Viking Tyres

Last updated

Viking
IndustryTyre manufacturing
Founded1920;106 years ago (1920)
Founder P. M. Røwde
Headquarters Hanover, Germany
Parent Continental AG
Website viking-tyres.com

Viking is a brand of tyres, currently owned and produced by the German company Continental AG. [1] [2]

Contents

History

The history of Viking traced back to 1906, when Peter Mathias Røwde founded A/S Viking Gummivarefabrikk. In 1913, the factory was destroyed by fire, so Røwde founded Askim Gummivarefabrikk on 17 January 1920 in Askim, as a continuation of the business that existed before the fire, producing galoshes for shoes. [2] Due to changes in fashion, the production of galoshes was reduced in the late 1920s, while the production of snow socks and sneakers increased. Gradually, Viking expanded production and began producing rubber boots, work boots, leather shoes, hunting shoes and football boots. [3]

In the 1930s, Viking produced vehicle tires, rubber flooring, stair coverings (also used in the Royal Palace), hot water bottles, school backpacks, gloves, camping mats and rubber bands. In 1934, the factory burned to the ground and a new plant was built, with 1100 employees, Viking was one of the largest Norwegian companies at the time. [3]

In the 1970s, with a market share of over 50%, Viking was the market leader in tyres in Norway. [1] After a reorganisation in 1971, the company was named Viking-Askim. [2]

In the mid-1980s, Borregaard became the majority shareholder of the company; the Viking group was dissolved, and tire production was spun off in 1984 into a separate company called Viking Dekk and acquired by Gislaved, a Swedish tire manufacturer, which was in turn controlled by the Nivis Tyre company. [2]

Between 1990 and 1991, German company Continental AG acquired Nivis Tyre and the Viking tyre brand; following this acquisition, the Askim factory was closed in 1991. [2]

2008 saw the first annual sales of more than one million tires. [1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Il Brand | Viking". www.viking-tyres.com. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Bryhn, Rolf; Antonsen, Robin (26 November 2024). Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian Bokmål). Askim Gummivarefabrik. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  3. 1 2 "The History of Viking Footwear". Viking Footwear. 20 February 2025. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.