Bridgestone And Continental Welcome Yokohama Into Runflat Collaboration

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (September 25, 2002) – Bridgestone Corporation, the parent company of Bridgestone/Firestone Americas Holding, Inc. (BFAH), today announced that it and Continental AG, based in Hanover, Germany, have agreed to welcome Tokyo-based Yokohama Rubber Company Ltd., into their collaboration on the Support Ring technology. The three companies will cooperate in establishing a global standard for runflat technology.

Bridgestone and Continental already have begun cooperating in runflat technology. The collaboration between Bridgestone and Continental spans two complementary runflat systems that are both compatible with conventional wheels:

One of the systems, the Self Supporting Runflat Tire (SSR) system, employs a reinforced sidewall to maintain the tire shape in the event of a loss of air pressure. The SSR system is well suited to vehicles with lower aspect ratio tires, especially sporty cars.

The other system, the Support Ring system, employs a light-weight metal ring that is mounted on conventional wheels. In the event of a loss of air pressure, the support ring bears the wheel load and secures the tire on the wheel. The Support Ring system can be easily mounted in conventional wheels with existing mounting devices. The Support Ring system is scheduled to go into production in late 2002 by Continental. It is well suited to passenger cars and sport-utility vehicles with higher aspect ratio tires. The support ring can be reused, subject to usage conditions, and it is suited to use on summer tires as well as winter tires.

In the first step, Yokohama will obtain the Support Ring technology from Continental and Bridgestone on a license basis. The three companies will exchange related technical information with an eye to further developing the Support Ring Technology and to promoting that system in the marketplace. Yokohama limits its participation to the Support Ring system at present, since it is developing its own SSR technologies.

Bridgestone and Continental welcome Yokohama as a new partner in the cooperation and expect the broadened partnership to add momentum to their progress in establishing a global standard for runflat systems. The three companies have been negotiating their three-way collaboration since mid-2002, and their managements expect to conclude a formal agreement by the end of the year

Bridgestone Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, is the world's largest manufacturer of tires and other rubber products. Tires account for 79 percent of Bridgestone Group sales worldwide. The company also manufactures industrial rubber and chemical products, sporting goods, and other diversified products. It sells its tires and other products in more than 150 nations.

Nashville-based Bridgestone/Firestone Americas Holding, Inc. is a subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation, the world’s largest tire and rubber company. BFAH, through its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures and markets a wide range of tires to address the needs of a broad range of customers, including consumers, automotive and commercial vehicle original equipment manufacturers and those in the agricultural, forestry and mining industries. The companies also produce Firestone air springs, roofing materials, synthetic rubber, and industrial fibers and textiles and operate the world’s largest chain of automotive tire and services centers.