Cooper-Avon Tyres Limited of Melksham, Wiltshire, owned by the Cooper Tire & Rubber Company of Findlay, Ohio, U.S.A. has more than a century’s experience at the leading edge of tyre technology.
Avon has long been a pioneer in tyre production. Messrs. E. G. Browne and J. C. Margetson started the company in 1885 and the first rubber products were made in a former cloth mill at Limpley Stoke. Business flourished; the premises were outgrown and five years later production was moved eight miles to the banks of the River Avon in Melksham. The company had a workforce of twenty men and four women, who worked shifts of 12 and 11 hours respectively.
At first only solid tyres were manufactured, but in March 1897 the directors discussed developing pneumatic tyres. This showed considerable foresight, for at that time there were fewer than 50 cars of British manufacture on the road. A pneumatic tyre shop was built in 1901.
The company expanded steadily. In 1902, three new rubber compound mixers were acquired and nearly three acres of adjacent land acquired for expansion. In 1903, the first set of 29 beaded edge motor tyre moulds was acquired, and in 1906 Avon tyres were advertised for the first time in Autocar.
Business continued to boom, with cycle tyres selling particularly well and the number of employees rising to 300. In 1908, the company adopted the Trilithon (Stonehenge) trademark with the phrase "Symbols of Endurance" to emphasise the durability of Avon products.
At the outbreak of the First World War, Avon had 1,000 employees. Throughout the conflict, its products were used on almost every type of military vehicle.
Avon was among the first companies to manufacture a popular cord motor tyre, which helped it weather the post-war slump in the 1920’s. It was a consistent innovator in many aspects of tyre manufacture.
In 1933, Avon shares were issued on the London Stock Exchange – the same year as its tyres were first chosen as original equipment on Rolls-Royce cars – a relationship, which continues to this day.
The company was again at full stretch throughout the Second World War employing, by 1941, a total of 2,500 in Melksham in all its enterprises. Post-war rapid growth and, in 1953, a tyre remoulding factory was opened at Nairobi, Kenya and later extended to take in the production of cycle tyres and footwear components.
In 1956, the company undertook what was then the largest project in its history – a complete modernisation and expansion of tyre manufacturing. This was carried out over five years and productivity increased 50%.
In 1957, Avon bought Henley Tyre & Rubber Company of Gravesend, Kent and the manufacture of Henley tyres was transferred to Melksham. Meanwhile, entry into the world of motorcycle and motorcycle racing brought rich rewards. From 1958-1963, every world solo motorcycle champion chose Avon tyres.
By 1961, the Melksham plant was producing 1.5 million tyres annually and wide acclaim was won by the development of a cling rubber tread compound for car and motorcycle tyres which provided greatly improved wet road grip.
By acquiring the Normeir Tyre Company in 1963, Avon became involved in distribution for the first time. This chain, strengthened by future acquisitions, was to form the basis of the Motorway Tyres and Accessories network, which was later sold to Sumitomo.
In August 1966 the future of the company was threatened by a large fire, which became known as the "Great Fire of Melksham". The fire raged for hours, destroying the finished goods store and threatening the whole factory, yet production was resumed in 24 hours.
In the 1970’s Avon was at the fore of radial tyre development which, with their much greater durability, first complemented then superseded their crossply predecessors. The early 1980’s saw a period of rationalisation and efficiency in the business as Avon sought to combat the international recession.
In 1991, a major review of tyre manufacturing resulted in the creation of key businesses. Four separate focused factories were created, with Avon Racing and Avon Technical Services – which handles overseas tyre technology sales – also run as separate businesses.
Throughout this period of change the company has maintained its position at the cutting edge of technical innovation, offering its accumulated expertise to developing countries as they seek to establish their own tyre and rubber industrial infrastructures. In 1994, Avon Technical Services (now Cooper-Avon International Development Limited) received an award from the Worldaware organisation to mark its long-term commitment to the Third World.
In 1997, Avon Tyres Limited was acquired by Cooper Tire & Rubber Company of Findlay, Ohio. The introduction of the new company name and logo marked the beginning of a new era for what was now Cooper-Avon Tyres Limited.
Cooper-Avon Tyres Limited remains a producer of high quality niche tyres. Avon tyres are fitted as original equipment to many of the world’s finest cars including Rolls Royce, Caterham, Morgan, Westfield, Bristol and Land Rover.
The company has also been to the fore in developing and implementing such innovatory concepts as Total Quality Management and National Vocational Qualifications. The company was the first tyre manufacturer to attain both the British Standards BS5750 and the International ISO 9001 accreditations for its products and working methods.
An ongoing programme of capital investment in the tyre factory emphasises a commitment to world-class quality, efficiency and continuous improvement. Following the success of phase one, phase two of expansion is nearly complete. Cooper-Avon Tyres now has nine additional hydraulic presses and two new VMI tyre-building machines, capable of handling both Z-rated car tyres and the largest 4x4 tyres. These have been backed up with other machines to allow record weekly outputs of car and motorcycle tyres.
Despite international competition, exports have rapidly increased. Avon sells its tyres in more than 70 countries. In 1995 it penetrated the Latin American market for the first time, also establishing a foothold in the Czech Republic and Hungary. Almost half of Avon tyres produced are now sold abroad. As part of its international expansion, the company has established a specialist sales and distribution company, Cooper-Avon Pneumatiques at Compiègne near Paris. This is in addition to existing subsidiaries, Cooper-Avon Reifen in Germany and Cooper-Avon Suisse in Switzerland.
Cooper-Avon’s flourishing Racing Division continues to win important new business throughout the world of international motorsport and remains exclusive supplier of race tyres to F.I.A. Formula 3000 and the main supplier to Formula Ford series around the world. The Formula 3000 championship, second only in importance to Formula One in single-seater racing, has been running on Avon tyres since 1986.
In the UK, tyre supply agreements exist with British F3, Formula Palmer Audi, Formula Ford, Formula Vauxhall, Ford Fiesta, Caterham, National Hot Rods and Stockcar Racing. Leading positions are held by Avon drivers in many European single-seater, saloon, rallycross and oval circuit classes.
The popularity and reputation of Avon racing tyres continues to grow as more than 100 overall Championship winners are regularly recorded each year. Tyres are supplied throughout Europe and Worldwide. The company has developed over 200 sizes of competition tyres, including 60 radial and 105 crossply racing slick sizes. The choice of types of competition tyres is even greater, the current range extending to over 1000 specifications to cover a myriad of racing cars and motorsport activity.
Cooper-Avon Tyres Limited is the main contracted tyre supplier to the majority of national Formula Ford championships throughout the world. All Formula Ford contenders run on Avon-shod cars in Australia, Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Eire, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
Formula Ford remains the most popular racing car series for young professional drivers embarking on their single-seater road racing career, with the ultimate goal of becoming a Formula 1 or Champ Car driver within 4 years.
Avon Tyres Racing also remains as exclusive supplier to the Formula Vauxhall Championship.
Cooper-Avon’s continuing capacity for innovation in motorcycle tyres is exemplified by the Azaro range of Z-rated tyres, designed to meet the needs of riders of supersport / sport and sport touring machines. These tyres give unprecedented levels of grip and performance through Cooper-Avon’s unique Variable Belt Density technology.
An industry first is the introduction in the UK and Republic of Ireland of a Road Hazard Warranty, which offers a replacement tyre, free of charge, in the event that a new Azaro is punctured, or irreparably damaged in the early part of its life.
The company’s reputation as a producer of top quality Original Equipment motorcycle tyres has been confirmed Triumph motorcycles, who selected Avon radial tyres for fitment to their Thunderbird Sport motorcycle. The machine earned praise for its handling and power-delivery and the tyres were chosen by Triumph engineers after an intensive development programme, involving Avon’s technical and racing experts.
Alot of the road noise went away also! 
