Michelin
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- This page is about Michelin tyres and related products. For Michelin Stars and restaurants, see Michelin Guide.
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Michelin (full name: Manufacture Française des Pneumatiques Michelin, "French manufacturer of tyres Michelin"), based in Clermont-Ferrand, France in the Auvergne région of France, is primarily a tyre (In American English, tire) manufacturer but is also famous for its series of travel guides and road maps (Michelin maps), its historic emblem (the Michelin Man), and the ratings its guide awards to expensive restaurants (Michelin stars).
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History
Founded on May 28, 1889, Michelin's activities date back to 1830 in vulcanized rubber, before they moved into tyres for bicycles and later for cars. Michelin owned the automobile manufacturer Citroën between 1934 and 1976.
In 1988, Michelin acquired the tyre and rubber manufacturing divisions of the American B.F. Goodrich Company founded in 1870. Two years later, they bought out Uniroyal Inc., a business founded in 1892 as the U.S. Rubber Company.
The Michelin Man
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The company's symbol is the Michelin Man, which was introduced in 1898 and is one of the world's oldest trademarks. André Michelin apparently commissioned the creation of this jolly, rotund figure after his brother, Édouard, observed that a display of stacked tyres resembled a human form. Today the "Michelin Man" is one of the world's most recognized trademarks, representing Michelin in over 150 countries. The Michelin Man's "real" name is Bibendum, from the punning slogan nunc est bibendum ("now is the time to drink") used by Michelin in the early 20th century. This old Latin tag comes from Horace's Odes but in French refers to the way the tyres were said to "drink up" the road and give a smooth ride. The Michelin Man has also 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?".
Bibendum made a brief guest appearance in Asterix as the chariot wheel dealer in Asterix in Switzerland.
Products
Michelin Guide
See: The Michelin Guide to restaurants.
Maps
Michelin publishes various series of road maps, mostly on France but also on European countries, Africa, Thailand and the United States.
Tourist guides
Michelin also publishes the "Green Guides", on French regions as well as some foreign countries and regions, which contain general tourist information. Most Green Guides on France are available in several languages.
Management
The current CEO is Edouard Michelin.
See also
External links
- Official website (http://www.michelin.com/)
- Michelin guide website (http://www.viamichelin.com/)
- Michelin Sport website (http://www.michelinsport.com/)
- European Restaurant Ranking (http://www.restauranking.com/)
Data
- Yahoo! - Compagnie Générale des Établissements Michelin Company Profile (http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/41/41240.html)de:Michelin
fr:Michelin nl:Michelin ja:ミシュラン no:Michelin pl:Michelin sk:Michelin sv:Michelin