When a brand has been around for over a hundred years, this is a good opportunity to look back over the early years and past events. So we've compiled a short summary of the most important events below - from the first rubber goods factory to the latest high performance tyres. This will give you a good idea of how we have managed to become what we are today - a traditional brand with a future.

1850 Production begins in Wimpassing, Austria, at the first rubber goods factory on the European continent

1896 The Miskolczy & Co. OHG rubber goods factory is founded in Traiskirchen, Austria

1900 Production of car tyres begins

1906 The name SEMPERIT is created from the Latin - semper it ('it always runs')

1927 Manufacture of pneumatic truck tires

1936 Semperit makes the 'Goliath', the company's first winter tyre

1945 Creation of the 'Alpen Gigant Superior' and 'Grand Transport' tires, where rayon was already used as a structural support.

1956 Production of tubeless tyres and the then highly popular white wall tyres begins

Late Fifties The first truck tires with nylon casings are built.

1961 Manufacture of steel radial tyres on all-steel casings

1963 The newly launched studded tyres (M+S 181) are an instant best seller

1966 Start of development of the radial tyre, which goes into production in 1967

1984 Work starts on rebuilding and extending the factory in Traiskirchen, together with restructuring of the production process. SEMPERIT REIFEN AG is separated from SEMPERIT AG.

1985 Integration into the Continental Group, thereby fusing the expertise of two leading European tyre manufacturers.

1988 The first directionally-orientated M+S-H tyre, the DIRECTION-GRIP M728, sets new standards

1989 The TOP-GRIP SLG M729 complements the Direction-Grip in the winter tyre sector and becomes Semperit's best-selling winter tyre

1995 The new DIRECTION-GRIP M828 immediately comes top in tests

1999 TOP-LIFE 2 M801, the new T-rated summer tyre, is launched

2000 The T-rated SPORT-LIFE M811, a performance summer tyre, is added to the product range

2001 Launch of the DIRECTION-SPORT, an attractive high performance tyre. Launch of the SPORT-GRIP, Semperit's dedicated new winter tyre!