Rolling, rolling, rolling: Lego, the world's biggest tyre maker
For 50 years, the famous toy maker has turned out little plastic wheels. Now, it produces 381 million a year, a mind-boggling number that makes it the number one tyre maker.
This month marks 50 years since Lego began making tyres. Now it is the largest maker of tyres in the world, even if you wouldn't want to drive on any of them.
(Credit: Lego)
When you think of giant tyre manufacturers, names like Goodyear, Firestone and BFGoodrich probably come to mind. So it might surprise you to learn that the largest maker of tyres on the planet is none other than the most famous toy company in the world: Lego.
To be sure, Lego's tyres are not all-weather, nor can they go off-road. They also fit in the palm of your hand. But for 50 years, Lego has been churning out its little wheels, millions per year, topping out at an unbelievable 381 million in 2011, the company said.
This tyre empire got its start in 1962 with Lego set No. 400. And from there, Lego's gone all in.
Lego, of course, made cars before 1962. And until it began producing sets with wheels, it used to make pre-moulded mini-cars. Kids were also known to fashion their own wheels out of standard Lego bricks. But it's hard to imagine those vehicles rolling all that smoothly across a carpeted floor.
That's probably one reason why set No. 400 quickly became Lego's bestseller. By 1967, the company was moving 820,000 of the boxed set.
Along the way, the company has made all kinds of wheels, from its largest — a 10.7-centimetre behemoth that debuted in 2000 as part of set No. 8456, the "Power Puller" — to the smallest, a 14.4-millimetre wheel that fit a two-seater car that was part of sets No. 345 and 346 starting in 1969.
Via CNET
(Credit: Lego)
The first Lego wheels
Fifty years ago this month, Lego began adding tyres to some of its sets, and toys have never been the same. Now, the company says, it is the world's largest manufacturer of tyres, though you probably wouldn't want to drive a car that uses its wheels. Still, with an annual output of 381 million wheels, you could roll nearly 100 million toy cars around the living rooms of the world.
These are the first wheels Lego ever produced, in 1962.
(Credit: Lego)
Lego vehicles before wheels
This is the box for a Lego vehicle before the company started rolling out wheels. Originally, many Lego cars were pre-moulded, and some kids built their own wheels using standard Lego bricks.
(Credit: Lego)
First Lego set with wheels
This is Lego set No. 400, which was produced in 1962. It was the first set to include wheels, and became the company's bestselling set by 1967, moving 820,400 units that year.
(Credit: Lego)
Wheel production
A look at the Lego wheel production system.
(Credit: Lego)
Many Lego tyres
Lego wheels come in all shapes and sizes. Well, they're usually round, but they do come in many different sizes.
(Credit: Lego)
The smallest Lego wheel
This is the marketing material for Lego's smallest-ever wheel. It is 14.4 millimetres high and was part of a two-seater car included in Lego sets No. 345 and No. 346 starting in 1969.