General Tire
Encyclopedia
The General Tire and Rubber Company is an American
manufacturer of tire
s for motor vehicles.
General Tire was founded in 1915 in Akron, Ohio
by William F. O'Neil. Products included the low-pressure "General Balloon Jumbo" and the "Dual 90" tire. In 1943 General Tire branched out from its core business by purchasing the Yankee Network
and the radio stations it owned from Boston
's Shepard Stores, Inc. Thomas F. O'Neil
, son of the founder William F. O'Neil, served as Yankee's chairman with Shepard's John Shepard III
serving as president.
General Tire continued its move into broadcasting by acquiring the Don Lee Broadcasting System
, a well-respected regional radio network on the West Coast, in 1950. Among other stations, it added KHJ-AM-FM
in Los Angeles
and KFRC-AM-FM
in San Francisco to its stable from the Yankee acquisition. In 1952, it bought WOR
/WOR-FM/WOR-TV
in New York City
and merged its broadcasting interests into a new division, General Teleradio.
General Tire's final move into entertainment was the acquisition of RKO Radio Pictures from Howard Hughes
in 1955 for $25 million. General Tire was interested mainly in using the RKO film library to program its television stations, so it sold the RKO lot at Sunset and Gower in Hollywood to Lucille Ball
and Desi Arnaz
's Desilu Productions
in 1956 for $6 million. The remaining assets of RKO were merged with General Teleradio, and the new company eventually became known as RKO General
. The radio stations became some of the leading broadcasters in the world, but the division was dragged down by unethical conduct at its television stations. This culminated in the longest licensing dispute in television history, eventually forcing RKO General out of the broadcasting business.
General Tire reorganized its holdings into the holding company GenCorp
in 1984, with General Tire and RKO General as subsidiaries.
GenCorp sold General Tire to German
tire maker Continental AG
in 1987. General Tire still exists today as part of Continental's American operations.
In its advertising in the 1970s and '80s, the brand's slogan
was: "Sooner or later, you'll own Generals."
In Mexico
between the late 1940s and early '80s, the company was named "General Popo."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
manufacturer of tire
Tire
A tire or tyre is a ring-shaped covering that fits around a wheel rim to protect it and enable better vehicle performance by providing a flexible cushion that absorbs shock while keeping the wheel in close contact with the ground...
s for motor vehicles.
General Tire was founded in 1915 in Akron, Ohio
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
by William F. O'Neil. Products included the low-pressure "General Balloon Jumbo" and the "Dual 90" tire. In 1943 General Tire branched out from its core business by purchasing the Yankee Network
Yankee Network
For the radio network of the New York Yankees, see New York Yankees Radio Network.The Yankee Network was an American radio network. It was founded in 1930 by John Shepard III; in 1949, a controlling interest in the network was purchased by General Tire when Robert Shepard chairman of the network's...
and the radio stations it owned from Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
's Shepard Stores, Inc. Thomas F. O'Neil
Thomas F. O'Neil
Thomas F. O'Neil was the former chairman of RKO General studios who brought movies to television and experimented with an early coin-operated pay-TV system....
, son of the founder William F. O'Neil, served as Yankee's chairman with Shepard's John Shepard III
John Shepard III
John Shepard III was an American radio executive and merchant. Among his many achievements, he was among the original board members of the National Association of Broadcasters and founded both the Yankee Network and the Yankee News Service....
serving as president.
General Tire continued its move into broadcasting by acquiring the Don Lee Broadcasting System
Don Lee (broadcaster)
Donald Musgrave Lee was the exclusive west coast distributor of Cadillac automobiles in the early 20th century. In 1919 Lee purchased the Earl Automobile Works of Hollywood, California. Harley Earl, the son of the company's owner, was kept on as manager...
, a well-respected regional radio network on the West Coast, in 1950. Among other stations, it added KHJ-AM-FM
KRTH-FM
KRTH is a U.S. oldies radio station located in Los Angeles, California, broadcasting to the Greater Los Angeles Area. Its signal covers an extremely large area, due in part to height upon Mt...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and KFRC-AM-FM
KFRC (defunct)
KFRC was a radio station in San Francisco, California in the United States, which made its first broadcast on Wednesday, September 24, 1924, from studios in the Hotel Whitcomb 1231 Market Street. KFRC originally broadcast with 50 watts on the 270 meter wavelength , then moved to 660 kHz. in...
in San Francisco to its stable from the Yankee acquisition. In 1952, it bought WOR
WOR (AM)
WOR is a class A , AM radio station located in New York, New York, U.S., operating on 710 kHz. The station has a talk format and has been owned by Buckley Broadcasting since 1987, after the station was sold by RKO. The station has conservative, or right-of-center hosts.Its call letters have no...
/WOR-FM/WOR-TV
WWOR-TV
WWOR-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the flagship station of the MyNetworkTV programming service, licensed to Secaucus, New Jersey and serving the Tri-State metropolitan area. WWOR is owned by Fox Television Stations, a division of the News Corporation, and is a sister station to Fox network flagship...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and merged its broadcasting interests into a new division, General Teleradio.
General Tire's final move into entertainment was the acquisition of RKO Radio Pictures from Howard Hughes
Howard Hughes
Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. was an American business magnate, investor, aviator, engineer, film producer, director, and philanthropist. He was one of the wealthiest people in the world...
in 1955 for $25 million. General Tire was interested mainly in using the RKO film library to program its television stations, so it sold the RKO lot at Sunset and Gower in Hollywood to Lucille Ball
Lucille Ball
Lucille Désirée Ball was an American comedian, film, television, stage and radio actress, model, film and television executive, and star of the sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy...
and Desi Arnaz
Desi Arnaz
Desi Arnaz was a Cuban-born American musician, actor and television producer. While he gained international renown for leading a Latin music band, the Desi Arnaz Orchestra, he is probably best known for his role as Ricky Ricardo on the American TV series I Love Lucy, starring with Lucille Ball, to...
's Desilu Productions
Desilu Productions
Desilu Productions was a Los Angeles, California-based company jointly owned by actors Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball, who were married to each other from 1940 to 1960....
in 1956 for $6 million. The remaining assets of RKO were merged with General Teleradio, and the new company eventually became known as RKO General
RKO General
RKO General was the main holding company through 1991 for the noncore businesses of the General Tire and Rubber Company and, after General Tire's reorganization in the 1980s, GenCorp. The business was based around the consolidation of its parent company's broadcasting interests, dating to 1943, and...
. The radio stations became some of the leading broadcasters in the world, but the division was dragged down by unethical conduct at its television stations. This culminated in the longest licensing dispute in television history, eventually forcing RKO General out of the broadcasting business.
General Tire reorganized its holdings into the holding company GenCorp
GenCorp
GenCorp is an American technology-based manufacturer based in Rancho Cordova, California. Established in 1915, GenCorp was formerly the General Tire and Rubber Company....
in 1984, with General Tire and RKO General as subsidiaries.
GenCorp sold General Tire to German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
tire maker Continental AG
Continental AG
Continental AG, internally often called Conti for short, is a worldwide leading German manufacturer of tires, brake systems, vehicle stability control systems, engine injection systems, tachographs and other parts for the automotive and transport industries. The company is based in Hanover, Germany...
in 1987. General Tire still exists today as part of Continental's American operations.
In its advertising in the 1970s and '80s, the brand's slogan
Advertising slogan
Advertising slogans are short, often memorable phrases used in advertising campaigns. They are claimed to be the most effective means of drawing attention to one or more aspects of a product. A strapline is a British term used as a secondary sentence attached to a brand name...
was: "Sooner or later, you'll own Generals."
In Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
between the late 1940s and early '80s, the company was named "General Popo."