Holidaymakers are being urged to make sure their cars are in tip-top condition before setting out on their summer break.

Everything from making sure car tyres are properly inflated to having a spare set of keys safely tucked away could ensure motorists get the best possible start – and end – to their holidays, according to holidayextras.com.

Tyres should also have the correct tread depth to make sure they are safe and legal and vehicle owners should also acquaint themselves with the jack and wheel brace, the website suggests.

Other tips include keeping the owners manual handy in the glove compartment and checking the basics such as lights, wipers, screen wash, battery, oil and water.

Re-fuel but do not fill the tank to the brim as fuel can expand in hot conditions.

Motorists should avoid overloading their vehicle - but make sure they take some drinks and snacks for the trip.

Before travelling, motorists should plan their route, check travel updates and allow plenty of time for their journey in case of delays - especially around weekends and bank holiday periods.

And remember to take regular breaks to keep driving safe.

Oliver Hall, Operations Team

By Denna Bowman

Continental AG is facing pressure to sell its tyres business in the ongoing bitter power struggle with its main shareholder, according to news reports.

Schaeffler, which acquired a main shareholding stake in the hostile takeover, has renewed calls for divestment of the German car parts makers tyres group to ease debt pressures, sources told Reuters news agency.

The issue was revived during Thursday’s supervisory board meeting, sources told Reuters.

“Schaeffler said … the rubber tyre business would not count as a core business and that selling it was an option,” a supervisory board member told Reuters on Friday.

However, other board members said that, given the tough market environment, a quick sale could not be expected.

The German ball-bearings maker, launched its hostile $18 billion takeover bid last July, and currently owns just under 50 percent of Continental AG. However, the bid played out with Schaeffler collecting more Continental shares than it could afford, lumbering it with billions of euros of debt.

In another boardroom battle, Schaeffler are bidding to oust Chief Executive Karl-Thomas Neumann and replace him with its head of automotive, Elmar Degenhart.

Imagine having to shell out £3,000 for your next set of tyres!

That’s what the staff at the Lincolnshire Road Transport Museum have had to do to replace the set of six 24 inch tyres for their prize exhibit – a 1929 Leyland Lion bus.

The bus’s original set of tyres had become severely cracked by sheer age but the replacements proved very hard to find.

In the end the museum, in Whisby Road, North Hykeham, had to have the set costing £500 each shipped over from America – normal bus tyres cost around £150 each.

Lincolnshire Vintage Vehicle Society assistant vehicle manager Ken Thompson said: “It’s really hard getting specialist tyres and parts.

“We are trying to get all the Lincoln buses up and running by November to mark the 50th anniversary.”

Society chairman Steve Milner said: “We want to ensure the bus is on the road this year. It’s the museum’s 50th year and it’s the society’s first vehicle.”

Denna Bowman, Head Office

By Oliver Hall

Kumho tyres claims it has developed the SUV of the future with a clear environmental conscience.

The South Korean company, which produces millions of tyres for today’s SUVs, employed the skills of in-house designer Rob Dolton to demonstrate what tomorrow’s SUVs could be like.

They created a vehicle it has dubbed ‘Fortis’, according to a report on  TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk.

Fortis combines the aggressive stance of an SUV with fresh aesthetic touches including light clusters that take their influence from Korean glass sculpture.

It has a number of contemporary features including its bumper sections, doors, front wings and rear hatch which are manufactured by recycled tyre rubber.

The drivetrain consists of four 100hp chassis-mounted motors, one to power each wheel. This system provides off-road traction, ESP and hill descent with easy transitions between four wheel drive, two wheel drive, front wheel drive and rear wheel drive.

There are a number of environmental features in the car including a regenerative braking system and a lithium-ion battery pack that can be recharged at home or exchanged for a new one on longer journeys.

Of course, the Fortis design also features revolutionary tyre technology from Kumho. The tyres feature metal biters in their tread that optimise off-road performance.

An animal rights group has appealed to a tyres manufacturer to help it promote the benefits of vegetarianism.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has sent a letter to the President of tyres giant Michelin North America offering to maintain its iconic giant tyre in exchange for an inspired bit of advertising.

PETA want to show a man with a bulging belly next to the tagline “Lose the Spare Tyre: Go Veg.”

Tracy Reiman, executive vice president of PETA, said: “A spare tyre in your trunk can get you out of a jam, but one around your waist can kill you.

“The future of the auto industry may be a little wonky right now, but changing your diet from greasy chicken and cheese to fresh fruits, vegetables, grains and beans will get your personal engine purring.”

The Uniroyal Giant Tyre started life as a Ferris wheel at the 1964/65 New York World’s Fair, providing rides to more than two million fair goers.

In 1965, the giant tyre was relocated to the Uniroyal Tyre sales office in Allen Park and began its slow roll to legendary status.

Neon light and a new hubcap were added to the tyre in 1994.

In 1998, a giant nail was placed in the tyre’s tread to advertise the company’s practically flat proof NailGard tyre.

The giant tyre received a $1 million renovation in 2003 as part of the I-94 revitalization project.

Denna Bowman, Head Office

By Denna Bowman

Honda USA will not equip its vehicles with run-flat tyres for the year 2010, after settling a recent lawsuit with almost 100,000 unhappy customers.

The car company settled the class action lawsuit with the disgruntled owners of Michelin run-flat tyres which were fitted to the Odyssey Touring minivan and some Acura RL models.

The announcement not to use run-flats for original equipment on the vehicles is seen as another disappointment for Michelin and other makers of run-flat tyres after a 17-year effort to win customers in the US.

When run-flat tyres arrived on the market in 1992, they were expected to win wide acceptance as original equipment.  However, their high replacement cost and poor availability have hampered their success.

Some owners in the Honda law suit, which was launched in Maryland against Michelin and Honda, also said the tyres wore out at around 15,000 miles.

As part of the settlement, Michelin said it is offering a 3-year/36,000-mile warranty on the tyres to owners of the affected models.  Also offered is a $300 rebate on a new Odyssey or Acura RL or $110 for the purchase of Honda-approved Pax spare-tyre kits.

Michael Schumacher will have a lot of things against him when he steps back into the Formula One driving seat for Ferrari, like getting used to racing on slick tyres again.

“Other big problems are that he has yet to work with KERS, he hasn’t raced in recent years on slick tyres, and the technology has changed.  There is no traction control now,” according to Eddie Jordan, the former team owner who gave the German his big break in Formula One.

“But Michael is such a genius that he’ll overcome all that in eight to 10 laps.”

Jordan also pointed out that “there are a lot of young pups now, like Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel, ready to win.”

However, Jordan believes the seven-times Formula One world champion would not have stepped in to take the place of injured Ferrari driver Felipe Massa if he did not think he had a shot.

Jordan said: “Michael is a different breed. He is a legend and anyone who dismisses him because of age is making a grave error. We all know what Nigel Mansell did, winning races at 41, Michael can certainly do the same.

“He is a very wily character and is very proud of what he has achieved. He certainly would not have made this comeback unless he was certain that, given enough track time, he can deliver. Schumacher is absolutely hardcore.

“I would be staggered if he’s not in the top 10 in qualifying in Valencia, and he will be very close to the podium.”

Schumacher, who is rumoured to be getting £3 million a race from Ferrari, will be back in the cockpit for the European Grand Prix in Valencia on 23 August.

Alex Kapadia, Operations Team

By Denna Bowman

Caravan owners are being urged to check their tyres to avoid a disaster on the roads as the holiday season gets under way.

Making sure the tyres are in good condition and are properly inflated to the manufacturers recommended pressure is vital, according to the Association of British Drivers (ABD).

Paul Biggs, spokesman for ABD and himself a keen caravanner, points out that unlike car tyres, caravan tyre tread rarely wears out due to the low mileages travelled

However, other dangerous defects can develop due to lack of use and ageing.

Owners should look for signs of cracking, splitting or flat spots due to standing in one position.

Replace the tyres every 5 years as a matter of course, even if they look okay. Make sure the wheel nuts are tightened to the correct torque using a torque wrench.

Punctures or blow-outs can happen to even the most careful caravanners, but fitting ‘Tyron Safety Bands’ provides a short ‘run flat’ capability, enabling you to drive to a place of safety without the flat tyre coming off or away from the wheel.

Don’t forget that the car tyre pressures may need to be inflated for towing - front and rear tyre inflation pressures will specified in the car handbook.

Etyres, the UKs leading online tyres retailer, is fully conversant with all aspects of supplying and fitting caravan tyres, and its mobile fitting service is popular with owners because they avoid having to travel to cramped tyre fitting depots.

And because etyres does not have expensive depots it passes the savings on to the customer in the form of cheaper prices – up to 40% lower than the traditional high street depots.

Superbrands has released its 2009 Superbrands and Business Superbrands survey results, and a trio of tyres manufacturers appear in the highly respected top 500 lists this year.

Our three tyre Superbrands were also present in this category – Michelin in eighth spot, Pirelli at number 20 and Dunlop at 53. They are joined by Bridgestone in the 54th spot and Snap-on Tools at 193.

The publics top 10 Superbrands this year were: Microsoft, Rolex, Google, British Airways, BBC, Mercedes-Benz, Coca Cola, Lego, Apple and Encyclopaedia Britannica.

Superbrands are expected to represent “quality, reliability and distinction”.

Katherine Clarkson, National Accounts

By Oliver Hall

The United Steelworkers (USW) union has requested an appearance before the US Trade Representative (USTR) in the final step of the trade case to stem the tide of tyres imported from China.

The public hearing scheduled for 7^th August offers the last chance to reiterate their case after the US International Trade Commission (ITC) determined that surging low cost consumer tyre imports from China have damaged the domestic industry with lost jobs and factory shutdowns.

Last month, a majority vote of the ITC found that tariff were needed to urgently reduce tyre imports – although trade associations have questioned the effectiveness of such measures.

Leo W Gerard, President of the USW, said: “Our nation’s job loss numbers at tyre factories dramatically understate the impact China’s flooding imports have caused in the communities where our represented workers live.

“The consequences of lost tyre production jobs have extended to many thousands of other jobs in supporting industries and suppliers that have also been lost.”

The USW wants the US interagency group reviewing the ITC’s proposal to recommend that President Barack Obama support the duties.

President Obama is scheduled to make a final ruling on the case in September.