Milestones
Milestones
1871
On October 8, Continental-Caoutchouc- und Gutta-Percha Compagnie was established as a joint stock corporation in Hanover. Soft rubber goods, rubberized textiles, and solid tyres for carriages and bicycles are manufactured at the main facility on Vahrenwalder Street.
1882
The rampant horse has been chosen as a trademark.
1892
Continental was the first German business to produce pneumatic bicycle tyres.
1898
At Hannover-Vahrenwald, production of automotive pneumatic tyres with no tread pattern begins.
1900
The Continental balloon material is used to seal the gas bags of the first German airship, LZ 1.
1901
The first Mercedes-Benz automobile was constructed by Daimler and won the Nice-Salon-Nice car race on Continental pneumatics.
1904
Continental introduces the world's first patterned tread automotive tyre.
1905
Continental manufactures riveted anti-skid tyres, which were the forerunners of steel-studded tyres.
1908
Continental invents the removable rim for cars, a great breakthrough that aids in the reduction of time and effort required while changing a tyre.
1909
The first flight over the English Channel was made by pioneer aviator Louis Blériot. His plane's fuselage and wings are made of Continental Aircraft material. Specimens of synthetic rubber made in Bayer laboratories are successfully vulcanized and processed at Continental to produce the first test tyres.
1913
The inaugural issue of "Echo Continental," a customer magazine, is released, with contributions from young authors such as Erich Maria Remarque and painters such as Paul Kaufmann (alias Caspari).
1914
At the French Grand Prix, Daimlers with Continental tyres won all three races. In the parent facility, Continental employs 12,000 people.
1915
In the parent facility, Continental employs 12,000 people.
1921
The company’s 50th anniversary sees Continental become the first German company to launch the cord tire on the market. The stiff linen square-woven fabric is thus replaced by the more pliable cord fiber fabric. The first giant pneumatic tires are made by Continental and replace the solid tires used until that time on commercial vehicles.
1926
Carbon black is used as a reinforcing filler in tyres to increase resistance to wear and aging while also providing the tyre with its distinctive color.
1928
Continental Gummi-Werke AG was formed through a merger of major German rubber firms. Plant takeovers in Hanover-Limmer and Korbach/Hesse.
1932
Continental Schwingmetall is a trademarked trade name for a rubber-metal bonding product. It is used in engine mountings to absorb shocks and minimize noise.
1933
Continental became a significant supplier of Nazi weaponry and war industries from 1933 until 1945. The business culture is transforming from that of a liberal firm to that of a model Nazi enterprise.
1950
In the parent facility, Continental employs 13,500 people. Yearly sales total 309 million German marks, or approximately €158 million.
1951
Steel cable conveyor belt production begins.
1952
Continental expands its traditional tyre lineup with M+S tyres for winter driving.
1955
Continental was the first business to produce truck and bus air springs. Continental was the first German business to produce tubeless tyres.
1960
Radial tyre mass manufacturing begins.
1967
The Contidrom tyre testing facility on the outskirts of Lüneburg Heath is now open.
1971
The Korbach factory has Europe's largest hose production facilities. The complete hose manufacturing process is moved from Hannover to Korbach.
1972
Continental introduces the Conti-Contact studless winter tyre.
1974
Continental is the first company to deliver extrusion-blow-molded polyurethane gaiters to the European car market..
1976
One of Europe's largest conveyor belt production plants is now in operation at Northeim.
1979
Continental gained a stronger foothold in Europe with the acquisition of Uniroyal, Inc.'s European tyre operations (photo: Aachen plant).
1983
Continental hydromounts are unique bearing parts that are mass-produced for the automobile industry and are utilized in engine design to dampen vibrations and noise.
1985
Semperit's tyre operations in Austria are being taken over.
1987
General Tire, Inc., a North American tyre manufacturer, has been acquired. Since 2001, the firm has been known as Continental Tire North America, Inc.
1988
The corporation employs around 45,900 people worldwide. Yearly sales total 7.9 billion German marks, or around €4.0 billion euros.
1989
In Lousado, a joint venture with the Portuguese business Mabor is formed for the manufacture of tyres. In 1993, the company was completely taken over.
1991
Continental is the first manufacturer to introduce an ecologically friendly passenger tyre, the ContiEcoContact. The industrial goods division has been regrouped under the ContiTech brand.
1993
The controlling stake in the Czech firm Barum includes a passenger and commercial vehicle tyre facility in Otrokovice, as well as a dealer network with around 50 locations.
1994
Benecke-Kaliko AG has been absorbed by the ContiTech Division. Leatherette and foils are key goods
1995
The Automotive Systems division was formed to expand the company's systems business with the automobile sector.
1997
ISAD is presented by Continental (Integrated Starter Alternator Damper). ISAD integrates the starter and generator of the vehicle into a single unit. This critical technology is a prerequisite for hybrid propulsion systems, which assist to significantly cut fuel consumption and pollutants.
1998
The Automotive Brake and Chassis section of an internationally active US corporation, the basis of which is Alfred Teves GmbH in Frankfurt am Main, has been acquired.
2000
In Timişoara, Romania, a new facility for the production of passenger tyres has opened. Continental and Nisshinbo established a new joint venture (Continental Teves Corporation) to manufacture braking and chassis systems for the Japanese and Korean markets.
2001
Continental expands its presence in the rapidly developing vehicle electronics industry by purchasing Temic, a worldwide electronics expert (photo: Continental reinforces its position as global Nuremberg plant).
2003
ContiSportContact 2 Vmax, the world's first road tyre authorized for speeds of up to 360 km/h, is unveiled. By creating the Malaysian Continental Sime Tyre joint venture, Continental improves its position as a tyre maker in the ASEAN area and Australia.
2004
Phoenix AG is being taken over. With the merging of ContiTech and Phoenix, the world's largest rubber and plastics technology expert emerged (photo: plant in Hungary).
2006
Continental purchases Motorola, Inc.'s automotive electronics division, boosting its interests in telematics and other areas.
2007
Continental acquired Siemens VDO Automotive AG, establishing itself as one of the top five suppliers in the automobile sector globally, while also strengthening its market position in Europe, North America, and Asia. Continental extends its market presence in Central and Eastern Europe with the acquisition of a majority stake in the Slovak business Continental Matador Rubber s.r.o.
2009
Shanghai now has a new Asian headquarters as well as a research and development facility. The facility symbolizes yet another significant milestone in the company's expansion in China and Asia. With the completion of the acquisition bid announced in the summer of 2008, Schaeffler KG became the majority stakeholder of Continental AG.
2010
The ContiSportContactTM 5 P is now available for purchase. The new high-performance summer tyre was developed specifically for sports cars and bespoke automobiles.
2011
In Hefei, China, the first tire plant was opened (Anhui province). Acquisition of the tyre business of Modi Tyres Company Ltd., situated in India, with manufacturing sites in Modipuram and Partapur. Electric motor production begins at the Gifhorn facility in Lower Saxony, Germany.
2012
Extensive testing of autonomous driving begins in Nevada, United States. So far, a highly autonomous Continental test car has traveled 15,000 kilometers on public roads with no incidents.
2013
The Continental truck tyre lifespan is represented by the ContiLifeCycle. Continental has created a sustainable solution that extends tyre service life and significantly reduces costs by combining a worldwide unique mix of rubber recycling and truck tyre retreading.
2014
Continental now offers exhaust aftertreatment systems after acquiring the exhaust gas expert Emitec. Its product offering comprises metal catalytic converters, particle filter components, and selective catalytic reduction dosing units (SCR).
2015
Purchase of Veyance Technologies, a rubber and plastics technology firm. With 27 sites across the world, it specializes in the manufacturing of conveyor belts, hoses, and driving belts. Elektrobit Automotive GmbH, a specialist in innovative software solutions, was purchased. The development team is concentrating on strong solutions for complicated car tasks such as sophisticated driver assistance systems and entertainment systems.
2016
Continental introduces its first 48-volt mild hybrid equipped with "Connected Energy Management." It can save fuel consumption by up to 21% when compared to the Golf VI base model, which has a 1.2 liter TSI engine and a 12-volt automatic start-stop system.
2017
Launching of a new R&D facility in Silicon Valley, California, where professionals from throughout the firm work on pioneering solutions for future sustainable mobility. Continental acquires Argus Cyber Security, one of the world's leading providers in this industry, to broaden its expertise in IT security for cars. We strengthened our company outside of the automotive industry by acquiring the Hornschuch Group, a surface materials expert, because Hornschuch produces more than half of its revenues from industrial applications.
2018
The research and experimental laboratory "Taraxagum Lab Anklam" is inaugurated in Anklam, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It serves as a foundation for research into the growth and processing of Russian dandelion as an alternative raw material source to the rubber tree.
2019
Ceremony to mark the completion of the new headquarters in Hanover, Germany. In the initial round of growth, eight interconnected buildings will house 1,250 people. Employees at the new Continental campus will have access to green spaces, a health facility, and an on-site day care center. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2022.
2020
Continental is advancing the development of future technologies with an unequaled supercomputer in the automobile sector. Continental has reached an astonishing new milestone in the development of artificial intelligence with the networking of an incredibly high-performance computer system (AI). This is required, for example, to build cutting-edge future technologies in assisted, automated, and autonomous driving. The IT firm is emphasizing its core skills in software, networking, and system design with this move.
2021
On October 8, 2021, Continental celebrated its 150th anniversary. In 1871, a tiny Hanover-based rubber firm grew into a worldwide technological corporation with approximately 192,000 workers.
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