February 10, 1955
Tir««fon« mm
Page 5
For the thirty-first consecutive time, Firestone tires
WERE ON THE CARS WHICH WON THE INDIANAPOLIS 500-
mile Sweepstakes and for the twenty-sixth consecu
tive TIME on the car WHICH WON THE PiKES PeAK
Climb. Above Raymond C. Firestone (right) is shown
CONGRATULATING BiLL VUKOVICH, THE WINNER OF THE
Indianapolis race.
During the last year, sales of Firestone’s new low-cost synthetic latex compound
FOR use in asphalt ROADS WERE MADE TO EIGHT STATE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENTS FOR USE
IN TEST SECTIONS. SEVERAL OTHER STATES HAVE INDICATED THEY WILL MAKE TEST INSTALLA
TIONS DURING 1955. Here is shown a section near the Maryland State Line in
Washington, D. C. This new type of rubberized pavement should be more resistant
TO FROST DAMAGE AND, SINCE IT IS LESS BRITTLE, IT WILL NOT BREAK UP UNDER TRAFFIC STRESS
AS RAPIDLY AS ORDINARY ASPHALT.
This unit, which is as high as a five-story building and three times as
long, was designed and built by Firestone and it is the only one of its kind
in the world. As a result, the safety-tensioned, gum-dipped, rayon or nylon
Firestone tires which car owners can buy today are safer, stronger and
longer-wearing.
* * *
CONSUMPTION OF RUBBER by the industry in the United States
Was less than in the preceding year, except for natural rubber latex for
foamed rubber which continued its rapid growth and reached a record
Volume in the month of October. Demand for rubber outside of the United
States was the greatest in history due to the growth of motor vehicle
transportation and improved economic conditions. The price of synthetic
rubber remained stable during the year at 23 cents a pound, while the price
of natural rubber rose from 20 cents to 28 cents. Supplies of natural and
synthetic rubbers are readily available to meet the total world require
ments.
In 1953, Congress enacted a law providing for the sale of Government-
owned synthetic rubber plants to private industry, a program long ad
vocated by our Company. Accordingly we have agreed to purchase, subject
to Congressional approval, the synthetic rubber plants located in Akron,
C)hio, and Lake Charles, Louisiana, which we have been operating for the
Government.
Natural rubber production on the Firestone plantations in Liberia
I'eached an all-time high of 75,771,009 pounds, the greater part of which
Was shipped in the form of latex to meet the growing needs of manufactur
ers of foamed rubber products.
* ^ »
MORE THAN TWELVE YEARS AGO we began producing tubeless
tires for military purposes and, after World War II, we brought out several
types of tubeless tires which sold at premium prices. As a result of this
Jong experience, and through efficient production methods, we introduced
during the year the first tubeless tire to sell at the price of a conventional
tire and tube. This new tire has been acclaimed by automotive engineers as
Setting completely new high standards of safety, riding comfort, mileage
^nd quiet operation, and it has been adopted as standard equipment on 1955
model passenger cars. The automobile industry has entered a new era, that
®f the tubeless tire. With respect to cars now in service, this new tire can
applied to present wheels and rims and is being sold for replacement
through Firestone dealers and stores.
Other important products introduced during the past year were the
Jiylon cord body Supreme tire, a lower-priced Transport Heavy-Duty truck
t^re, the deep-tread Ground Grip tractor tire, synthetic latex for use in road
®Jirfacing, Exon vinyl resins for flooring and for paints and lacquers, Velon
sheeting for wall coverings, light-weight alloy rims for trucks, truck rims
tubeless tires, and stainless steel milk containers. With the release of
mckel for civilian use, we resumed the manufacture of stainless steel
*^6verage containers.
♦ H! *
THE NECESSITY for building better and safer highways and for
Properly maintaining our present highway system becomes increasingly
J^^r every day. During the year our Company continued to call nationwide
^tention to this serious problem through news and advertising media,
?otion picture distributioti, radio and television. We pointed out that
Urther delay in the building of an adequate, modern highway system
. ould result in the needless loss of thousands of lives and billions of dollars
^ property damage.
i It is therefore extremely gratifying that President Eisenhower has
^^en the leadership in the movement for an adequate, nationwide highway
Astern when he calls for a multi-billion dollar, ten-year highway building
^^^gram.
The Defense Research Division perfected a new 106-mm. recoilless
RIFLE AND AMMUNITION FOR THIS WEAPON, WHICH WERE TESTED AND
ADOPTED BY THE ARMED FORCES.
Firestone continued to manufacture many products for defense.
Artillery shell production was accelerated at the New Bedford,
Mass., factory shown here.