Michelin Tyres-Orphaned Michelin posts
Michelin Tyres-Orphaned
Michelin Tyres – Quality Tyres for Halifax Motorists
Michelin is one of those names that almost everybody recognises, whether they’re involved in the motor trade or not.
Here at Pellon Tyre and Autocentre in Halifax, we have been supplying and fitting Michelin tyres for many years. During my time in the tyre trade, Michelin has remained firmly established as one of the world’s leading premium tyre manufacturers.
This page originally brought together some of our older Michelin tyre posts and links. Over the years, many manufacturers have changed their websites, moved product pages or discontinued particular tyre ranges.
Rather than lose all that useful Michelin-related information, we’ve turned this page into a general guide to Michelin tyres, their history and their place in today’s tyre market.
The Michelin Story Started in France: Michelin Tyres-Orphaned
Michelin’s history goes back to 1889, when brothers André and Édouard Michelin established the Michelin company in Clermont-Ferrand, France.
One of the company’s most important early breakthroughs involved the bicycle.
At the time, repairing a punctured pneumatic bicycle tyre could be a difficult job because the tyre was effectively glued to the wheel rim. Michelin developed a removable pneumatic tyre that could be repaired much more easily.
That innovation proved itself spectacularly in competitive cycling and helped put the Michelin name on the map.
The company soon became heavily involved in the rapidly developing motor industry.
Michelin and the Development of the Car Tyre
Michelin has been involved in many important developments during the history of motoring.
Perhaps one of the most significant was the radial tyre.
Michelin patented its radial tyre technology in 1946, and the Michelin X radial tyre subsequently transformed tyre design.
Radial construction offered major advantages over older tyre designs, particularly in areas such as tyre life, handling and efficiency.
Today, radial tyres are so normal that most motorists probably never give the letter R in their tyre size a second thought.
When you see something such as:
205/55 R16
that R tells you the tyre uses radial construction.
Technology that once represented a major breakthrough has simply become part of everyday motoring.
The Famous Michelin Man: Michelin Tyres-Orphaned
Of course, Michelin is also famous for Bibendum, better known in Britain as the Michelin Man.
He dates all the way back to 1898.
The character was inspired by a stack of tyres that reminded the Michelin brothers of the shape of a man.
Over the following century, the Michelin Man became one of the world’s most recognisable commercial characters.
Even people who know very little about tyres usually recognise him.
Michelin Tyres in Britain
Michelin has a long connection with Britain and British motoring.
Over the decades, Michelin tyres have been fitted to everything from ordinary family cars to high-performance vehicles, vans, SUVs and commercial vehicles.
Here at Pellon we’ve fitted Michelin tyres to an enormous variety of vehicles.
Some customers specifically ask for Michelin because they’ve used the brand for years and have been happy with the mileage and performance they’ve received.
Others may have Michelin tyres fitted as original equipment and want to stay with the same brand when replacement time arrives.
As with any tyre purchase, though, we always look at what is appropriate for the particular vehicle and customer.
Michelin Primacy Tyres: Michelin Tyres-Orphaned
One familiar Michelin name is Primacy.
The Primacy family has been widely used on passenger cars and has developed through several generations.
These types of tyres are aimed at motorists looking for a balance of characteristics such as comfort, safety, longevity and everyday road performance.
We regularly see Primacy tyres fitted to family cars, larger saloons and SUVs.
As manufacturers update their products, however, particular versions eventually disappear and newer generations take their place.
This is one reason old Michelin links sometimes become broken over the years.
The tyre itself may have been superseded by something newer.
Michelin Pilot Sport
At the more performance-orientated end of the market, the Michelin Pilot Sport name has become particularly well known.
These tyres are associated with performance cars and drivers looking for strong handling and grip characteristics.
Modern performance cars can produce extraordinary amounts of power compared with the cars many of us grew up with.
That power still has to reach the road through four tyres.
No matter how clever the engine, suspension and electronic systems become, the tyre remains the final connection between the vehicle and the road surface.
Michelin CrossClimate and All-Season Tyres: Michelin Tyres-Orphaned
One of Michelin’s particularly interesting developments for British motorists has been the CrossClimate range.
All-season tyres have become increasingly popular in the UK because they offer motorists another choice between traditional summer tyres and dedicated winter tyres.
Here around Halifax and Calderdale, that can be particularly interesting.
Our winters are unpredictable.
We may have mild wet weather for weeks and then suddenly find snow settling across the higher ground.
Anybody who regularly travels around the hills surrounding Halifax knows just how quickly conditions can change.
An all-season tyre can therefore appeal to motorists who don’t want to maintain separate summer and winter sets.
Michelin Winter Tyres
Michelin also has a long history of developing dedicated winter tyres.
Winter tyres use tread designs and compounds intended to perform in colder conditions.
Although Britain doesn’t experience the severe winters found in some parts of Europe, our location in West Yorkshire means winter tyres have always interested us at Pellon.
Travel only a relatively short distance from Halifax town centre and you can find yourself considerably higher above sea level.
When snow arrives, those hills can soon become challenging.
Good tyres make a tremendous difference.
Michelin Van Tyres: Michelin Tyres-Orphaned
Michelin isn’t just about cars.
We also see Michelin products used on vans and commercial vehicles.
Vans can work particularly hard.
Many are carrying tools, equipment or goods every day while covering substantial mileages.
Correct tyre specification is therefore particularly important.
A van tyre needs to be suitable for the loads the vehicle is designed to carry.
We’ve always looked after plenty of local businesses at Pellon, including customers running small fleets of vans.
Keeping those vehicles on the road is essential because a van sitting in a garage isn’t earning its owner any money.
Tyres for Electric and Hybrid Cars
Electric and hybrid vehicles have introduced another challenge for tyre manufacturers.
Battery packs can make vehicles considerably heavier, while electric motors can deliver torque almost instantly.
Tyre manufacturers therefore have to consider things such as load capacity, efficiency, noise and wear.
Rolling resistance is particularly interesting with electric vehicles because energy saved at the tyre can help vehicle efficiency.
Tyre development hasn’t stopped simply because the internal-combustion engine is gradually sharing the roads with new technologies.
Quite the opposite.
Why Some Michelin Tyres Become Unavailable: Michelin Tyres-Orphaned
This is something motorists sometimes find confusing.
They come into Pellon with a Michelin tyre fitted to their car and ask us for exactly the same one.
Sometimes it’s readily available.
Sometimes the particular tyre pattern has been superseded or discontinued.
Tyre manufacturers continually develop their ranges.
Older patterns are replaced by newer generations, and demand for certain sizes changes as older vehicles gradually disappear from Britain’s roads.
So if the exact Michelin tyre fitted to your car is no longer available, it doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a problem.
We can normally find a suitable modern alternative in the correct specification.
The Correct Tyre Matters More Than the Name
Michelin is unquestionably a premium tyre manufacturer, but the name on the sidewall isn’t the only thing that matters.
The tyre must be suitable for the vehicle.
Correct size, load rating and speed rating are all important.
Some vehicles also have particular manufacturer requirements or original-equipment markings.
This is why we always recommend getting proper advice rather than simply ordering something online because the tyre size appears to match.
Michelin Tyres and Wet Yorkshire Roads: Michelin Tyres-Orphaned
Wet-weather grip is particularly important around our part of Yorkshire.
We’re hardly famous for a permanently dry climate!
Tyre tread helps move water away from the contact area between the tyre and road.
As tyres wear, their ability to deal with standing water can deteriorate.
The legal minimum tread depth for most cars in Britain is 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the tyre’s width around the entire circumference.
However, don’t simply forget about your tyres until they’re sitting right on the legal limit.
Regular checks can identify problems much earlier.
Check Your Tyre Pressures
Even an excellent premium tyre cannot perform as intended if it’s running at the wrong pressure.
Check tyre pressures regularly and use the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended figures.
These can usually be found in the handbook or on a label around the driver’s door or fuel flap.
Incorrect pressure can contribute to poor wear and affect the way the car handles.
Modern TPMS systems are useful, but they’re not an excuse to completely forget about checking your tyres.
Watch Out for Uneven Wear: Michelin Tyres-Orphaned
We regularly see cars at Pellon with uneven tyre wear.
Sometimes the outside of a tyre looks perfectly respectable while the inside edge has worn badly.
Wheel alignment can be one possible cause.
Potholes and kerbs certainly don’t help, and we’ve got plenty of those around West Yorkshire.
If we’re fitting new Michelin tyres — or indeed any new tyres — and the old ones have worn unusually, it makes sense to investigate why.
Otherwise, the expensive new tyres could begin wearing in exactly the same way.
At Pellon we carry out four-wheel alignment, allowing us to compare vehicle geometry against the manufacturer’s specifications.
Premium Tyres Aren’t Right for Everybody
Michelin sits firmly in the premium section of the tyre market.
For many motorists, that is exactly what they want.
But we’re also realistic.
Not every customer needs or wants to spend premium-tyre money.
Someone doing huge motorway mileage may have completely different priorities from somebody running an older car for a few thousand local miles each year.
That’s why Pellon offers customers a choice.
We supply premium, mid-range and economy tyres depending on the vehicle, availability and customer’s requirements.
Our job isn’t simply to sell the most expensive tyre.
It’s to help customers choose the right tyre for them.
Michelin Tyres from Pellon Tyre and Autocentre
We’ve been serving motorists in Halifax since 1989, and tyres remain one of the main parts of our business.
During those years, tyre technology has changed beyond recognition.
Cars have become larger and heavier. Wheel diameters have grown enormously. Hybrid and electric vehicles have appeared, and manufacturers such as Michelin have continually developed new products to meet those changing requirements.
This page now provides a permanent home for some of our older Michelin tyre information as individual products and manufacturer web pages come and go.
If you’re looking for Michelin tyres in Halifax, call in or contact Pellon Tyre and Autocentre.
We’ll check what’s available for your vehicle and explain the alternatives.
And if your existing tyres don’t need replacing yet, we’ll tell you that too.
Our approach has always been simple:
We never do a job unless it needs doing.
Pellon Tyre and Autocentre – supplying and fitting tyres for motorists throughout Halifax, Calderdale and our part of West Yorkshire.
Of course, I find all my Michelin posts very important! For this reason, I feel that Michelin-orphaned posts will be minimal. However, any Michelin posts added to this page will still be available for my readers to access the posts. Michelin are, in my opinion, the king of tyres. ‘Excellence’ is a big word but appropriate for the great Michelin tyre company. Consequently, they are still the number one tyre company and can only be copied and not beaten!
Of course we are great fans of the Michelin tyre products and sell them at our Pellon Tyres business in Halifax, West Yorkshire.