin to combine the best of its Pax system and Goodyear's EMT run-flat tire breakthroughs that includes agreements on research and development and licensing of each company's patents....Engineered Products’ Norfolk, Nebraska hose plant produced its one-billionth foot of product since opening in 1978….Introduced Aquatred 3, the newest in the popular Aquatred line....New airship Spirit of Goodyear christened by astronaut Sally Ride....To meet increased demand, Engineered Products announced plans to establish a $16 million molded transportation products manufacturing plant in Mexico….Formed an Internet-based purchasing alliance with five other rubber companies called RubberNetwork.com.....The Australia-based airship Spirit of the South Pacific assisted with telecast of the Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics....Made a strategic investment in Cycloid Company, a producer of on-board vehicle tire inflation systems….Opened a sales and distribution center in Dubai, the chief port and commercial center of the United Arab Emirates, allowing access to more than 40 markets in the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia....Introduced the Kelly Safari SUV tire and the Navigator Platinum TE, a touring tire....Eagle Ventura, an all-season performance tire launched in Asia….Robert J. Keegan joined Goodyear as president and chief operating officer on October 1, bringing 28 years of experience in the consumer products area, most recently as president of Kodak's global consumer imaging business….Goodyear Chemical and Sandia National Laboratories signed agreement to jointly explore energy efficient processes to reduce U.S. petrochemical industry’s dependence on foreign oil....Innovative two-piece tire concept introduced for OTR tire market....Goodyear blimp named a Business and Design Classic by Corporate Design Foundation.

2001 GT3 tire, the world’s first tire made with a compound derived from corn, introduced at Geneva Auto Show….Acura selected Goodyear Integrity tires for use on its new MDX SUV….Chairman and CEO Samir Gibara elected to Sumitomo Rubber Industries board of directors….Debica launched Passio passenger car tire for sale in Poland and other international export markets….Tire manufacturing operation in Mexico closed….Wrangler MT/R tire won NorTech Innovation Award….Goodyear named exclusive tire supplyer for NHRA’s top two drag racing divisions….Engineered Products introduced Galaxy 4890 automotive air conditioning hose….Eagle F1 GD-D EMT run-flat tires selected as option on Lexus SC 430 luxury performance car….$10 million radial aircraft tire expansion completed in Danville, Virginia, tripling production of these tires….U.S. blimp fleet visited more than 25 major cities on Safety Tour promoting tire care and safe operation….U.S. Postal Service selected Goodyear as exclusive ground tire supplier in 10-year deal….Company launched third generation of www.goodyear.com website….Goodyear and Siemens VDO Automotive agreed to jointly develop advanced tire pressure warning system….Board of directors approved reduction in quarterly dividend to shareholders….Fortera line of tires introduced for SUVs….Coal Quest conveyor belt introduced for underground mining operations….$120 million expansion of Dalian, China tire plant announced….GPS 3 Sport tire launched in Latin America….Specialty chemical business sold to Littlejohn & Company.

2002 All tire manufacturing plants in North America were certifled to ISO 14001 for environmental management systems….Wrangler MT/R won an “Automotive News” PACE Award, product innovation category. Marikina, Philippines tire plant closed due to overcapacity and softening market demand….Low-rolling-resistant E-metric concept tires featured on General Motors’ Autonomy fuel cell car….Gatorback Poly-V belt made racing debut in Daytona 500….Automated run-flat tire manufacturing system introduced in Fulda, Germany plant…. Announced plans to build new airship named the Spirit of America in honor of the patriotic spirit of Goodyear’s home country….WhiteHawk Ppd and BlackHawk Pd synchronous drive belts unveiled….New look introduced for www.goodyear.com website…. In a move to further strengthen position in the growing Eastern European market, acquired an additional 20% stake in Slovenian joint venture, Sava Tires, increasing ownership to 80%....Kelly Safari Signature tire introduced for North American SUV market….Plans announced to double production of seamless tread material at the Social Circle, Georgia retread plant…. Goodyear Dunlop UK opened new headquarters and national distribution center, TyreFort, in Birmingham, England….For the first time in almost 40 years, four Goodyear blimps graced the skies in formation to mark the christening of the new Spirit of America….Confirming commitment to the Turkish market, acquired an additional 15.2% ownership stake in Goodyear Lastikleri, now owns 74.6%....Mold plant in Stow, Ohio closed….President Robert Keegan appointed chief executive officer effective January 1, 2003, replacing Samir Gibara, who remained chairman of the board…Ford selected Eagle F1 Supercar tires for its high performance Ford GT sports car.

2003 Goodyear and TRW Automotive signed agreement to jointly study tires, breaking, suspension and steering systems to accelerate product development….Board of directors approved the elimination of the company’s quarterly dividend to shareholders….Ohio Historical Society honored company founder Frank Seiberling and his role in Akron’s rubber industry with historical marker outside corporate headquarters….CEO Robert Keegan outlined seven turnaround strategies, leadership, lower cost structure, cash is king, leveraged distribution, build brand strength, product leadership and advantaged supply chain….Completed comprehensive refinancing and restructuring of bank loan agreements….Began exploring possible sale of Chemical business….Eagle F1 GS-D3 won NorTech Innovation Award….Engineered Products added production of air conditioning hose to Kranj, Slovenia factory….Robert Keegan elected chairman effective June 30….New three-year master labor contract ratified in North America, cost savings, productivity improvements are focus. Six-month blimp tour of Japan completed, airship Spirit of Japan made appearances in every major city and 42 of the nation's 47 prefectures….Goodyear captured CIO-100 award for information technology operations….Eagle F1 GS named "Best Buy" by "Consumers Digest" magazine….Huntsville, Alabama Dunlop tire plant closed…. Engineered Products added hydraulic hose offerings through deal with Italy’s Alfa Gomma….Goodyear tires chosen as standard equipment on Volvo and Freightliner trucks.

2004 Assurance tires featuring TripleTred and ComforTred technology introduced in North America…. Exploration of possible sale of Chemical business concluded, business seen as more valuable to the company if retained than if sold….Converted branding on race tires used in NASCAR’s Craftsman Truck Series to Wrangler, Eagles continue to be used in Busch and Nextel Cup series….Pilot Travel Centers began sales of Goodyear truck tires….Goodyear completes $650 million loan, $650 million note offering….OPTITRAC farm radial tires introduced….New synthetic rubber polymers increased ability to reduce natural rubber dependency by as much as 15%....Sava Tires became wholly-owned as Goodyear bought final 20% share. $18 million investment made at Fayetteville, North Carolina plant to meet consumer demand for premium and high performance tires….Chairman Robert Keegan elected to Sumitomo Rubber Industries board of directors….Goodyear Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD3 EMT run-flat tires named exclusive option for one of the world’s fastest and most desirable cars, the 400 horsepower Maserati Quattroporte….Goodyear Dunlop Tires Europe bought remaining 50% of Swedish Dackia retail chain….Two-piece assembly for OTR tires won NorTech Innovation Award….First steel belted radial passenger car tires built in Lima, Peru factory….$350 million in convertible notes offered….Ferrari selected Eagle F1 GS-D3 EMT run-flat tires for F430….$350 million radial medium truck tire expansion begun in Cali, Colombia….Specially designed Toyota Prius set hybrid land speed record of more than 130 mph at Bonneville Salt Flats on Goodyear Eagle race tires….$680 million credit facility refinanced.

2005 Duraseal, a revolutionary commercial tire technology that repairs punctures when they occur, introduced….Fortera featuring SilentArmor Technology introduced for SUVs in North America, tire utilizes Kevlar….More than $3 billion of credit facilities refinanced….former mold plant in Stow, Ohio sold….Debica introduced second generation Navigator passenger car tire in Poland….Headquarters of Asia region moved to Shanghai, China….Toyota’s hybrid Prius vehicle equipped with low-rolling-resistance Goodyear Integrity tires….Jeep selected Eagle RS-A run-flat tires for Grand Cherokee SRT8….Engineered Products opened plant in Brazil to produce offshore oil hose….General Motors named Goodyear Supplier of the Year for Tires….Teamed with Walt Disney Pictures with tires for "Herbie Fully Loaded" movie…. Premio retail tire and service operation debuted in Russian market, opening its first center in Podolsk near Moscow….Offered $400 million of notes….Assurance featuring TripleTred Technology won Silver IDEA Award…Indonesian natural rubber plantation sold to Bridgestone Corporation for $62 million. Fortera featuring TripleTred Technology introduced for SUVs in North America….Wingtack adhesive resins business sold to Sartomer Company for $65 million….Plans announced to explore possible sale of Engineered Products business….North American farm tire operations sold to Titan Tire Corporation for $100 million…. Plans announced to reduce high-cost tire manufacturing capacity 8%-12%.

2006 South Pacific Tyres became wholly-owned, bought 50% from Ansell for $40 million….Assurance featuring TripleTred Technology, Eagle GT-HR and Fortera featuring SilentArmor Technology named "Best Buys" by "Consumers Digest" magazine….Goodyear blimp made maiden voyage in China….Eagle featuring ResponsEdge Technology introduced in North America, first use of carbon fiber in consumer tires….$18 million expansion begun in India to increase radial passenger tire production….Fierce tire brand introduced to target auto enthusiast market….Goodyear Dunlop UK’s Washington tire plant closed….Bicycle tire production ended at Debica in Poland….Nationwide campaign kicked off to select a name for new Goodyear blimp….Ford selected Eagle F1 Supercar tires for Shelby Mustang GT500….Spirit of Goodyear airship received Lightyear logo as part of promotion for Disney-Pixar movie "Cars"…. North American Tire announced plans to exit certain segments of private label tire business, one-third of unit’s private label business….Ohio teacher submitted Spirit of Innovation as winning name for new blimp, decision made in vote by American public….Wingfoot Commercial Tire Systems signed deal to develop and operate truck service centers for Pilot Travel Centers….South Pacific Tyres’ Upper Hutt, New Zealand tire plant closed….Volkswagen selected Eagle LS-2 tires for Eos….Captain Martina Wegscheider made history as first female Goodyear blimp pilot, flies Spirit of America….Dodge Nitro mid-size SUV launched exclusively on Goodyear tires….Fuel Max Technology introduced on new line of steer, drive and trailer commercial truck tires…. Jeep selected Wrangler SR-A tires for new Compass compact SUV….First medium radial truck tire produced at Cali, Colombia plant….Automated warehouse facility opened at Fayetteville, North Carolina tire plant….Steelworkers union shut down 12 master contract factories in U.S. during three-month strike….$1 billion in notes sold….Plans announced to close Tyler, Texas tire plant.

2007 Extended exclusive tire supply agreement with NASCAR through 2012, 50-year relationship with race series….Savings of $610 million expected from new union contract in U.S., $300 million annual savings after 2008….Global tire fabric operations sold to Hyosung Corporation for $80 million….Engineered Products introduced line of polyurethane timing belts….$100 million invested in four-year project to expand high-performance tire production at Debica, Poland….Fortera SUV tire introduced in Latin America region….Road safety highlighted in Chinese blimp tour over 12 cities in nine months….Chairman Robert Keegan announced plans to increase production of high-value-added tires by 40% in five years and low-cost country capacity by one-third….Goodyear advanced to second most admired company in “Fortune” magazine’s Motor Vehicle Parts category, highest ranked tire company….$8.5 million medium radial truck tire expansion begun in Debica, Poland….Engineered Products launched carbon fiber belt for continuously variable transmissions….$3.2 billion in credit facilities refinanced….Goodyear Excellence chosen as OE for Toyota Auris and Mercedes C-Class in Europe….Wingfoot Express truck line celebrated 90th anniversary, was first non-stop interstate trucking route….Eagle F1 All Season tire launched in North America….$834 million raised through public offering of 26 million shares of stock….Eagle with ResponsEdge Technology launched in Latin America….Boeing awarded Goodyear six-year contract for original equipment tires on Next-Generation 737 family of aircraft….Engineered Products business sold to Carlyle Group for $1.475 billion, renamed Veyance Technologies….Luxembourg Technical Center celebrated 50th anniversary….$315 million in notes repaid….Effort begun to study new tire plants in Eastern Europe and Asia….Wrangler HP All Weather and Wrangler AT SilentArmor tires launched in Asia/Pacific region….$30 million expansion begun in Maipu, Chile to increase production of high-value-added tires….Exchange offer for $350 million in convertible notes completed. Tire production ended at Valleyfield, Quebec, Canada tire plant….600 Series commercial truck tires introduced in Latin America….Government funding granted for Goodyear/NASA project to develop tires for moon, Mars exploration….Customers in Australia offered first-ever climate neutral tires….Dunlop introduced ultra-high performance Direzza Sport Z1 and SP Sport Maxx GT tires in North America…. Volkswagen selected Excellence and Eagle F1 tires for new Tiguan compact SUV….Agreement reached to build new headquarters buildings in Akron.

Source: Goodyear

Available Goodyear ads by date and category

Click on image to enlarge	1955 Goodyear stop action new all nylon cord tubeless deluxe super cushion tires ad Description: Here's STOP ACTION proof you'll get amazing traction with the rugged NEW ALL-NYLON CORD TUBELESS TIRE by GOODYEAR! Name of Company: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company Size (20 3/8 X 14 INCHES) (51.8 X 35.6 CM) Grading - Excellent Availability - One in stock Price - $25.00 Magazine: Unknown Publishing Date: May 16, 1955 Shipping and handling fees - verify postal code Catalog ID: tires00035
	1955 Goodyear tubeless suburbanites herringbone pattern tires advertisement Description: New Tubeless Sububanites give you more go in snow! GOOD YEAR Name of Company: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company Size (10 1/4 X 14 1/4 INCHES) (26 X 36.2 CM) Grading - Excellent Availability - One in stock Price - $25.00 Magazine: Look Magazine Publishing Date: March 22, 1966 Shipping and handling fees - verify postal code Catalog ID: tires00025
	1959 Goodyear 3 t suburbanite hub cap deep dynamic traction tires advertisement Description: Bites through snow that's HUB-CAP DEEP! ALL-NEW SUBURBANITE BY GOODYEAR Name of Company: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company Size (10 1/4 X 14 1/8 INCHES) (26 X 35.9 CM) Grading - Excellent Availability - Two in stock Price - $25.00 Magazine: Unknown Publishing Date: Unknown Shipping and handling fees - verify postal code Catalog ID: tires00022
	1959 Goodyear tread grip rubber 3 t cord body silent ride design suburbanite tires advertisement Description: Suburbanites bite through snow that's HUB-CAP DEEP! GOOD YEAR Name of Company: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company Size (10 1/2 X 14 INCHES) (26.7 X 35.6 CM) Grading - Excellent Availability - One in stock Price - $25.00 Magazine: Unknown Publishing Date: Unknown Shipping and handling fees - verify postal code Catalog ID: tires00023
Click on image to enlarge	1963 Goodyear tufsyn rubber custom super cushion tires advertisement Description: This Goodyear tire with Tufsyn rubber looks almost new. Name of Company: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company Size (20 1/2 X 13 3/4 INCHES) (52.1 X 34.9 CM) Grading - Excellent Availability - One in stock Price - $25.00 Magazine: Life Magazine Publishing Date: Unknown Shipping and handling fees - verify postal code Catalog ID: tires00020
Click on image to enlarge	1967 Goodyear polyester cord tires advertisement Description: Goodyear announces polyester cord...a new long-distance tire is born. Name of Company: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company Size (20 5/8 X 13 3/4 INCHES) (52.4 X 34.9 CM) Grading - Very Good (Water stains on middle left side and middle right side, would be hidden if framed) Availability - One in stock Price - $25.00 Magazine: Unknown Publishing Date: Unknown Shipping and handling fees - verify postal code Catalog ID: tires00012
	1969 Goodyear polyglas tires advertisement Description: POLYGLAS US REG #859.703 GOOD YEAR Name of Company: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company Size (10 1/8 X 13 5/8 INCHES) (25.7 X 34.6 CM) Grading - Good (Stain on top left and middle right) Availability - One in stock Price - $25.00 Magazine: Unknown Publishing Date: Unknown Shipping and handling fees - verify postal code Catalog ID: tires00007
Click on image to enlarge	1970 Goodyear polyglas tires squirm advertisement Description: Buy Goodyear Polyglas tires for mileage. You'll see why they're on so many 1970 cars. Name of Company: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company Size (20 1/2 X 13 1/4 INCHES) (52.1 X 33.7 CM) Grading - Excellent (Split) Availability - One in stock Price - $25.00 Magazine: Unknown Publishing Date: Unknown Shipping and handling fees - verify postal code Catalog ID: tires00004
Click on image to enlarge	1971 Goodyear tires 57 consecutive years advertisement Description: More people ride on Goodyear tires on any other kind ...true for 57 consecutive years. Name of Company: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company Size (16 1/4 X 11 1/8 INCHES) (41.3 X 28.3 CM) Grading - Excellent (Split) Availability - One in stock Price - $25.00 Magazine: Unknown Publishing Date: Unknown Shipping and handling fees - verify postal code Catalog ID: tires00003