BFGoodrich

The saga of an eternal pioneer

Since it was first founded, the BFGoodrich brand has showed its pioneering spirit and its determination to push the boundaries of performance ever further. This mindset has enabled it to make a large number of major breakthroughs in the tyre sector. This is the common theme of a legendary story, punctuated by a succession of challenges handled successfully, important firsts and major events which have left their mark on tyre development.
Portrait du Dr. Benjamin Franklin Goodrich

The story of BFGoodrich Tyres began with Dr. Benjamin Franklin Goodrich, a self-taught entrepreneur and visionary who in 1870 founded a company that would become one of the greatest and most recognisable names in the tyre industry. The BFGoodrich legacy is the fruit of all the challenges and achievements that have enabled us to make daily life easier for motorists around the world and make driving an increasingly safe and enjoyable activity. To achieve this, thousands of employees tap into their imagination and ingenuity to develop new, higher-performance products, leading a whole segment of the car industry.

At BFGoodrich, we make tyres for people who want to unlock the full potential of their vehicles, and above all enjoy themselves. If you've been bitten by the driving bug, you're one of us! Our tyres are developed by true enthusiasts who spend their weekends doing battle on rocky roads or pounding the asphalt on race tracks all over the world. Their expertise has been rewarded with titles in every competition the brand has entered, from the tarmac of Sebring to the steep, dusty roads of the Baja. They are the linchpins in the process, ensuring that technology is transferred from racing cars to mass-produced vehicles, and enabling BFGoodrich to bring its customers tyres that take the very best from technologies used mainly in the world of competition, and which are guarantees of performance, quality and durability.
Historique - calendrier 1921

It all began in 1870, with a spark of inspiration from Dr. Benjamin Franklin Goodrich who, backed by local investors, founded the very first tyre factory in North America, in Akron, Ohio.
Even then, performance was already in the brand's DNA, and it was in this spirit that Charles Cross Goodrich, son of Benjamin, established the very first research centre in the United States. As a direct consequence, BFG stood out from the competition as early as 1903 when it provided the tyres for the Model A Ford, the first car to cross the North American continent from east to west.

Aeronautics was also a rapidly expanding industry, and BFG identified it as another means of improving people's mobility. The brand was involved in the 75km/h speed record set in 1909 at the first international air race held in Reims, on a Curtiss Aeroplane Corporation plane. The perfect marriage with aeronautics continued with new challenges in the 1920s. This was the era of distance records and adventurers. In 1927, BFGoodrich provided the tyres for the Spirit of Saint-Louis, in which Charles Lindbergh made the very first non-stop transatlantic flight.

BFGoodrich and competition

BFGoodrich very quickly produced top-level motorsport performances, including being the first tyre manufacturer to win the legendary Indianapolis 500-mile race two years running, in 1914 and 1915.

The brand also forged a solid reputation in off-road disciplines, including victory in the Baja 1000 in 1972. This success in cross country rallying was soon backed up by victories in the SCORE Baja 500 in 1983 and 1988 with drivers Corky and Scott McMillin, and with the first Cross Country Rally World Cup in 1999. The brand also achieved the feat of carrying off no fewer than 21 consecutive Baja 1000 titles between 1986 and 2007, becoming the benchmark in US off-road competition.

It racked up victory after victory in the 1990s in a broad range of disciplines, with one highlight being the 1994 win by New Zealander Rod Millen in the most famous and difficult hill climb race in the world at Pikes Peak, in a Toyota Celica fitted with BFGoodrich tyres. The brand also ventured into Africa, winning Dakar in 1999 with Jean-Louis Schlesser.

2006 was a turning point in BFG's sporting history, as it entered the World Rally Championship (WRC), helping Sébastien Loeb secure the title five years running and helping the Citroën and Ford teams win the constructors' championship. In total, during its brief time in the WRC (2006-10), BFGoodrich won every drivers' and constructors' title up for grabs. The brand also entered the IRC in 2007, winning in its first year with Peugeot.

On the eve of the new millennium, BFGoodrich consolidated its leading position in cross country rallying by monopolising wins and titles in the FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup and Dakar. In recent years, the brand has maintained its statistics, winning new trophies in the SCORE Baja 1000 and Dakar, and has added to its win list by taking the Australasian Safari in 2011 and 2012.

The BFGoodrich motorsport record now features no fewer than 200 titles in the various US off-road championships, 24 wins in the Baja 1000, 10 consecutive victories in the FIA All-Terrain Rally World Cup, and 8 Dakar wins, most recently in 2012 with Stéphane Peterhansel driving a Mini. The brand is also still a key player in many local races, especially in North America where the quality of BFGoodrich tyres makes itself felt on a wide range of surfaces, including earth, sand, rock and asphalt, proof of the incredible versatility of BFGoodrich products.

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