Petrol ban now 2030

[Tony Griffiths]

Probably an urban myth, but it is true that tyre manufacturers sell their product very cheaply to car companies to get them as original fit. Then overcharge us for the replacements.

My local garage owner - a very knowledgeable chap with a wealth of experience of modern cars and their foibles - was telling me last year that some customers insist on having replacement tyres identical to those on their car when new. He always advises them not to expect the same mileage and, while their originals might manage have run to 35,000 + miles, the new ones will struggle to make it past 20,000. And he's right, the two new sets I've had over the past few years have been nowhere near as long-lasting as the originals. I wonder why?
I recall an article in one of the early editions of "Car" magazine where they exposed a tyre maker for supplying special, very low-specification "One-star" tyres to Ford at a ludicrously low cost - and then charged retail customers considerably more. The tyre company objected and wrote saying that they were withdrawing advertising - "Car" just published their letter as confirmation of their original story.