What Tires Are Made in the USA?
People have certain merits, and favorite brands are one of them. Just as I’m a fan of Japanese cars, Toyotas, mostly, someone may be a BMW fanboy. The same goes for the tires as well.
While I have no preference in this regard, and I choose the models based on my tests, some people have a preference for certain brands. Getting tires from domestic brands is a nice way to show some local support which is what I’ll be talking about today.
Throughout the years, there have been multiple US companies that made tires, but today, only several of those remain in the business. Another thing to keep in mind is that there are multiple daughter companies of each one on this list. Some of those are also US based brands, so these 4 aren’t the only ones.
What Tires Are Made in the USA?
- Goodyear
- BFGoodrich
- Cooper
- Firestone
Goodyear
I’m kicking off this list with a premium manufacturer – Goodyear. The company was founded in 1898 in Akron, Ohio, and unlike most of its rivals named after the founders, this one was different. The manufacturer got its name from Charles Goodyear, the man who invented vulcanized rubber, which is a nice touch, honoring the name that enabled us to have tires.
Initially, Goodyear started making bicycle tires, and shortly after, it expanded its product list to include car tires as well. Considering that it made some excellent products early on, the company began making racing tires for Ford in the early 1900s. The success in racing in those early years, as well as introducing several innovations into the tire industry.
One of the most notable changes that Goodyear introduced to the tire market was the radial design. At a time when most of its competitors were still going for the bias-ply models, this US brand went with the radial tires, which revolutionized the market. This, along with a few others, helped the company stay on top and make it one of the rare manufacturers to remain an independent company in the 1970s.
Passenger tires aren’t the only thing that Goodyear is known for. The company has been involved in racing for most of its career, and thanks to its success, it still holds some records today. If you’ve been following motorsports, you must have seen its tires in WEC, NASCAR as well as Formula 1. Even though it’s not a supplier today, it still holds the record for the most wins in the sport.
Like most manufacturers that do racing, Goodyear uses some of that technology for its passenger tires. As a result, today we are lucky to have some excellent options from this manufacturer that are considered among the best tires in the industry.
Being successful meant that over the years, Goodyear could acquire other tire brands under its umbrella. Among the more popular names are Dunlop, Debica, Fulda, Sava, and many more.
Performance Summer Tires for Passenger Cars
- Eagle F1 SuperSport R
- Eagle F1 Supercar G:2
- Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6
Performance Summer for CUV/SUV
- Eagle F1 Asymmetric SUV
- Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3 SUV
Performance All-Season for Passenger Cars
- Eagle Exhilarate
- Eagle F1 Asymmetric All-Season
Performance All-Season for CUV/SUV
- Eagle F1 Asymmetric AT SUV
- Wrangler HP All-Weather
Touring Summer for Passenger Cars
- Excellence
- Efficient Grip Performance
Touring All-Season for Passenger Cars
- Assurance WeatherReady
- Eagle Touring
- Assurance ComfortDrive
Touring All-Season for CUV/SUV
- Assurance CS Fuel Max
- Wrangler HT
Winter for Passenger Cars
- WinterCommand Ultra
- Ultra Grip 8 Performance
Winter for SUV/Light Truck
- WinterCommand SUV
All-Terrain for SUV/Light Truck
- Wrangler Territory RT
Mud-Terrain for SUV/Light Truck
- Wrangler Territory MT
BFGoodrich
Continuing with the premium manufacturers, we have one that is considered to be the oldest, at least among the ones that are still in business. Like the previous manufacturer, BFGoodrich was founded in Akron, Ohio, in 1870. At that time, cars were scarce, so the company initially made rubber products like boots, hoses, belts, and other similar products.
At that time, BFGoodrich didn’t have too many competitors, so it was able to grow quite quickly. Part of the growth was due to the fact that the company made excellent products, so with good quality, you’re getting a good boost. Thanks to its success, the company got into the aeronautical industry, which not only help it continue its growth and used the research to develop its car tires.
Being among the first tire manufacturers, BFGoodrich made some improvements in the industry by introducing newer products and technologies. The company is known for many things, including the introduction of the first all-terrain tire. Also, it’s credited with introducing the first 24-inch model for off-road vehicles, as well as the first run-flat tire.
Like most of its rivals, BFGoodrich became involved in racing even in the early days of its existence. Initially, the company started producing tires for Indianapolis 500. Several decades later, the company got involved in Baja, WRC, Paris Dakar, and other popular series.
Being successful in motorsports means that BFGoodrich can use the knowledge learned in developing those tires for its passenger ones. As a result, you have a manufacturer that makes some very good options, especially in the off-road segment.
Performance Summer Tires for Passenger Cars
- g-Force Sport COMP-2
- g-Force Rival S
Performance All-Season for Passenger Cars
- g-Force COMP-2 A/S PLUS
- Radial T/A Spec
Touring All-Season for Passenger Cars
- Advantage T/A Sport
- Advantage Control
Touring All-Season for CUV/SUV
- Advantage T/A Sport LT
All-Terrain for SUV/Light Truck
- All-Terrain T/A KO2
Mud-Terrain for SUV/Light Truck
- Mud-Terrain T/A KM2
- Mud-Terrain T/A KM3
Cooper Tires
US tire manufacturers aren’t only known for the premium options, as there are some mid-range ones like Cooper. Like the previous two, the company was founded in Akron, Ohio, but it’s a few decades younger. This manufacturer began its operations in 1914 under a different name.
Initially, the company was known as M and M Manufacturing Company, primarily making repair kits, cement, and patches for tires. A few years after that, the manufacturer changed its name to Cooper tires, after which the production of tires began.
Since day one, Cooper has positioned itself on the market as a company that makes excellent tires at an affordable price. While it’s not a main rival of the premium companies on the market, it’s a strong contender in the mid-range section, with some tires performing almost as well as the premium ones.
For most of the company’s existence, motorsports weren’t something it was too interested in. Luckily, near the beginning of the 21st century, Cooper began getting involved in multiple racing series like Rallycross, Indy Light, and several others.
At the end of the day, Cooper isn’t a brand that can dethrone the likes of Michelin or Continental. With that said, it manages to offer excellent performance and, in some cases, near performance-like, for a fraction of the price. This is what makes it one of the best mid-range brands on the market.
Performance All-Season for Passenger Cars
- Zeon RS3-G1
- Cobra Radial G/T
Performance All-Season for CUV/SUV
- Discoverer H/T Plus
Touring All-Season for Passenger Cars
- CS5 Ultra Touring
- CS5 Grand Touring
Touring All-Season for CUV/SUV
- Discoverer SRX
- Evolution H/T
Winter for Passenger Cars
- Discoverer True North
- Evolution Winter
Winter for SUV/Light Truck
- Discoverer Snow Claw
All-Terrain for SUV/Light Truck
- Discoverer AT3 4S
- Discoverer AT3 LT
Mud-Terrain for SUV/Light Truck
- Discoverer STT Pro
- Evolution M/T
Firestone
The last company that you can go to if you want US-made tires is Firestone. It seems that Akron, Ohio is a natural birthplace for tire manufacturers, so the roots of Firestone are traced back there. The company was founded in 1900, and despite the success it had in the early days, it was having some financial difficulties, which meant that at a certain point, the brand had to be sold to one of the larger companies.
Even though it wasn’t a competitor of the larger player in the industry, Firestone was a company that quickly grew and showed excellent results. The company aimed its products at people looking for something more affordable. Essentially, this company is a direct competitor to Cooper and Hankook, offering tires with great performance at a lower price when compared to the premium ones.
In the early days, Firestone was doing so well that it began supplying Ford with tires for its cars. Considering that the company had been in business for a few years, getting a deal with Ford was a huge boost. This helped the company grow not only in terms of products but also in terms of popularity.
Being popular in terms of passenger cars is one thing, but Firestone also started messing with racing in the early years. Initially, it began making tires for Formula 1, which didn’t result in the success the company wanted. After that, it moved into Indianapolis 500, which was a good choice. It started dominating and winning races left and right, something that helped it improve its success.
As good as things were going for Firestone, the company had some financial struggles. To avoid going out of business, Bridgestone purchased the brand and left it operating as such. The end result of this was that Firestone continued making excellent mid-range tires but under the Japanese umbrella.
Performance Summer Tires for Passenger Cars
- Firehawk Indy 500
Performance All-Season for Passenger Cars
- Firehawk GT
- Firehawk AS
Touring All-Season for Passenger Cars
- Champion Fuel Fighter
- WeatherGrip
Touring All-Season for CUV/SUV
- Destination LE3
- TransForce HT2
Winter for Passenger Cars
- Winterforce 2
Winter for SUV/Light Truck
- Winterforce CV
- Winterforce LT
All-Terrain for SUV/Light Truck
- TransForce AT2
Mud-Terrain for SUV/Light Truck
- Destination M/T2
