Heritage Motor Centre to celebrate 100 years of Michelin in the UK

A new exhibition celebrating Michelin's 100 years in Great Britain will open at the Heritage Motor Centre in Gaydon, Warwickshire at the end of September. This will include products, photographs and memorabilia from Michelin that have never been seen together in the UK before.

Michelin started in London in 1905 and has a long history of manufacturing tyres in this country and has also been responsible for many of the great developments in maps and guides. This show will surprise many who didn't realise that Michelin, the leading tyre maker, was also the company behind the famous restaurant star-rating system.

The Michelin Man is one of the most iconic trademarks in the world and the exhibition will feature him in classic posters, press advertisements and TV commercials from the early 1900s through to the present day. But the hugely significant technical developments that greatly changed the history of motoring will also be included such as the detachable steel wheel in 1913 and radial tyres for cars in 1946 right through to Michelin's modern motor racing achievements.

Most people are aware that Michelin makes tyres but Tim Bryan, Head of Collections at the Heritage Motor Centre, is expecting many people to be surprised by many of the exhibits:

"Michelin is a big part of our transport history but they've also developed golf balls, soles for trainers and advanced satnav systems along the way too. This is a fascinating exhibition, and we are proud to have been chosen to host it."