When Continental was launched in Hanover in 1871, their line of products consisted of horseshoe buffers and solid tires for carriages. The ‘rampant horse’ trademark of the company is a throwback to those early days.  Their transition from a small company to a large corporation employing 134,500 people in 46 countries began in 1892 when Continental became the first German company to start manufacturing pneumatic tires for bicycles. In 1921 Continental manufactured its first giant pneumatic tire, which was used to replace the solid tires that were typically used on commercial vehicles at that time.  There was no turning back and by the end of the decade Continental was the leading commercial tire manufacturer in Germany, cornering 91% of the market share.  Today the company is ranked the 4th largest tire manufacturer in the world. They were the first company in the world to file the patent for tubeless tires in the year 1943.

As one of the largest manufacturers of premium tires for commercial vehicles, the company offers a wide range of high-performance products, from touring tires and premium high performance tires to premium tires for off-road vehicles and light and heavy-duty buses and trucks. The company manufactures truck and bus tires under the brand names Continental, Semperit, Uniroyal and Barum. The Continental Corporation is one of the top rated automotive suppliers around the world with their 2009 sales crossing 20 billion.

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