Reborn 'Cinturato' showcases Pirelli green efforts

Milan, Italy -- Pirelli Tyre SpA is reviving the Cinturato, a “legendary” tyre line from the 1950s, as a showcase tyre line for the firm's latest environmental and safety developments.

The new Cinturato - Italian for belted - incorporates Pirelli research into innovative structures, materials and tread patterns for a tyre that offers optimal rolling resistance, reduced noise generation, greater treadlife and the elimination of aromatic oils.

In particular, the new Cinturato, available in tread sizes P4 and P6 and featuring “Ecoimpact” symbols on the sidewall, offers a 20-percent reduction in rolling resistance and up to 4-percent less energy consumption, increasing average mileage by 30 percent.

The original Cinturato, launched in 1954, was Pirelli's first radial tyre. It used textile belts instead of steel ones, as Groupe Michelin had strong patent protection on the use of steel belts in radial tyre design.

Pirelli will make the new Cinturato at plants in Bollate, Italy; Izmit, Turkey; Manresa, Spain; and Carlisle, England. It will be used by several leading vehicle manufacturers as standard original equipment on their most popular models, Pirelli said.

Pirelli is marking the debut with a wide-ranging cultural event in Milan, featuring advertising retrospectives, newly commissioned works of art in a variety of media, a fashion show featuring “PZero” apparel, road-testing opportunities, and the planting of trees in Milan's Ticino Park to help offset emissions produced by the event.

From Tire Business (A Crain publication)=window>