Tried and tested: Sultan Sharafuddin and Curtis posing next to the Sultan’s 1956 Jaguar XK140 FHC that is fitted with Goodyear tyres. — Photo from Selangor Royal Office Facebook page
KLANG: Selangor Ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah has commended Goodyear Malaysia for its 52 years of contribution to the state, Malaysian economy and automotive sector.
An entry in the Selangor Royal Office Facebook said Goodyear was the first tyre brand used in Malaysia’s first locally-produced car, the Proton Saga, when it first hit the market in 1985.
The world’s first mass-affordable automobile, the Ford Model T in 1908, also used Goodyear tyres.
“Personally, His Royal Highness the Sultan of Selangor, during his 1997 and 2007 road expeditions on the Peking to Paris Challenge from Beijing to Paris and the 2015 Road to Mandalay Rally, used Goodyear tyres on his 1932 Ford Model B, 1940 Chevrolet Fangio Coupe and 1956 Jaguar XK140 FHC,” said the social media entry.
It added that throughout the 16,000km and 8,400km journeys across terrains including desert, snow and cobbled roads, Sultan Sharafuddin and his co-driver, Datuk Richard Curtis, had not encountered any puncture to the tyres.
The statement also said Goodyear Malaysia had achieved excellent performance in both sales and technology over the years.
“In October 1992, the company became the first Goodyear tyre plant to be certified for ISO 9002 standards.
“In 2002, it obtained the QS9000 and ISO 14001 certifications, followed by the ISO/TS 16949 certification in 2003,” said the entry.
The royal statement follows Goodyear Malaysia’s announcement that it was shutting down its operations here beginning June 30 and is expected to be completely out of Malaysia by the end of the year.
The decision to shutter the plant in Shah Alam, which opened in 1972, is expected to affect more than 500 of its employees.
