Benjamin Franklin Goodrich, having failed to make a success of The Hudson Rubber Company, of New York, founded the BF Goodrich Company in Akron, Ohio. This was the first American tyre producer, beating by two years the 1898 foundation of the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, also of Akron, and named for Charles Goodyear, discoverer of vulcanization. Goodrich tyres were fitted to the first car to cross the USA, and to Lindbergh’s
Spirit of St Louis, the first plane to be flown solo and non-stop across the Atlantic.
In 1911 Goodrich founded a French operation, with a factory at Colombes, in the north-west suburbs of Paris.
Colombes was adopted as a brand. In 1945 a head office was set up in the Avenue Kléber, and the name changed to
Kléber-Colombes. K-C continued Goodrich’s list of firsts by introducing the first tubeless tyre, in 1951. The brand was reduced to
Kléber in 1968, and the company sold to Michelin in 1988.
Nice history, but did you land that fantastic sign?
ReplyDeleteThank-you Frank. Yes, photograph taken in the garden. A few of the other signs will have to be moved around, as this one is over six feet long.
ReplyDeleteThank you. can I see more? I love your blog BTW. Your writing is extremely British and I love it. I also like that you give part of the story and your photos tell the rest. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteVery kind of you. When time permits, some photographs of the other signs will wing their way to you. Language is fascinating. From an American's perspective, what makes that of the blog very British?
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