Michelin (full name:
Compagnie Générale des Établissements Michelin) is a French tire
manufacturer founded in 1888 and is one of the world's leading tire
companies today with some 127,000 employees world wide.
One of the company's most notable
innovations was the radial
tire, introduced in 1946 and today is the most widespread tire
type in use.
In 1988, Michelin bought the tire and
rubber manufacturing divisions of the B.F. Goodrich Company
founded in 1870 and in 1990 bought Uniroyal Inc., founded in
1892 as the United States Rubber Company.
The
company's symbol is one of the world's oldest trademarks introduced in
1898 by French artist O'Galop. The Michelin Man, or "Bibendum" was
commissioned by André Michelin as a caricature of his brother, Édouard
after he noticed that a display of stacked tyres resembled a human
form. Today, Bibendum is one of the world's most recognized trademarks,
representing Michelin in over 150 countries.
The name of the plump tyre-man has
entered the language to describe the appearance of someone obese or
wearing comically bulky clothing: "How can I wrap up warm without
looking like the Michelin Man?". In Spain, "michelín" has
acquired the meaning of the "tires" or folds of fatty skin around the
waist.
Michelin Website
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