Continental
Germany
EU
Continental is a German tyre manufacturer based in Hanover. The company was founded in 1871 and brought early innovations to the market, such as the pneumatic bicycle tyre in 1892 and the...
European Alternatives to Bridgestone
Michelin
France
EU
Michelin is a French tyre manufacturer headquartered in Clermont-Ferrand. The brothers André and Édouard Michelin founded the company in 1889. According to Michelin, the group supplies tyres to more than 170 countries,...
Nokian Tyres
Finland
EU
Nokian Tyres is a Finnish tyre manufacturer. The head office and a factory are in Nokia in Finland, and the company is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki. It says it invented the world's...
Pirelli
Italy
EU
Pirelli is an Italian tyre manufacturer with its head office in Milan. The company describes itself as a global high value consumer tyre company. It makes tyres for cars, motorcycles and bicycles,...
Vredestein
Netherlands
EU
Non-European Parent Company
Vredestein is a Dutch tyre brand. According to its owner, it was established in the Netherlands in 1909 and counts among the oldest tyre brands in the world. In May 2009 the...
Did we miss one? Feel free to submit a suggestion!
Submit SuggestionBridgestone is a Japanese tyre manufacturer. Its predecessor, the tire division of the Nihon Tabi Company, produced its first tyres in 1930, and the company was listed on the Tokyo and Osaka stock exchanges in 1961. Bridgestone builds tyres for cars, trucks, off-the-road vehicles and other applications and has its global headquarters in Tokyo.
Why consider European alternatives to Bridgestone?
Buyers who want a tyre brand headquartered in Europe have several established options. A tyre should still be chosen by the vehicle, the season and the tyre label rather than by the brand alone.
European tyre brands
- Michelin from France
- Continental from Germany
- Pirelli from Italy
- Nokian Tyres from Finland
- Vredestein from the Netherlands, owned by Apollo Tyres of India
Pirelli has a Chinese-state-linked shareholder with 34.1 percent, which is not a majority. The tyres of European brands are often produced in plants outside Europe as well, so the country shown refers to the headquarters. See the category Tyre Brands for more details, and compare the EU tyre labels of the models you are considering.