The information supplied to T&A indicates that, Europe-wide, 120.7 million summer passenger tyres were sold last year. This increase was offset by the second consecutive decline in passenger car winter tyre sales. In 2007 only 35.5 million units were sold in the whole of Europe, a decrease of 9.58% on 2006, when 38.9 million winter passenger car tyres were sold. That year the number of winter tyres sold also decreased, dropping by 13.4% from a 2005 high.

While sales of light truck tyres remained static in 2007 at 12.3 million units, the medium/heavy truck sector showed a positive trend, with sales increasing by 4.44% to 9.4 million units.

In the U.S., sales of original equipment tyres continued to disappoint. Sales in the passenger car segment dropped 4.2% to 45.7 million units, light truck tyre sales decreased by 12.5% to 4.4 million units, and OE sales of medium truck tyres plummeted 35% cent to 4.3 million units.

Replacement tyre sales fared slowly better, with a 0.9% increase registered in the passenger car segment, where 197.5 million tyres were sold. Sales of replacement light truck tyres were marginally down (-0.3%) to 33.6 million units, and medium truck tyre sales decreased 1.1% to 16.2 million. (Tyres & Accessories/Staffordshire, U.K.)