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Is LEGO The Largest Tire Manufacturer?
There’s a lot of debate over which company is the largest tire manufacturer in the world. Some people say it’s Michelin, others say it’s Bridgestone – but what about LEGO? Believe it or not, LEGO did in fact beat out the world’s largest tire manufacturers in the sheer volume of tires produced. In this article, we’re going to take a closer look at the evidence and see if there really is any truth to this claim.
In 2011 The Guinness World Records named LEGO the largest toy tire manufacturer in the world. This title was based on the company’s production of more than 306 million since 2006. In 2010 this number reached 381 million which Guinness says easily beats every other tire manufacturer in the world. This is approximately 870,000 tires manufactured per day!
The table below shows the number of tires produced by LEGO in comparison to the world’s main tire manufacturers:
| COMPANY | TIRES PRODUCED (2011) |
|---|---|
| LEGO | 318 Million |
| Bridgestone | 190 Million |
| Michelin | 184 Million |
| Goodyear | 181 Million |
Guinness recognizes the distinction between tires built for toys in relation to tires made for real vehicles but they state that although LEGO tires would not fit on a regular vehicle, they do fit the general description of a tire.
LEGO tires are made from SBS (Styrene-Ethylene-Butylene-Styrene) and real vehicle tires are made from Butadiene and SBR (Styrene Butadiene) rubber. Read about the difference between the two substances here.
When Was The First LEGO Tire Produced?
Since its inception, LEGO has produced several tires for its many sets. While the company has never released specific numbers, it is safe to say that LEGO produces more tires than any other toy manufacturer or car tire manufacturer worldwide.
According to Cnet.com, the first LEGO set to contain tires was set number 400, released in 1962. It became the best-selling set by 1967, selling 820,400 sets that year.
Cnet did not mention that two other sets in the 400 series came out after the first one that also contained tires. There was a set that was released in 1963 and another set released in 1966.
Who Created The First Tire And Wheel?
Since its inception, LEGO has produced a number of tires for its many sets. While the company has never released specific numbers, it is safe to say that LEGO produces more tires than any other toy manufacturer or car tire manufacturer in the world.
According to Cnet.com, the first LEGO set to contain tires was set number 400 which was released in 1962. It became the best-selling set by 1967 where it sold 820,400 sets that year.
Cnet did not mention that there were also two other sets in the 400 series that came out after the first one that also contained tires. There was a set that was released in 1963 and another set released in 1966.
What Are LEGO Tires Made Of?
You may be wondering what kind of tires LEGO uses in their cars. Are they made of rubber? Plastic? What material is used to make LEGO tires?
The tires of LEGO cars and trucks are not made from traditional rubber material. The answer is that LEGO tires are made out of a type of plastic. This plastic is very durable which is why it is used in LEGO toys.
According to the LEGO Group, their tires are made of a polymer called SEBS (Styrene-Ethylene-Butylene-Styrene) which is a softer and more flexible material than plastic (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) that is used to make bricks.
SEBS is more commonly found in mudguards on vehicles and soles on shoes. The LEGO Group uses many different materials to make its different elements.
What Is The Smallest LEGO Tire?
The smallest LEGO tire is part number 65630 and is just 0.56 inches (14.4mm) in size and is found on a two-seater car that appeared in sets numbers 345 and 346 that were released in 1969.
According to rebrickable.com, these tires appear in 12 additional sets.
What Is The Largest LEGO Tire?
The largest LEGO tire is part number 71722 with a diameter of 5.47″ (139mm) and is exclusive to the LEGO Technic BMW M 1000 RR (42130) set.
The LEGO Technic BMW M 1000 RR was released in January 2022 with 1,920 pieces. This is the largest Technic Motorcycle model ever made.
Before the above set, the largest tire was part number 32298, which is 4.17 inches (106 mm) in diameter and is featured exclusively in the LEGO Technic Power Puller set #8457, released in September 2000 and retired in December 2001.
How Many Different Tires Does LEGO Make?
LEGO makes all kinds of different sizes and colors of tires but it still may seem incredible but there are between 106 and 318 different tires listed on some of the main online retailers of LEGO parts. Bricklink.com. has 107 different tires listed and 110 listed on Brickowl.com. But if you think that was a large number of tires, Rebrickable.com lists a whopping 333 different tire elements. All these tires are of different shapes, sizes, and colors.
Final Thoughts
It’s hard to dispute that LEGO is a major player in the tire manufacturing industry. The company has been producing tires for over 60 years and currently manufactures more than 870,000 tires per day with over 381 million tires produced in 2010 alone, the company easily beats out other major toy brands and larger vehicle tire players such as Bridgestone and Michelin. This was such an amazing feat that they were rewarded by Guinness World Records with the title of the largest toy tire manufacturer in the world in 2011.
