1 00:00:02,042 --> 00:00:05,917 - [Narrator] It's a global $200 billion industry, 2 00:00:05,917 --> 00:00:08,083 producing enough tires a year 3 00:00:08,083 --> 00:00:11,417 to stack all the way to the moon and beyond. 4 00:00:11,417 --> 00:00:14,042 - If you don't believe the value of a tire, 5 00:00:14,042 --> 00:00:16,167 you sure as hell are gonna realize it 6 00:00:16,167 --> 00:00:18,042 when you most need it. 7 00:00:18,042 --> 00:00:19,667 - Living here we get lots of snow. 8 00:00:19,667 --> 00:00:22,167 I certainly don't take good tires for granted. 9 00:00:22,167 --> 00:00:24,083 - [Narrator] Today, two American brands 10 00:00:24,083 --> 00:00:26,000 are the automotive titans. 11 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:27,500 - Firestone and Goodyear, 12 00:00:27,500 --> 00:00:31,667 two names indelibly associated with tires in America. 13 00:00:31,667 --> 00:00:34,250 - [Narrator] But before they were household names, 14 00:00:34,250 --> 00:00:37,333 they are innovators who pushed the boundaries of rubber. 15 00:00:37,333 --> 00:00:38,958 - Where are we with our treaded tire? 16 00:00:38,958 --> 00:00:41,250 - [Narrator] To bring tires as we know them to the world. 17 00:00:42,542 --> 00:00:45,250 - I need a tire that anybody can change themselves. 18 00:00:46,292 --> 00:00:47,833 - [Narrator] They're bitter enemies. 19 00:00:47,833 --> 00:00:49,958 - They hated each other, did not like each other at all. 20 00:00:49,958 --> 00:00:50,958 - I don't understand. 21 00:00:50,958 --> 00:00:52,250 I thought we had a deal? 22 00:00:52,250 --> 00:00:54,250 - [Narrator] Battling it out in the same town. 23 00:00:54,250 --> 00:00:56,167 - You could not say the word Goodyear 24 00:00:56,167 --> 00:00:57,875 at the Firestone factory. 25 00:00:57,875 --> 00:01:00,042 - Goodyear completely pulls the rug out 26 00:01:00,042 --> 00:01:01,542 from under Firestone. 27 00:01:01,542 --> 00:01:04,375 - Firestone realizes, if I'm gonna take on Goodyear, 28 00:01:04,375 --> 00:01:06,417 it's time to take the gloves off. 29 00:01:07,583 --> 00:01:10,375 - [Narrator] Fighting for dominance on the nation's roads. 30 00:01:10,375 --> 00:01:12,125 - They were doing anything they could 31 00:01:12,125 --> 00:01:14,375 to get traction on those tires. 32 00:01:14,375 --> 00:01:16,125 - [Narrator] And the skies above. 33 00:01:17,458 --> 00:01:19,500 - It's difficult to imagine the world of sports today 34 00:01:19,500 --> 00:01:22,375 without the Goodyear Blimp riding overhead. 35 00:01:22,375 --> 00:01:23,792 - [Narrator] It's a race. 36 00:01:23,792 --> 00:01:25,750 - Are we waiting on anyone else? 37 00:01:25,750 --> 00:01:29,000 - [Narrator] To be the name on every tire in America. 38 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:31,417 - The Firestone-Goodyear rivalry 39 00:01:31,417 --> 00:01:34,250 was probably one of the greatest rivalries 40 00:01:34,250 --> 00:01:36,000 in American business. 41 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:37,875 - This should be interesting. 42 00:01:37,875 --> 00:01:40,292 [bold music] 43 00:01:59,417 --> 00:02:02,333 - [Narrator] In 1896, Americans still rely 44 00:02:02,333 --> 00:02:04,750 on horse and carriages to get around. 45 00:02:04,750 --> 00:02:07,375 - You have a lot of dirt roads and cobblestone streets 46 00:02:07,375 --> 00:02:09,542 that were more or less paved with horse manure. 47 00:02:09,542 --> 00:02:11,333 The stench would've really stood out. 48 00:02:11,333 --> 00:02:14,333 Very different scene than what we have now. 49 00:02:14,333 --> 00:02:17,417 - [Narrator] Primarily relying on wooden and metal wheels, 50 00:02:17,417 --> 00:02:20,708 horse-drawn carriages offer little in the way of comfort. 51 00:02:20,708 --> 00:02:22,250 - When you look back at horse and carriage, 52 00:02:22,250 --> 00:02:23,833 it's all very romanticized. 53 00:02:23,833 --> 00:02:24,917 That's nice. 54 00:02:24,917 --> 00:02:26,375 But in reality, life was pretty rough 55 00:02:26,375 --> 00:02:28,542 on a steel and wood wheel. 56 00:02:28,542 --> 00:02:30,208 - If you've ever been on a carriage ride, 57 00:02:30,208 --> 00:02:32,458 like in Central Park in New York, 58 00:02:32,458 --> 00:02:36,333 imagine that but somehow smellier, 59 00:02:36,333 --> 00:02:38,333 more uncomfortable, 60 00:02:38,333 --> 00:02:43,375 and just worse in every way anything could be bad, ever. 61 00:02:44,542 --> 00:02:45,583 - [Narrator] The time is ripe for any visionary 62 00:02:45,708 --> 00:02:48,292 who can improve transportation in America. 63 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:52,750 - [Harvey] I think we have just what you're looking for. 64 00:02:52,750 --> 00:02:55,875 - [Narrator] But in Detroit, one young carriage salesman 65 00:02:55,875 --> 00:02:58,833 is mostly just focused on keeping his family fed. 66 00:03:00,208 --> 00:03:02,708 - He grew up on a farm in Columbiana, Ohio, 67 00:03:02,708 --> 00:03:05,083 and he went to business school for a couple of years, 68 00:03:05,083 --> 00:03:07,375 and then worked a couple of odd jobs 69 00:03:07,375 --> 00:03:11,375 as a traveling salesman around Ohio and the Midwest. 70 00:03:11,375 --> 00:03:13,250 - You are really gonna like these. 71 00:03:14,375 --> 00:03:15,667 - [Narrator] He sells a new item 72 00:03:15,667 --> 00:03:18,833 that makes horse and buggy rides less bumpy. 73 00:03:18,833 --> 00:03:22,000 - The solid rubber lining dampens the ride, 74 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:23,500 which provides comfort 75 00:03:23,500 --> 00:03:26,500 while protecting your vehicle's delicate mechanics. 76 00:03:26,500 --> 00:03:28,292 - [Narrator] Rubber tires. 77 00:03:29,542 --> 00:03:31,375 While the latex from rubber trees 78 00:03:31,375 --> 00:03:32,875 has been used for millennia 79 00:03:32,875 --> 00:03:37,250 for things like rubber balls and waterproof containers, 80 00:03:37,250 --> 00:03:39,792 it took a mid-1800s breakthrough 81 00:03:39,792 --> 00:03:43,333 to make rubber the resilient material we think of today. 82 00:03:44,667 --> 00:03:46,708 - Natural rubber, if it gets too cold, it cracks. 83 00:03:46,708 --> 00:03:49,333 It gets too warm, it starts to sort of melt. 84 00:03:49,333 --> 00:03:52,667 But by mixing sulfur, heat, and rubber, 85 00:03:52,667 --> 00:03:54,792 you end up with a form of rubber that is more durable, 86 00:03:54,792 --> 00:03:57,500 and this comes to be known as vulcanized rubber. 87 00:03:57,500 --> 00:03:59,958 - So post Civil War people were using it 88 00:03:59,958 --> 00:04:03,792 to make things like clothing, raincoats, shoes, and boots. 89 00:04:03,792 --> 00:04:07,167 So the idea of what this product could be used for 90 00:04:07,167 --> 00:04:09,208 was expanding. 91 00:04:09,208 --> 00:04:11,750 - [Narrator] Now, white solid rubber tires 92 00:04:11,750 --> 00:04:14,125 are the newest in carriage technology. 93 00:04:14,125 --> 00:04:15,625 - Rubber is naturally white. 94 00:04:15,625 --> 00:04:18,208 It's a sap that comes out of a rubber tree, 95 00:04:18,208 --> 00:04:21,208 so most early tires at that time were white. 96 00:04:21,208 --> 00:04:22,875 - Interesting thing about the word tire 97 00:04:22,875 --> 00:04:26,083 is that it's actually short for the word attire 98 00:04:26,083 --> 00:04:29,250 because it was the dressing you put on a wheel. 99 00:04:30,125 --> 00:04:31,208 - I'll be honest. 100 00:04:31,208 --> 00:04:33,125 I don't know if I can afford them. 101 00:04:33,125 --> 00:04:34,917 - Let me talk with my manager. 102 00:04:34,917 --> 00:04:36,125 We'll make it work. 103 00:04:36,125 --> 00:04:37,833 [bold music] 104 00:04:37,833 --> 00:04:40,417 - [Narrator] The salesman has no idea this chance meeting 105 00:04:41,500 --> 00:04:44,458 will help launch an automotive giant, 106 00:04:44,458 --> 00:04:47,792 one that pioneers revolutionary tire innovations, 107 00:04:47,792 --> 00:04:51,250 grows into an empire worth $30 billion, 108 00:04:51,250 --> 00:04:54,583 with close to 2,000 auto shops across America, 109 00:04:54,583 --> 00:04:58,208 and its name on billions of tires around the world. 110 00:04:58,208 --> 00:05:01,333 [bold music] 111 00:05:01,333 --> 00:05:03,042 - Harvey Firestone. 112 00:05:03,042 --> 00:05:04,042 - Henry Ford. 113 00:05:05,083 --> 00:05:06,208 - [Narrator] It will be years 114 00:05:06,208 --> 00:05:09,417 before Ford and Firestone reconnect. 115 00:05:09,417 --> 00:05:12,542 For now, Firestone just sees potential 116 00:05:12,542 --> 00:05:14,125 in using rubber for tires. 117 00:05:14,125 --> 00:05:17,083 - So in 1900, he and his family decide to relocate 118 00:05:17,083 --> 00:05:19,000 where rubber was really concentrated, 119 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:20,708 in the city of Akron. 120 00:05:20,708 --> 00:05:23,375 - [Narrator] Akron, Ohio is ground zero 121 00:05:23,375 --> 00:05:25,000 for America's rubber boom. 122 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:28,667 - Akron was the perfect place for new rubber businesses 123 00:05:28,667 --> 00:05:30,167 because it had lots of water, 124 00:05:30,167 --> 00:05:34,167 which the tire industry needed, as well as transportation. 125 00:05:34,167 --> 00:05:37,250 - Once the first rubber companies take root in Akron, 126 00:05:37,250 --> 00:05:38,958 they begin to attract other companies. 127 00:05:38,958 --> 00:05:41,625 With all that labor force, everything begins to, 128 00:05:41,625 --> 00:05:46,333 you know, create this sort of gold rush town for rubber. 129 00:05:48,750 --> 00:05:51,333 - [Narrator] But Firestone isn't the only entrepreneur 130 00:05:51,333 --> 00:05:53,542 searching for fortunes in Akron. 131 00:05:55,042 --> 00:05:58,875 - Frank Seiberling could be described as very ambitious. 132 00:05:58,875 --> 00:06:01,667 His father owned an agricultural machinery company, 133 00:06:01,667 --> 00:06:04,542 and Frank was working for him. 134 00:06:04,542 --> 00:06:07,208 But there was a financial panic across the country, 135 00:06:07,208 --> 00:06:08,958 and his father lost all of his money. 136 00:06:10,375 --> 00:06:12,000 - So he tried a bunch of different businesses, 137 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:13,417 but he has no success. 138 00:06:13,417 --> 00:06:15,708 So he's somewhat trying to figure out 139 00:06:15,708 --> 00:06:18,708 what is gonna be the next great idea that he can try. 140 00:06:18,708 --> 00:06:21,875 - So Seiberling sees that the rubber industry 141 00:06:21,875 --> 00:06:24,167 is where the growth opportunity is 142 00:06:24,167 --> 00:06:25,750 and he needs to be a part of it. 143 00:06:27,875 --> 00:06:29,375 - [Narrator] Seiberling convinces 144 00:06:29,375 --> 00:06:31,500 his younger brother Charles to join him. 145 00:06:32,583 --> 00:06:34,375 - He doesn't have really much money 146 00:06:34,375 --> 00:06:35,875 to his name at that point. 147 00:06:35,875 --> 00:06:37,500 They borrow a hundred thousand dollars from banks 148 00:06:37,500 --> 00:06:38,875 so they can get their business going. 149 00:06:38,875 --> 00:06:41,667 - [Narrator] Now their new venture just needs a name. 150 00:06:43,250 --> 00:06:44,750 - The Akron Rubber Company. 151 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:48,167 - Too generic. 152 00:06:49,208 --> 00:06:52,375 - Well, feel free to offer a suggestion of your own. 153 00:06:52,375 --> 00:06:53,458 - Umm. 154 00:06:53,458 --> 00:06:56,042 [bold music] 155 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:09,500 Who was it that invented vulcanized rubber? 156 00:07:11,333 --> 00:07:12,792 - Charles Goodyear. 157 00:07:12,792 --> 00:07:13,917 Why? 158 00:07:16,042 --> 00:07:17,083 - I think that's it. 159 00:07:18,292 --> 00:07:19,542 Goodyear. 160 00:07:19,542 --> 00:07:22,083 [bold music] 161 00:07:23,542 --> 00:07:25,542 - [Narrator] It's a name that will be adorned 162 00:07:25,542 --> 00:07:28,625 on everything from tires everywhere, 163 00:07:28,625 --> 00:07:31,667 to race cars, to an iconic airship 164 00:07:31,667 --> 00:07:34,917 celebrated at sporting events worldwide, 165 00:07:34,917 --> 00:07:37,542 paving the way for a global empire 166 00:07:37,542 --> 00:07:39,667 bringing in nearly $20 billion a year. 167 00:07:41,667 --> 00:07:45,333 But buried in debt, Seiberling needs a product 168 00:07:45,333 --> 00:07:46,875 that can keep him afloat 169 00:07:47,542 --> 00:07:49,708 And he has one in mind. 170 00:07:49,708 --> 00:07:53,458 - His vision is to create a new kind of tire 171 00:07:53,458 --> 00:07:57,250 for the newest kind of transportation technology 172 00:07:57,250 --> 00:07:59,625 that is taking America by storm. 173 00:07:59,625 --> 00:08:01,625 And that modality of transport 174 00:08:01,625 --> 00:08:04,458 is, of course, the bicycle. 175 00:08:05,542 --> 00:08:07,125 Didn't see that coming, did you? 176 00:08:08,792 --> 00:08:11,792 - Bicycles were a huge craze at the turn of the century. 177 00:08:11,792 --> 00:08:15,375 And at one point, there were over 300 companies 178 00:08:15,375 --> 00:08:17,042 making bicycles in America, 179 00:08:17,042 --> 00:08:19,542 at the rate of one bike being built every minute. 180 00:08:19,542 --> 00:08:21,500 - [Narrator] Driving the explosion 181 00:08:21,500 --> 00:08:25,250 is a new innovation called pneumatic tires. 182 00:08:25,250 --> 00:08:27,708 - The earliest tires were made out of solid rubber, 183 00:08:27,708 --> 00:08:30,792 but that didn't really provide a very comfortable ride. 184 00:08:30,792 --> 00:08:32,417 - A pneumatic tire is a tire 185 00:08:32,417 --> 00:08:35,000 fitted with an inner tube inside to hold air 186 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:36,667 that provides a level of suspension 187 00:08:36,667 --> 00:08:38,583 and softness in the tire. 188 00:08:38,583 --> 00:08:39,792 - And so this is the next big thing 189 00:08:39,792 --> 00:08:42,125 in terms of bicycle technology. 190 00:08:42,125 --> 00:08:45,542 - Seiberling is all in on this rubber business. 191 00:08:45,542 --> 00:08:48,708 And because he has such huge loans to pay off, 192 00:08:48,708 --> 00:08:50,583 it better work. 193 00:08:50,583 --> 00:08:52,000 - [Narrator] But within a few years, 194 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:55,125 it becomes apparent that everyone who wants a bicycle 195 00:08:55,125 --> 00:08:56,833 already has one. 196 00:08:56,833 --> 00:08:58,708 - There was this huge bicycle craze 197 00:08:58,708 --> 00:09:02,542 which lasted about a decade and peaked sort of in 1896. 198 00:09:02,542 --> 00:09:05,208 - But then demand pretty much collapsed. 199 00:09:05,208 --> 00:09:08,917 And this created a real problem for Goodyear. 200 00:09:08,917 --> 00:09:11,792 - [Narrator] By 1906, it's clear to Seiberling 201 00:09:11,792 --> 00:09:14,625 that bicycle tires are the wrong bet. 202 00:09:16,042 --> 00:09:18,708 Meanwhile, just over a mile down the road, 203 00:09:18,708 --> 00:09:23,208 on Akron's south side, another tire maker struggles. 204 00:09:23,208 --> 00:09:26,708 Harvey Firestone poured his savings into a factory 205 00:09:26,708 --> 00:09:29,125 to make tires for carriages 206 00:09:29,125 --> 00:09:32,917 but fails to break through Akron's crowded rubber industry. 207 00:09:33,750 --> 00:09:36,125 So he considers a risky pivot. 208 00:09:36,125 --> 00:09:38,000 - When Firestone starts to make tires, 209 00:09:38,000 --> 00:09:41,375 he's very interested in solid rubber tires specifically. 210 00:09:41,375 --> 00:09:43,583 But he starts to see the tide turn, 211 00:09:43,583 --> 00:09:46,583 and that really the future is a pneumatic tire. 212 00:09:47,375 --> 00:09:48,667 - Is this the latest? 213 00:09:48,667 --> 00:09:50,583 - Oh, uh, no. 214 00:09:51,333 --> 00:09:52,583 Uh, here. 215 00:09:53,583 --> 00:09:55,125 Here, I've made some tweaks. 216 00:09:56,208 --> 00:09:57,875 - [Narrator] But rather than bicycles, 217 00:09:57,875 --> 00:10:01,000 Firestone looks to a different vehicle in need of tires, 218 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:02,958 the automobile. 219 00:10:03,875 --> 00:10:05,708 - Many of the early automobiles 220 00:10:05,708 --> 00:10:08,375 were actual carriages with motors fitted, 221 00:10:08,375 --> 00:10:12,458 so most people refer to them as horseless carriages. 222 00:10:12,458 --> 00:10:14,208 - It is not a means of transportation. 223 00:10:14,208 --> 00:10:15,750 It is a toy. 224 00:10:15,750 --> 00:10:18,292 It is something for a Vanderbilt, or a Rockefeller, 225 00:10:18,292 --> 00:10:19,542 or somebody like that. 226 00:10:19,542 --> 00:10:22,167 It's fun for the wealthy few. 227 00:10:23,500 --> 00:10:25,875 - But Firestone felt this has no limit, 228 00:10:25,875 --> 00:10:28,250 and one day, everyone's gonna have a car. 229 00:10:29,375 --> 00:10:32,458 - [Narrator] But Firestone is beaten to the punch. 230 00:10:32,458 --> 00:10:35,917 The largest rubber firms in Akron control a patent 231 00:10:35,917 --> 00:10:39,875 on a tire used by every automaker in the country. 232 00:10:39,875 --> 00:10:41,833 It's called the clincher. 233 00:10:41,833 --> 00:10:44,667 - The clincher tire was the first pneumatic automobile tire, 234 00:10:44,667 --> 00:10:49,542 and it was attached to the rim by these kind of metal hooks. 235 00:10:49,542 --> 00:10:50,917 The clincher's biggest issue 236 00:10:50,917 --> 00:10:53,292 was what they called rim cutting, 237 00:10:53,292 --> 00:10:55,583 where that metal and rubber would rub together, 238 00:10:55,583 --> 00:10:57,833 and this would lead to blowouts or punctures. 239 00:10:57,833 --> 00:10:59,583 - [Narrator] Firestone becomes obsessed 240 00:10:59,583 --> 00:11:02,250 with creating a superior car tire. 241 00:11:02,250 --> 00:11:03,458 - Harvey Firestone, 242 00:11:03,458 --> 00:11:05,583 he's one of these sort of classic American figures 243 00:11:05,583 --> 00:11:07,208 who doesn't have a lot of respect 244 00:11:07,208 --> 00:11:09,583 for established firms keeping out the little upstart, 245 00:11:09,583 --> 00:11:10,875 and it shows through in the way 246 00:11:10,875 --> 00:11:12,083 that he approaches the business. 247 00:11:12,083 --> 00:11:15,458 - So Firestone designs a new rim 248 00:11:15,458 --> 00:11:18,875 to mount this pneumatic tire to. 249 00:11:18,875 --> 00:11:20,583 There were some metal wires 250 00:11:20,583 --> 00:11:24,667 that helped really hold the tire to the rim. 251 00:11:24,667 --> 00:11:27,333 It was more reliable and more resilient 252 00:11:27,333 --> 00:11:28,708 than a clincher tire. 253 00:11:28,708 --> 00:11:30,750 - [Narrator] But there's a catch. 254 00:11:30,750 --> 00:11:32,833 - Firestone has devised a tire, 255 00:11:32,833 --> 00:11:35,333 which will not work with a clincher rim. 256 00:11:35,333 --> 00:11:37,125 - But at this time, when automotive technology 257 00:11:37,125 --> 00:11:38,042 was so new, 258 00:11:38,042 --> 00:11:40,750 the rim was actually part of the car. 259 00:11:40,750 --> 00:11:42,875 - So he has to find an automaker 260 00:11:42,875 --> 00:11:45,750 who's willing to take a giant risk 261 00:11:45,750 --> 00:11:48,625 and equip their cars with his rims. 262 00:11:48,625 --> 00:11:50,125 - So he looks around for people 263 00:11:50,125 --> 00:11:52,042 that were sort of up-and-comers 264 00:11:52,042 --> 00:11:55,000 in the nascent automobile industry. 265 00:11:55,000 --> 00:11:56,375 - [Narrator] It's in this moment 266 00:11:56,375 --> 00:11:59,792 that Firestone realizes he has an ace in the hole. 267 00:12:00,792 --> 00:12:03,167 It turns out a former customer of his 268 00:12:03,167 --> 00:12:06,333 just so happens to be building a car of his own. 269 00:12:07,417 --> 00:12:08,542 - Henry. 270 00:12:08,542 --> 00:12:09,875 Good to see you. 271 00:12:15,375 --> 00:12:16,875 - [Narrator] In South Akron, 272 00:12:16,875 --> 00:12:20,750 Harvey Firestone hopes to convince a young Henry Ford 273 00:12:20,750 --> 00:12:23,708 to put Firestone tires on his new car. 274 00:12:23,708 --> 00:12:25,375 - So Firestone heard through the grapevine 275 00:12:25,375 --> 00:12:28,625 that Henry Ford was looking to release a new vehicle 276 00:12:28,625 --> 00:12:30,208 called the Model T. 277 00:12:30,208 --> 00:12:34,042 And so he reintroduced himself all those years later. 278 00:12:34,042 --> 00:12:36,208 - Well, what do you have to show me? 279 00:12:36,208 --> 00:12:39,500 This will make clincher tires a thing of the past. 280 00:12:39,500 --> 00:12:41,083 Ours will be riveted to the rim, 281 00:12:41,083 --> 00:12:44,042 so there's no more slipping, no more tearing. 282 00:12:44,042 --> 00:12:45,833 - We think of Henry Ford now 283 00:12:45,833 --> 00:12:49,042 as this giant in the car manufacturing industry. 284 00:12:49,042 --> 00:12:51,292 But in 1905, he was just one 285 00:12:51,292 --> 00:12:54,542 of many very hungry automobile manufacturers. 286 00:12:54,542 --> 00:12:56,875 - And he has the long range vision 287 00:12:56,875 --> 00:13:00,667 of turning the car into a mass-marketed phenomenon. 288 00:13:00,667 --> 00:13:02,375 - Firestone identifies 289 00:13:02,375 --> 00:13:05,083 that wherever the auto industry is going, 290 00:13:05,083 --> 00:13:07,167 Henry Ford is going to lead the way. 291 00:13:08,083 --> 00:13:11,125 - Clever, but it sounds expensive. 292 00:13:11,125 --> 00:13:14,708 - Henry Ford is notorious as this penny pincher, 293 00:13:14,708 --> 00:13:16,667 but Firestone is desperate 294 00:13:16,667 --> 00:13:18,875 to get his foot in the door with Ford. 295 00:13:18,875 --> 00:13:20,542 - And he's willing to do whatever it takes 296 00:13:20,542 --> 00:13:22,500 to make that happen. 297 00:13:22,500 --> 00:13:24,958 - Well, you give me a large order 298 00:13:24,958 --> 00:13:28,042 and I'll beat whatever you're paying for clinchers. 299 00:13:28,042 --> 00:13:31,500 - Firestone thought if he could undercut the competition, 300 00:13:31,500 --> 00:13:33,208 he might have been having 301 00:13:33,208 --> 00:13:35,417 a very low margin of profit at this point, 302 00:13:35,417 --> 00:13:36,875 but he was looking long term 303 00:13:36,875 --> 00:13:38,583 and what was he going to gain in the future. 304 00:13:38,583 --> 00:13:40,375 [bold music] 305 00:13:40,375 --> 00:13:41,458 - Deal. 306 00:13:43,875 --> 00:13:46,833 - Ford orders 2,000 units from Firestone 307 00:13:46,833 --> 00:13:49,458 for a whopping $110,000. 308 00:13:49,458 --> 00:13:52,417 That's over $3 million in today's money. 309 00:13:52,417 --> 00:13:54,917 - This was a really big sale for Firestone 310 00:13:54,917 --> 00:13:57,583 as it's still a very small company, 311 00:13:57,583 --> 00:13:59,167 but he was able to really show 312 00:13:59,167 --> 00:14:03,083 the other tire companies in Akron that he was here to play. 313 00:14:05,708 --> 00:14:09,042 - [Narrator] Firestone quickly pours all of his reserve cash 314 00:14:09,042 --> 00:14:12,375 into purchasing additional rubber and metal, 315 00:14:12,375 --> 00:14:14,917 betting everything on his ability to deliver. 316 00:14:14,917 --> 00:14:17,042 - He's risking it all to fill these orders. 317 00:14:17,042 --> 00:14:19,042 So if Firestone can't get it done, 318 00:14:19,042 --> 00:14:20,500 it could be game over for him. 319 00:14:21,583 --> 00:14:22,750 - [Narrator] But Firestone 320 00:14:22,750 --> 00:14:24,250 isn't the only rubber maker in Akron 321 00:14:24,250 --> 00:14:26,542 making big moves to survive. 322 00:14:28,042 --> 00:14:30,042 Frank Seiberling at Goodyear 323 00:14:30,042 --> 00:14:33,125 is still reeling from the collapse of the bicycle boom. 324 00:14:34,208 --> 00:14:37,708 As a last shot, he tries to muscle his way 325 00:14:37,708 --> 00:14:40,042 into the same territory as Firestone 326 00:14:40,042 --> 00:14:41,542 with a car tire. 327 00:14:41,542 --> 00:14:42,917 - The new tire and rim design 328 00:14:42,917 --> 00:14:45,042 will render the clincher obsolete. 329 00:14:45,042 --> 00:14:47,125 - Goodyear comes up with an idea for a tire 330 00:14:47,125 --> 00:14:49,750 that effectively just goes straight down into the rim, 331 00:14:49,750 --> 00:14:51,083 similar to what we see on tires today, 332 00:14:51,083 --> 00:14:53,125 where you get the tire onto the rim, 333 00:14:53,125 --> 00:14:55,250 and then you inflate it, and it stays in place. 334 00:14:55,250 --> 00:14:57,500 - So this was really a game-changer. 335 00:14:57,500 --> 00:14:59,875 - [Narrator] Now, Seiberling needs an automaker 336 00:14:59,875 --> 00:15:01,625 to take the bait. 337 00:15:01,625 --> 00:15:03,042 - In five years, 338 00:15:03,042 --> 00:15:04,917 no one will even remember what a clincher is. 339 00:15:04,917 --> 00:15:07,417 [bold music] 340 00:15:09,083 --> 00:15:10,292 - I'm sure it's a great design, 341 00:15:10,292 --> 00:15:12,292 but I came here as a courtesy. 342 00:15:13,875 --> 00:15:15,667 Unfortunately, I've already made a deal 343 00:15:15,667 --> 00:15:17,083 with another manufacturer 344 00:15:17,083 --> 00:15:20,292 who also has a better design than the clincher. 345 00:15:21,542 --> 00:15:23,292 - Can I ask who? 346 00:15:23,292 --> 00:15:24,333 - Firestone. 347 00:15:26,375 --> 00:15:28,167 I apologize for wasting your time. 348 00:15:29,958 --> 00:15:31,917 - I hope he's not selling you tires 349 00:15:31,917 --> 00:15:34,417 that won't fit a clincher rim. 350 00:15:35,333 --> 00:15:36,333 - Why? 351 00:15:38,125 --> 00:15:41,458 - Because no auto mechanic in the country 352 00:15:41,458 --> 00:15:44,000 stocks Firestone tires. 353 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:45,625 They all sell clinchers. 354 00:15:45,625 --> 00:15:49,625 And that means when someone driving your car gets a flat, 355 00:15:53,333 --> 00:15:55,917 your customer will be stranded on the side of the road. 356 00:15:55,917 --> 00:15:58,500 [bold music] 357 00:16:00,583 --> 00:16:03,500 We designed our rim to work with our tire 358 00:16:04,542 --> 00:16:05,958 in the standard clincher. 359 00:16:07,750 --> 00:16:09,000 - What Goodyear comes up with 360 00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:10,542 is what he calls the universal rim. 361 00:16:10,542 --> 00:16:12,500 It's a rim that will take a clincher tire 362 00:16:12,500 --> 00:16:13,583 or a straight side tire. 363 00:16:13,583 --> 00:16:15,208 - Frank Seiberling comes in, 364 00:16:15,208 --> 00:16:18,542 tells Henry Ford that the tires from Firestone 365 00:16:18,542 --> 00:16:21,583 will not work with his custom rim. 366 00:16:21,583 --> 00:16:24,667 - There's no way that Ford wants to create a situation 367 00:16:24,667 --> 00:16:28,708 where the first time his customer needs a new tire, 368 00:16:28,708 --> 00:16:30,250 they're gonna be stranded. 369 00:16:30,250 --> 00:16:33,375 So suddenly, Seiberling has Ford second guessing 370 00:16:33,375 --> 00:16:34,875 the deal he has with Firestone. 371 00:16:34,875 --> 00:16:37,667 [dramatic music] 372 00:16:39,542 --> 00:16:40,667 - We'll be in touch. 373 00:16:43,125 --> 00:16:46,042 - And in one fell swoop, Seiberling sabotaged the deal 374 00:16:46,042 --> 00:16:47,375 between Firestone and Ford, 375 00:16:47,375 --> 00:16:49,625 opening the door for Goodyear to get in 376 00:16:49,625 --> 00:16:50,875 and hopefully stay in. 377 00:16:50,875 --> 00:16:53,667 [dramatic music] 378 00:16:55,333 --> 00:16:57,000 - [Narrator] Just a mile down the road, 379 00:16:57,000 --> 00:16:59,167 Firestone has been working day and night 380 00:16:59,167 --> 00:17:00,833 on Henry Ford's order. 381 00:17:00,833 --> 00:17:02,458 [phone ringing] 382 00:17:02,458 --> 00:17:03,500 - Hello? 383 00:17:03,500 --> 00:17:05,875 - Firestone has invested a lot of money 384 00:17:05,875 --> 00:17:07,208 into ramping up production. 385 00:17:07,208 --> 00:17:08,958 So his plan to make a killing 386 00:17:08,958 --> 00:17:12,125 hinges on delivering Ford his tires. 387 00:17:12,125 --> 00:17:13,667 - [Narrator] But before he can deliver, 388 00:17:13,667 --> 00:17:16,667 Firestone is hit with devastating news. 389 00:17:17,708 --> 00:17:18,833 - I don't understand. 390 00:17:18,833 --> 00:17:20,292 I thought we had a deal? 391 00:17:21,292 --> 00:17:25,750 - So after Ford has made an offer to Firestone, 392 00:17:25,750 --> 00:17:27,125 he stabs him in the back 393 00:17:27,125 --> 00:17:30,458 and makes a deal with Goodyear for 1,200 tires. 394 00:17:30,458 --> 00:17:33,458 - And Ford says, "In order to keep my business, 395 00:17:33,458 --> 00:17:37,042 I need you to make clincher tires for me instead." 396 00:17:37,042 --> 00:17:38,208 - Nope. 397 00:17:39,125 --> 00:17:41,250 No, that won't be a problem. 398 00:17:41,250 --> 00:17:44,833 - [Narrator] Left with nowhere to turn, Firestone agrees. 399 00:17:44,833 --> 00:17:46,417 - Goodbye. 400 00:17:46,417 --> 00:17:49,542 - Ford completely pulls the rug out from under Firestone. 401 00:17:49,542 --> 00:17:52,417 So now, this new tire, this improved tire, 402 00:17:52,417 --> 00:17:54,917 which he has invested thousands 403 00:17:54,917 --> 00:17:56,458 and thousands of dollars in it, 404 00:17:56,458 --> 00:17:59,125 he's gonna basically have to shelve it. 405 00:17:59,125 --> 00:18:00,542 - And to make matters worse, 406 00:18:00,542 --> 00:18:03,250 now he has to go pay a licensing fee 407 00:18:03,250 --> 00:18:05,042 to these big rubber manufacturers 408 00:18:05,042 --> 00:18:07,875 who hold the patent on the clincher tire. 409 00:18:07,875 --> 00:18:10,167 [dramatic music] 410 00:18:10,167 --> 00:18:11,833 - [Narrator] In October 1908, 411 00:18:11,833 --> 00:18:15,708 Ford releases the first mass-produced automobile 412 00:18:15,708 --> 00:18:17,625 known as the Model T. 413 00:18:18,875 --> 00:18:21,250 - Model T was a huge success when it first came out. 414 00:18:21,250 --> 00:18:24,125 It was $850, which was very cheap at the time. 415 00:18:25,292 --> 00:18:27,625 - Suddenly, everyone could afford a car. 416 00:18:27,625 --> 00:18:31,083 Everyone had the ability to get around the nation. 417 00:18:31,083 --> 00:18:32,542 - [Narrator] By the following year, 418 00:18:32,542 --> 00:18:35,792 over 12,000 Model Ts will be on the road. 419 00:18:35,792 --> 00:18:40,083 - To make the car as universally acceptable as possible, 420 00:18:40,083 --> 00:18:41,917 Ford employs the clincher rim, 421 00:18:41,917 --> 00:18:43,667 as well as the Goodyear rim. 422 00:18:46,042 --> 00:18:47,292 - [Narrator] While buyers don't select 423 00:18:47,292 --> 00:18:50,208 which tires come with their new car, 424 00:18:50,208 --> 00:18:53,250 Seiberling wants to make sure they choose Goodyear 425 00:18:53,250 --> 00:18:55,583 the first time they need replacements. 426 00:18:55,583 --> 00:18:56,708 [bold music] 427 00:18:56,708 --> 00:18:59,917 - He starts buying full page ads in newspapers 428 00:18:59,917 --> 00:19:04,208 in "The Saturday Evening Post," and "Collier's" magazine, 429 00:19:04,208 --> 00:19:08,583 "Life" magazine on why Goodyear is a superior tire. 430 00:19:08,583 --> 00:19:09,792 - This was new at the time, 431 00:19:09,792 --> 00:19:11,875 to sort of go straight to the customer and say, 432 00:19:11,875 --> 00:19:15,458 when your tires wear out, why don't you try a straight side? 433 00:19:17,667 --> 00:19:19,958 [bold music] 434 00:19:21,125 --> 00:19:24,417 - Firestone is rightfully seething. 435 00:19:24,417 --> 00:19:28,375 First, Seiberling and Goodyear totally do an end-around 436 00:19:28,375 --> 00:19:30,792 and they snake his deal with Ford. 437 00:19:30,792 --> 00:19:34,125 Then he's having unprecedented success 438 00:19:34,125 --> 00:19:35,708 advertising his tires. 439 00:19:35,708 --> 00:19:39,208 And Firestone realizes, if I'm gonna take on Goodyear, 440 00:19:39,208 --> 00:19:41,167 it's time to take the gloves off. 441 00:19:41,167 --> 00:19:42,875 - He now has to go back to the drawing board 442 00:19:42,875 --> 00:19:45,417 and figure out a way to gain a competitive edge 443 00:19:45,417 --> 00:19:47,042 with something more innovative. 444 00:19:47,042 --> 00:19:51,708 - This is the moment where one of the biggest rivalries 445 00:19:51,708 --> 00:19:54,000 in the American automotive industry is born. 446 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:56,208 [dramatic music] 447 00:20:01,417 --> 00:20:02,917 - [Narrator] In Akron, 448 00:20:02,917 --> 00:20:05,708 after having his Ford deal torpedoed by Goodyear, 449 00:20:05,708 --> 00:20:08,375 Harvey Firestone is more committed than ever 450 00:20:08,375 --> 00:20:10,750 to becoming a go-to name in car tires. 451 00:20:10,750 --> 00:20:13,292 - You can almost picture Harvey Firestone 452 00:20:13,292 --> 00:20:15,208 looking out his window at the Goodyear building. 453 00:20:15,208 --> 00:20:17,833 "Why, I'm gonna show you guys how it's done." 454 00:20:17,833 --> 00:20:20,875 - [Narrator] As more Model Ts roll off the assembly line, 455 00:20:20,875 --> 00:20:23,417 Firestone knows he can't afford to miss out. 456 00:20:23,417 --> 00:20:25,125 - So we're just on the cusp 457 00:20:25,125 --> 00:20:27,042 of a real mass market for automobiles. 458 00:20:27,042 --> 00:20:30,083 The automobile industry itself has grown tremendously, 459 00:20:30,083 --> 00:20:31,833 as has the tire business. 460 00:20:31,833 --> 00:20:34,667 - [Narrator] But it turns out the automobile boom 461 00:20:34,667 --> 00:20:36,667 is actually causing a problem, 462 00:20:37,875 --> 00:20:40,250 one that could be an opening for Firestone. 463 00:20:40,250 --> 00:20:42,458 - By the time of the Model T's debut in 1908, 464 00:20:42,458 --> 00:20:43,583 the streets were quickly becoming 465 00:20:43,583 --> 00:20:45,583 clogged with automobiles. 466 00:20:45,583 --> 00:20:48,208 There's very little in the way of regulations. 467 00:20:48,208 --> 00:20:50,625 - [Narrator] 1,850 motor vehicle deaths 468 00:20:50,625 --> 00:20:52,875 are recorded in just one year. 469 00:20:52,875 --> 00:20:54,958 - There's no speed limit. 470 00:20:54,958 --> 00:20:58,167 You don't have mechanisms to say who's gonna yield to whom. 471 00:20:58,167 --> 00:21:00,542 Frankly, it's chaos. 472 00:21:00,542 --> 00:21:05,083 - The ability of a driver to stop or control their car well 473 00:21:05,083 --> 00:21:06,625 is extremely limited. 474 00:21:06,625 --> 00:21:09,083 And so, therefore, accidents abound. 475 00:21:09,083 --> 00:21:11,708 [car engine whirring] 476 00:21:11,708 --> 00:21:14,500 - [Narrator] At the time, car tires offer little help 477 00:21:14,500 --> 00:21:16,000 in preventing accidents. 478 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:18,042 - In the early part of the 20th century, 479 00:21:18,042 --> 00:21:20,000 tires are completely smooth. 480 00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:25,000 It's kind of like an inner tube you might float in 481 00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:26,042 in a pool or a beach. 482 00:21:26,042 --> 00:21:27,417 And that's really it. 483 00:21:27,417 --> 00:21:29,458 - So people would sometimes come up 484 00:21:29,458 --> 00:21:32,958 with all kinds of crazy ideas for better traction. 485 00:21:32,958 --> 00:21:36,458 - So they tried all sorts of things, steel studs, 486 00:21:36,458 --> 00:21:38,542 rivets, little bands of metal. 487 00:21:38,542 --> 00:21:41,333 But manufacturers had yet to really fully understand 488 00:21:41,333 --> 00:21:43,542 how tires could grip the road. 489 00:21:44,917 --> 00:21:47,083 [bold music] 490 00:21:50,708 --> 00:21:53,167 - Firestone is thinking, how can we make it safer 491 00:21:53,167 --> 00:21:54,625 for anybody to get in a car and drive 492 00:21:54,625 --> 00:21:56,250 and not live in constant fear 493 00:21:56,250 --> 00:21:58,625 of, you know, a car skidding out of control. 494 00:21:58,625 --> 00:21:59,958 - [Narrator] To break through, 495 00:21:59,958 --> 00:22:03,167 Firestone needs to reimagine how a tire works. 496 00:22:03,167 --> 00:22:05,667 But every attempt falls flat. 497 00:22:05,667 --> 00:22:07,542 - They were using steel studs, 498 00:22:07,542 --> 00:22:09,833 strips of leather, rubber buttons. 499 00:22:09,833 --> 00:22:11,542 They were doing anything they could 500 00:22:11,542 --> 00:22:13,833 to get traction on those tires. 501 00:22:13,833 --> 00:22:16,375 - [Narrator] Head engineer John Thomas 502 00:22:16,375 --> 00:22:18,542 believes he's found a solution. 503 00:22:18,542 --> 00:22:20,375 - So this engineer's thinking, 504 00:22:20,375 --> 00:22:21,292 we need a way to add more friction, 505 00:22:21,292 --> 00:22:23,375 more points of contact. 506 00:22:24,458 --> 00:22:25,792 And then it hits him. 507 00:22:25,792 --> 00:22:28,375 [bold music] 508 00:22:28,375 --> 00:22:29,750 - What's with the letters? 509 00:22:29,750 --> 00:22:33,250 - The letters will provide increased traction 510 00:22:33,250 --> 00:22:34,750 to give the tires more grip. 511 00:22:35,875 --> 00:22:37,708 They also spell the name of the new tire. 512 00:22:37,708 --> 00:22:40,708 - His chief engineer comes up with an idea 513 00:22:40,708 --> 00:22:44,667 that by adding these raised sections, 514 00:22:44,667 --> 00:22:48,208 they could increase the contact patch of the tire surface. 515 00:22:48,208 --> 00:22:49,583 - When they tested it, 516 00:22:49,583 --> 00:22:51,708 they realized that they had solved the problem 517 00:22:51,708 --> 00:22:54,875 of creating a tire that had good traction. 518 00:22:54,875 --> 00:22:57,083 - And the great thing he does is he puts words 519 00:22:57,083 --> 00:22:59,417 in raised rubber on the tire, 520 00:22:59,417 --> 00:23:01,542 so that wherever it drives, in dirt, 521 00:23:01,542 --> 00:23:03,083 it actually leaves this impression. 522 00:23:03,083 --> 00:23:04,333 It says- 523 00:23:04,333 --> 00:23:05,667 - Non-skid. 524 00:23:07,625 --> 00:23:11,333 - I want it to say Firestone non-skid. 525 00:23:11,333 --> 00:23:14,042 [dramatic music] 526 00:23:14,042 --> 00:23:15,750 - [Narrator] After months of development, 527 00:23:15,750 --> 00:23:20,708 in September of 1908, Firestone releases the non-skid tire. 528 00:23:21,583 --> 00:23:22,917 [bold music] 529 00:23:22,917 --> 00:23:25,542 - Firestone creatively comes up with the notion 530 00:23:25,542 --> 00:23:29,375 of having the tread itself be its own advertisement. 531 00:23:29,375 --> 00:23:30,875 Very clever marketing. 532 00:23:30,875 --> 00:23:34,042 - Firestone's notion of printing these letters on his tire 533 00:23:34,042 --> 00:23:36,042 is a brilliant idea. 534 00:23:36,042 --> 00:23:37,792 Because if you are walking down the street 535 00:23:37,792 --> 00:23:40,500 and you see that tire, you know what to ask for. 536 00:23:40,500 --> 00:23:42,583 The name's right on the tire. 537 00:23:42,583 --> 00:23:43,875 - [Narrator] By year's end, 538 00:23:43,875 --> 00:23:47,625 Firestone sells 40,000 non-skid tires, 539 00:23:47,625 --> 00:23:51,375 a twofold increase in his full tire production. 540 00:23:51,375 --> 00:23:54,042 - Nowadays, there's tread on every tire, 541 00:23:54,042 --> 00:23:58,125 from a child's stroller to a bicycle. 542 00:23:58,125 --> 00:24:01,917 And none of that would happen if Firestone hadn't responded 543 00:24:01,917 --> 00:24:04,625 to the fact that these cars are getting faster 544 00:24:04,625 --> 00:24:06,000 and more dangerous. 545 00:24:07,375 --> 00:24:08,833 - [Narrator] At Goodyear, 546 00:24:08,833 --> 00:24:10,792 Seiberling is finally not drowning in debt 547 00:24:10,792 --> 00:24:13,708 thanks to his growing car tire business, 548 00:24:13,708 --> 00:24:17,375 but Firestone's non-skids have him on edge. 549 00:24:17,375 --> 00:24:18,792 - Where are we with our treaded tire? 550 00:24:18,792 --> 00:24:20,208 - We have something to show you now. 551 00:24:20,208 --> 00:24:23,542 - Seiberling soon gets the nickname Little Napoleon 552 00:24:23,542 --> 00:24:27,208 because he was a short guy with a fiery temper 553 00:24:27,208 --> 00:24:29,667 determined to get his way. 554 00:24:29,667 --> 00:24:32,750 - Goodyear, seeing what Firestone had accomplished 555 00:24:32,750 --> 00:24:34,667 with their non-skid tire, 556 00:24:34,667 --> 00:24:37,500 thought, obviously we have to go one step further. 557 00:24:38,375 --> 00:24:39,625 - Where are the letters? 558 00:24:39,625 --> 00:24:41,292 - Uh, no letters. 559 00:24:41,292 --> 00:24:42,875 I went with a diamond pattern. 560 00:24:44,917 --> 00:24:46,917 The tire can grip on any surface. 561 00:24:48,208 --> 00:24:50,792 That means improved performance in the rain or the snow. 562 00:24:52,583 --> 00:24:54,667 - Goodyear gets much more scientific. 563 00:24:54,667 --> 00:24:56,042 Goodyear's diamond pattern 564 00:24:56,042 --> 00:24:58,000 creates these parallel lines and channels 565 00:24:58,000 --> 00:25:00,667 which actually cut through heavy rain or snowfall, 566 00:25:00,667 --> 00:25:04,375 you know, producing the optimal traction. 567 00:25:04,375 --> 00:25:05,958 And it also looks pretty badass. 568 00:25:05,958 --> 00:25:08,292 [bold music] 569 00:25:09,875 --> 00:25:11,750 - [Narrator] Seiberling markets his new design 570 00:25:11,750 --> 00:25:15,208 as the first all-weather tire. 571 00:25:15,208 --> 00:25:18,042 - It was something that we take for granted today, 572 00:25:18,042 --> 00:25:21,458 but it really was a genius light bulb idea 573 00:25:21,458 --> 00:25:23,667 that changed driving overnight. 574 00:25:24,958 --> 00:25:27,042 - The all-weather tire proved to be really versatile 575 00:25:27,042 --> 00:25:28,625 because it really gripped the road 576 00:25:28,625 --> 00:25:30,208 no matter which way you were turning 577 00:25:30,208 --> 00:25:33,958 and helped keep the vehicle going in the right direction. 578 00:25:33,958 --> 00:25:37,333 - And it is head and shoulders superior 579 00:25:37,333 --> 00:25:39,667 to Firestone's non-skid. 580 00:25:39,667 --> 00:25:42,000 - This tire was so successful that this diamond tread 581 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:44,708 was virtually unchanged for like 40 years 582 00:25:44,708 --> 00:25:48,500 and has become indelibly connected to the Goodyear brand. 583 00:25:48,500 --> 00:25:49,875 - [Narrator] By decade's end, 584 00:25:49,875 --> 00:25:52,875 Goodyear's revenue tops $4 million, 585 00:25:52,875 --> 00:25:55,208 nearly 130 million today, 586 00:25:55,208 --> 00:25:58,375 solidifying Goodyear as one of the top rubber companies 587 00:25:58,375 --> 00:25:59,542 in the country. 588 00:25:59,542 --> 00:26:00,750 - Goodyear is given 589 00:26:00,750 --> 00:26:02,083 the largest tire order to date 590 00:26:02,083 --> 00:26:04,708 for any rubber company, from General Motors. 591 00:26:04,708 --> 00:26:07,000 So they're outfitting almost every brand 592 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:09,833 of General Motors car with Goodyear tires by 1909. 593 00:26:11,708 --> 00:26:13,083 - [Narrator] Just across town, 594 00:26:13,083 --> 00:26:15,833 Firestone is running out of patience 595 00:26:15,833 --> 00:26:18,792 as Goodyear racks up wins with automakers. 596 00:26:18,792 --> 00:26:20,708 - Rubber tires really became integral 597 00:26:20,708 --> 00:26:22,625 to the success of the automobile industry, 598 00:26:22,625 --> 00:26:25,708 so making rubber tires evolve 599 00:26:25,708 --> 00:26:28,208 was integral to sell cars to people. 600 00:26:28,208 --> 00:26:29,375 - Firestone at this point 601 00:26:29,375 --> 00:26:31,500 is still really targeting the car manufacturers, 602 00:26:31,500 --> 00:26:33,750 but he knows that after the car is made, 603 00:26:33,750 --> 00:26:36,417 the decision maker is the consumer. 604 00:26:36,417 --> 00:26:38,042 - [Narrator] Firestone thinks, 605 00:26:38,042 --> 00:26:41,167 what would make drivers' lives better? 606 00:26:41,167 --> 00:26:42,250 And then it hits him. 607 00:26:42,250 --> 00:26:43,792 - Forget whatever you're working on right now. 608 00:26:43,792 --> 00:26:46,958 I need a tire that anybody can change themselves. 609 00:26:48,292 --> 00:26:51,167 - Changing tires on automobiles at the turn of the century 610 00:26:51,167 --> 00:26:53,042 was extremely difficult. 611 00:26:53,042 --> 00:26:55,458 - The tire was something that had to be pried off 612 00:26:55,458 --> 00:26:56,708 if you wanna change it, 613 00:26:56,708 --> 00:26:57,875 kinda like you're changing a bike tire. 614 00:26:57,875 --> 00:27:00,375 - You needed a whole box full of special tools 615 00:27:00,375 --> 00:27:02,708 to get the tire out from the rim. 616 00:27:02,708 --> 00:27:04,292 And it was almost impossible then 617 00:27:04,292 --> 00:27:05,875 to get the new tire back on. 618 00:27:05,875 --> 00:27:07,875 You'd have to send to the mechanic 619 00:27:07,875 --> 00:27:09,375 to come change your tire for you. 620 00:27:09,375 --> 00:27:12,458 - So Firestone thinks that if he could come up with a system 621 00:27:12,458 --> 00:27:15,375 where anyone can change a tire, 622 00:27:15,375 --> 00:27:16,833 this could be the innovation 623 00:27:16,833 --> 00:27:18,583 that allows him to beat Goodyear. 624 00:27:18,583 --> 00:27:20,042 - But you need tools. 625 00:27:20,042 --> 00:27:21,958 Our tires are designed not to come off. 626 00:27:21,958 --> 00:27:24,167 - Rethink it, all right? 627 00:27:24,167 --> 00:27:25,500 No restrictions. 628 00:27:25,500 --> 00:27:27,208 Just pretend you've never seen a rim or an axle before. 629 00:27:27,208 --> 00:27:30,042 [dramatic music] 630 00:27:30,042 --> 00:27:34,333 If we can pull this off, it'll change everything. 631 00:27:34,333 --> 00:27:37,083 [dramatic music] 632 00:27:43,667 --> 00:27:45,917 [suspenseful music] 633 00:27:52,208 --> 00:27:54,333 [rhythmic music] 634 00:27:54,333 --> 00:27:56,583 - By 1909, Firestone sales 635 00:27:56,583 --> 00:27:58,375 have climbed to $3 million, 636 00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:02,292 though it's still frustratingly behind Goodyear's revenue 637 00:28:02,292 --> 00:28:03,375 of over 4 million. 638 00:28:03,375 --> 00:28:04,625 - It's even been said 639 00:28:04,625 --> 00:28:06,333 that you could not say the word Goodyear 640 00:28:06,333 --> 00:28:07,417 at the Firestone factory. 641 00:28:07,417 --> 00:28:10,042 You would call it the factory on the east side. 642 00:28:10,042 --> 00:28:12,042 So even to the point of internally, 643 00:28:12,042 --> 00:28:13,250 they didn't talk about each other. 644 00:28:13,250 --> 00:28:15,083 - [Narrator] But now, Harvey Firestone 645 00:28:15,083 --> 00:28:17,708 has a revolutionary new tire design 646 00:28:17,708 --> 00:28:20,250 he thinks will upend the whole industry. 647 00:28:20,250 --> 00:28:23,000 - With nothing but a wrench, you simply tighten the nuts 648 00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:24,792 to secure the rim to the vehicle, 649 00:28:24,792 --> 00:28:26,500 and you have a new tire installed 650 00:28:26,500 --> 00:28:27,875 all in under five minutes. 651 00:28:27,875 --> 00:28:30,000 It's so easy anybody can do it. 652 00:28:31,333 --> 00:28:34,000 - [Narrator] Firestone calls it the Demountable. 653 00:28:34,000 --> 00:28:37,958 - Today, we expect that a tire and a rim are one piece, 654 00:28:37,958 --> 00:28:40,042 removable from the axle. 655 00:28:40,042 --> 00:28:42,458 But that was not the case in the beginning. 656 00:28:42,458 --> 00:28:46,958 - Early tires were actually attached to the rims, 657 00:28:46,958 --> 00:28:49,333 which were permanently attached to the axles. 658 00:28:49,333 --> 00:28:52,083 So therefore you couldn't simply remove a wheel 659 00:28:52,083 --> 00:28:54,542 and replace it with another wheel. 660 00:28:54,542 --> 00:28:57,917 - So this is an evolution in tire production 661 00:28:57,917 --> 00:28:59,667 because now for the first time, 662 00:28:59,667 --> 00:29:02,000 the rim is no longer attached to the car. 663 00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:04,167 It's now part of the tire. 664 00:29:04,167 --> 00:29:06,792 - [Narrator] And to ensure motorists are never stranded, 665 00:29:06,792 --> 00:29:09,667 Firestone comes up with a novel idea. 666 00:29:09,667 --> 00:29:11,333 - When automobiles began, 667 00:29:11,333 --> 00:29:15,167 the risk of tire failure was very high. 668 00:29:15,167 --> 00:29:17,375 And once this happened, if you did not have the tools 669 00:29:17,375 --> 00:29:20,583 and the ability to change the tire off of the rim, 670 00:29:20,583 --> 00:29:22,583 you would be stranded. 671 00:29:22,583 --> 00:29:25,500 - So Firestone has this great idea. 672 00:29:25,500 --> 00:29:27,125 It's a revolutionary idea. 673 00:29:28,292 --> 00:29:31,458 - We sell them as a set of five, four plus a spare. 674 00:29:33,333 --> 00:29:36,625 - Harvey Firestone decides to sell these in sets of five 675 00:29:36,625 --> 00:29:40,958 as opposed to four tires and calls the fifth tire the spare. 676 00:29:42,208 --> 00:29:45,083 - Now, the lay person, from any walk of life, 677 00:29:45,083 --> 00:29:48,667 male or female, in an hour of distress, 678 00:29:48,667 --> 00:29:51,417 not only can change their tire, 679 00:29:51,417 --> 00:29:54,875 but might have an extra one in case of an emergency. 680 00:29:54,875 --> 00:29:57,833 No one had even thought of that before Firestone. 681 00:29:58,833 --> 00:30:00,125 - Car companies see this, 682 00:30:00,125 --> 00:30:01,375 and they fall in love with the idea, 683 00:30:01,375 --> 00:30:03,208 and they start creating compartments in the back 684 00:30:03,208 --> 00:30:06,000 and the sides of the car to hold the spare tire, 685 00:30:06,000 --> 00:30:07,833 the rim, and a pump. 686 00:30:09,000 --> 00:30:10,792 - So this made it easier for a car owner, 687 00:30:10,792 --> 00:30:15,167 even by themselves, to change a flat when they needed to. 688 00:30:15,167 --> 00:30:16,792 - [Narrator] By the close of the decade, 689 00:30:16,792 --> 00:30:19,125 all Ford Model T's are fitted 690 00:30:19,125 --> 00:30:22,375 with four demountable tires and a spare. 691 00:30:23,875 --> 00:30:25,875 - This was a game changer for Firestone. 692 00:30:25,875 --> 00:30:28,792 And they really saw a huge growth in their sales 693 00:30:28,792 --> 00:30:30,333 exponentially overnight. 694 00:30:31,500 --> 00:30:33,542 - [Narrator] But success breeds imitation. 695 00:30:35,208 --> 00:30:38,208 Soon, every tire maker jumps on the demountable trend, 696 00:30:38,208 --> 00:30:41,542 including Firestone's biggest rival. 697 00:30:41,542 --> 00:30:43,375 - Goodyear and Firestone are both riding the wave 698 00:30:43,375 --> 00:30:46,333 of increasing sales to companies like Ford. 699 00:30:46,333 --> 00:30:51,042 Firestone hits $44 million in 1916. 700 00:30:51,042 --> 00:30:53,583 Goodyear hits a hundred million dollars in the same year. 701 00:30:53,583 --> 00:30:56,542 - Goodyear has become the largest tire producer 702 00:30:56,542 --> 00:30:58,167 in the country. 703 00:30:58,167 --> 00:31:01,042 So here, a business that's only been around for 18 years, 704 00:31:01,042 --> 00:31:03,375 went from being kind of a scrappy startup 705 00:31:03,375 --> 00:31:06,042 to the largest tire producer in the world. 706 00:31:07,833 --> 00:31:09,958 - [Narrator] But celebrations are short lived 707 00:31:09,958 --> 00:31:12,458 as a seismic event threatens everything. 708 00:31:12,458 --> 00:31:16,792 [apprehensive music] [explosion booming] 709 00:31:16,792 --> 00:31:18,042 - War breaks out in Europe. 710 00:31:18,042 --> 00:31:20,375 And while America is not initially involved, 711 00:31:20,375 --> 00:31:22,125 the writing is really on the wall 712 00:31:22,125 --> 00:31:25,375 that we probably will get pulled into this conflict. 713 00:31:25,375 --> 00:31:29,125 - When America enters World War I in April of 1917, 714 00:31:29,125 --> 00:31:30,333 the federal government 715 00:31:30,333 --> 00:31:32,708 launches a huge mobilization campaign, 716 00:31:32,708 --> 00:31:34,792 which involves government agencies 717 00:31:34,792 --> 00:31:36,292 but also the private sector. 718 00:31:37,750 --> 00:31:39,125 - [Narrator] In an effort 719 00:31:39,125 --> 00:31:41,083 to marshal the nation's collective resources, 720 00:31:41,083 --> 00:31:44,250 the War Industries Board, or WIB, 721 00:31:44,250 --> 00:31:48,250 is formed on July 28th, 1917. 722 00:31:48,250 --> 00:31:50,708 - So the government tries to get manufacturers, 723 00:31:50,708 --> 00:31:51,958 automobile manufacturers, 724 00:31:51,958 --> 00:31:53,792 to produce materiel for our war effort 725 00:31:53,792 --> 00:31:55,458 to send over with our doughboys. 726 00:31:55,458 --> 00:31:57,792 And the tire industry is no exception. 727 00:31:57,792 --> 00:32:00,708 - [Narrator] But with bitter rivalries still boiling, 728 00:32:00,708 --> 00:32:02,708 cooperation won't come easy. 729 00:32:02,708 --> 00:32:04,333 [dramatic music] 730 00:32:04,333 --> 00:32:06,083 - Are we waiting on anyone else? 731 00:32:07,083 --> 00:32:10,458 [dramatic music intensifies] 732 00:32:10,458 --> 00:32:15,375 - It has to come as a big jolt to the system 733 00:32:15,375 --> 00:32:19,750 when someone you've pretty much seen as your arch-nemesis 734 00:32:19,750 --> 00:32:22,875 has to be your partner. 735 00:32:22,875 --> 00:32:24,458 This should be interesting. 736 00:32:28,875 --> 00:32:31,125 [suspenseful music] 737 00:32:37,542 --> 00:32:38,667 [rhythmic music] 738 00:32:38,667 --> 00:32:41,375 - [Narrator] It's 1917, and America is at war. 739 00:32:42,542 --> 00:32:44,958 In an effort to gather the nation's resources, 740 00:32:44,958 --> 00:32:47,542 they call on the auto industry for support. 741 00:32:50,208 --> 00:32:53,208 - And Goodyear and Firestone are both going to have to shift 742 00:32:53,208 --> 00:32:54,792 and start focusing on their contributions 743 00:32:54,792 --> 00:32:57,500 to the overnight-built US Army. 744 00:32:58,542 --> 00:33:00,250 - [Narrator] Agreeing to a truce, 745 00:33:00,250 --> 00:33:03,667 Goodyear and Firestone both pivot to wartime production, 746 00:33:03,667 --> 00:33:07,125 supplying vital materials for the troops. 747 00:33:07,125 --> 00:33:10,083 As Firestone makes everything from truck tires 748 00:33:10,083 --> 00:33:12,292 to rubber gas tanks and boots, 749 00:33:13,208 --> 00:33:15,208 the government turns to Goodyear 750 00:33:15,208 --> 00:33:19,167 for help with a top-secret reconnaissance vehicle. 751 00:33:19,167 --> 00:33:20,625 - It's a vehicle 752 00:33:20,625 --> 00:33:23,667 unlike anything the military has used before. 753 00:33:23,667 --> 00:33:25,250 It's massive, it's mobile, 754 00:33:25,250 --> 00:33:27,375 it demands a huge amount of rubber. 755 00:33:27,375 --> 00:33:28,542 It's designed to take soldiers 756 00:33:28,542 --> 00:33:31,208 to places they typically can't get into easily, 757 00:33:31,208 --> 00:33:35,042 and it will change the way the war is seen. 758 00:33:35,042 --> 00:33:36,375 - [Narrator] It's a groundbreaking tool 759 00:33:36,375 --> 00:33:39,208 that can help spot the enemy from above, 760 00:33:39,208 --> 00:33:41,583 an aircraft called a blimp. 761 00:33:43,208 --> 00:33:45,458 - Goodyear was the only company in the United States 762 00:33:45,458 --> 00:33:48,625 that was making rubberized fabric for aviation purposes. 763 00:33:48,625 --> 00:33:52,208 And so the Navy said, we'd like you to make blimps, 764 00:33:52,208 --> 00:33:55,167 which are basically like a large oblong balloon 765 00:33:55,167 --> 00:33:56,500 with a carriage underneath 766 00:33:56,500 --> 00:33:58,542 that some of the crew members would sit. 767 00:33:58,542 --> 00:34:01,250 - [Narrator] To match Germany's aerial might, 768 00:34:01,250 --> 00:34:05,542 the Navy contracts Goodyear to construct 1,000 balloons 769 00:34:05,542 --> 00:34:06,667 and 60 blimps. 770 00:34:06,667 --> 00:34:08,208 - The Navy 771 00:34:08,208 --> 00:34:10,250 actually came to Akron and set up a training facility 772 00:34:10,250 --> 00:34:11,875 at Wingfoot Lake, where the balloons 773 00:34:11,875 --> 00:34:13,375 were all being assembled and built, 774 00:34:13,375 --> 00:34:15,375 and they trained on how to fly them, 775 00:34:15,375 --> 00:34:16,958 and then they would take them and use them 776 00:34:16,958 --> 00:34:18,167 in the war effort. 777 00:34:18,167 --> 00:34:19,417 - And airships were being used 778 00:34:19,417 --> 00:34:21,292 to spy on, you know, behind the lines. 779 00:34:21,292 --> 00:34:23,333 - They traveled up and down the Atlantic coast, 780 00:34:23,333 --> 00:34:26,375 keeping an eye out for any kind of enemy submarines 781 00:34:26,375 --> 00:34:28,208 or ships that might have been lurking out there 782 00:34:28,208 --> 00:34:29,917 off the coast of America. 783 00:34:29,917 --> 00:34:32,708 - So airships, balloons, these are important technologies 784 00:34:32,708 --> 00:34:35,208 in World War I for sort of the way the war was fought. 785 00:34:35,208 --> 00:34:36,542 - [Narrator] Years later, 786 00:34:36,542 --> 00:34:38,833 Goodyear will turn their wartime creation 787 00:34:38,833 --> 00:34:41,083 into a major advertising symbol. 788 00:34:41,083 --> 00:34:42,375 - It's interesting, you know, the Goodyear Blimp 789 00:34:42,375 --> 00:34:45,083 was originally used for war, 790 00:34:45,083 --> 00:34:48,542 but now it's this iconic piece of Americana. 791 00:34:48,542 --> 00:34:50,375 It's something that's near and dear to people's heart. 792 00:34:50,375 --> 00:34:52,333 - Who doesn't love seeing the Goodyear Blimp 793 00:34:52,333 --> 00:34:54,083 over a football game? 794 00:34:54,083 --> 00:34:56,458 - In the '70s, one of the model kit makers, 795 00:34:56,458 --> 00:34:58,375 you could get a model of the Goodyear Blimp. 796 00:34:58,375 --> 00:34:59,875 It was very exciting. 797 00:35:01,042 --> 00:35:02,917 - [Narrator] At a high cost for humanity, 798 00:35:02,917 --> 00:35:05,125 the war is extremely lucrative 799 00:35:05,125 --> 00:35:07,500 for both Firestone and Goodyear. 800 00:35:07,500 --> 00:35:10,667 - So a lot of companies have long-term contracts 801 00:35:10,667 --> 00:35:13,375 with the American military to supply war materiel. 802 00:35:13,375 --> 00:35:15,250 The money's pouring in as a result of this. 803 00:35:15,250 --> 00:35:18,250 And a lot of manufacturers, tire firms included, 804 00:35:18,250 --> 00:35:21,542 use this opportunity to expand their operations. 805 00:35:21,542 --> 00:35:24,500 - [Narrator] Goodyear is especially bullish at this time, 806 00:35:24,500 --> 00:35:27,708 spending heavily to maintain its top spot in the industry. 807 00:35:27,708 --> 00:35:30,500 - Seiberling goes on this expansion tear, 808 00:35:30,500 --> 00:35:33,833 opening 124 sales offices around the country, 809 00:35:33,833 --> 00:35:37,500 confident that this market will remain intact. 810 00:35:37,500 --> 00:35:40,708 He thinks that the war contracts will always keep coming. 811 00:35:40,708 --> 00:35:44,208 - [Narrator] But on November 11th, 1918, 812 00:35:44,208 --> 00:35:47,125 World War I officially ends, 813 00:35:47,125 --> 00:35:51,250 sending the nation into a post-war recession. 814 00:35:51,250 --> 00:35:53,208 - World War I ends rather suddenly. 815 00:35:53,208 --> 00:35:55,542 And when the war ends, war contracts are canceled. 816 00:35:55,542 --> 00:35:57,875 And that means that if you're a manufacturer 817 00:35:57,875 --> 00:36:02,458 who's decided to expand on the expectation of war contracts, 818 00:36:02,458 --> 00:36:05,333 you find yourself in a precarious financial situation. 819 00:36:05,333 --> 00:36:07,167 - Goodyear had huge debt, 820 00:36:07,167 --> 00:36:09,375 tens of millions of dollars of debt 821 00:36:09,375 --> 00:36:11,583 because of expanding very quickly. 822 00:36:11,583 --> 00:36:14,792 So Frank ran around the country borrowing money, 823 00:36:14,792 --> 00:36:17,875 trying to make payroll, trying to keep the company afloat. 824 00:36:17,875 --> 00:36:21,917 - All of a sudden, this is not looking good for Goodyear. 825 00:36:21,917 --> 00:36:24,875 [apprehensive music] 826 00:36:24,875 --> 00:36:28,208 - [Narrator] By 1921, Goodyear is $85 million in debt, 827 00:36:29,208 --> 00:36:32,333 the modern day equivalent of $1.4 billion. 828 00:36:34,625 --> 00:36:36,875 - They were really stuck in a position 829 00:36:36,875 --> 00:36:39,583 where they needed money to pay their creditors back. 830 00:36:40,542 --> 00:36:42,833 So Goodyear, they had to bring in 831 00:36:42,833 --> 00:36:45,375 an investment firm from New York City 832 00:36:45,375 --> 00:36:47,792 to basically refinance the company. 833 00:36:47,792 --> 00:36:49,500 - Here's our proposals. 834 00:36:52,667 --> 00:36:56,125 Significant changes to management will be required. 835 00:36:56,125 --> 00:36:57,458 [dramatic music] 836 00:36:57,458 --> 00:36:59,250 - Part of the negotiations, however, 837 00:36:59,250 --> 00:37:01,417 was that Frank and his brother Charlie 838 00:37:01,417 --> 00:37:04,375 would step down from the leadership of the company. 839 00:37:04,375 --> 00:37:06,333 - We'll expect your resignations. 840 00:37:07,250 --> 00:37:08,667 - At that moment, 841 00:37:08,667 --> 00:37:11,042 Seiberling isn't just facing the loss of his company, 842 00:37:11,042 --> 00:37:14,458 he's also staring down the death of his life's work. 843 00:37:14,458 --> 00:37:18,500 This is everything he built, everything he sacrificed for. 844 00:37:18,500 --> 00:37:20,250 - And if we refuse? 845 00:37:21,333 --> 00:37:23,250 - Then we'll sell your company for parts. 846 00:37:23,250 --> 00:37:24,917 [apprehensive music] 847 00:37:29,000 --> 00:37:31,333 - [Narrator] At Goodyear, the Seiberlings have been given 848 00:37:31,333 --> 00:37:33,333 an impossible choice, 849 00:37:33,333 --> 00:37:36,333 save themselves or save their company. 850 00:37:37,333 --> 00:37:38,958 - The Seiberlings are sort of the scapegoat 851 00:37:38,958 --> 00:37:39,958 for what happens at Goodyear. 852 00:37:39,958 --> 00:37:41,417 This is something 853 00:37:41,417 --> 00:37:42,875 that's common across American business at the time. 854 00:37:42,875 --> 00:37:44,458 It's quite common for firms to go under, 855 00:37:44,458 --> 00:37:47,167 to be reorganized, founders to be out on the street 856 00:37:47,167 --> 00:37:48,917 following reorganizations. 857 00:37:48,917 --> 00:37:50,083 - We'll await your decision. 858 00:37:50,083 --> 00:37:53,042 [tense rhythmic music] 859 00:37:53,042 --> 00:37:56,958 - This was a very emotional decision for the Seiberlings. 860 00:37:56,958 --> 00:37:58,875 They could break the company up. 861 00:37:58,875 --> 00:38:00,542 They could sell the different parts of it 862 00:38:00,542 --> 00:38:02,000 to other rubber companies 863 00:38:02,000 --> 00:38:05,583 and walk away millionaires many times over. 864 00:38:07,417 --> 00:38:11,125 But they employed 10,000 workers in the city of Akron. 865 00:38:11,125 --> 00:38:13,208 And so if the success of Goodyear 866 00:38:13,208 --> 00:38:17,208 meant one person losing their job instead of 10,000 people, 867 00:38:17,208 --> 00:38:18,375 he would lose his job. 868 00:38:18,375 --> 00:38:20,875 So on May 13th, 1921, 869 00:38:20,875 --> 00:38:23,292 they both handed in their resignations. 870 00:38:23,292 --> 00:38:26,875 - This thing they have sort of poured decades of their life, 871 00:38:26,875 --> 00:38:29,875 tons of their own money, countless hours, 872 00:38:29,875 --> 00:38:31,333 blood, sweat, and tears, 873 00:38:33,000 --> 00:38:34,750 it's gone. 874 00:38:34,750 --> 00:38:36,500 - [Narrator] Word of the Seiberling brothers' 875 00:38:36,500 --> 00:38:40,000 resignations reverberate around Akron, 876 00:38:40,000 --> 00:38:42,542 especially at Firestone. 877 00:38:42,542 --> 00:38:45,750 - Firestone has spent decades toe to toe with Seiberling, 878 00:38:45,750 --> 00:38:47,542 trying to beat his main rival. 879 00:38:47,542 --> 00:38:49,667 But now that guy is out of the picture. 880 00:38:49,667 --> 00:38:51,542 But Firestone's not satisfied. 881 00:38:51,542 --> 00:38:54,500 He still wants to beat Goodyear, the company. 882 00:38:54,500 --> 00:38:57,333 - [Narrator] By 1922, the economy is recovering, 883 00:38:57,333 --> 00:38:59,708 and Firestone's tire production doubles 884 00:38:59,708 --> 00:39:02,500 to over 25,000 tires a day. 885 00:39:03,708 --> 00:39:07,583 Now, with Goodyear hobbled and car sales increasing, 886 00:39:07,583 --> 00:39:10,250 Firestone works on an idea he hopes 887 00:39:10,250 --> 00:39:13,417 will revolutionize the tire once more. 888 00:39:13,417 --> 00:39:16,000 - I've had my men do some surveys. 889 00:39:16,000 --> 00:39:18,375 What is it do you think customers value most 890 00:39:18,375 --> 00:39:20,042 in a set of tires? 891 00:39:20,042 --> 00:39:21,167 - Durability? 892 00:39:21,167 --> 00:39:22,458 - Nope, comfort. 893 00:39:22,458 --> 00:39:25,333 - So in the early days, cars like the Model T 894 00:39:25,333 --> 00:39:27,875 topped out at about 25 miles per hour. 895 00:39:27,875 --> 00:39:32,542 But by the 1920s, they're going like 45 miles or more. 896 00:39:32,542 --> 00:39:35,667 The problem is tires haven't kept pace 897 00:39:35,667 --> 00:39:37,458 with this new speed and power. 898 00:39:37,458 --> 00:39:39,500 I mean, sure, treads make them safer, 899 00:39:39,500 --> 00:39:42,625 but they're still thin, they're still stiff, 900 00:39:42,625 --> 00:39:45,375 and they are brutally overinflated. 901 00:39:45,375 --> 00:39:48,000 - So we've developed a tire that makes it feel 902 00:39:48,000 --> 00:39:50,958 as if you're riding on a cushion of air. 903 00:39:50,958 --> 00:39:52,542 [dramatic music] 904 00:39:52,542 --> 00:39:54,667 - At Firestone, they hit upon the idea of, 905 00:39:54,667 --> 00:39:57,500 what if we made a pneumatic tire that's bigger, 906 00:39:57,500 --> 00:39:59,375 a little bit fatter, a little bit bulbous, 907 00:39:59,375 --> 00:40:01,458 that uses lower pressure, 908 00:40:01,458 --> 00:40:03,208 what comes to be called the balloon tire. 909 00:40:03,208 --> 00:40:04,542 - It looks big. 910 00:40:04,542 --> 00:40:05,917 - Ah, you'll get used to it. 911 00:40:05,917 --> 00:40:08,417 [bold music] 912 00:40:08,417 --> 00:40:11,542 - [Narrator] In 1923, Firestone introduces 913 00:40:11,542 --> 00:40:13,833 the industry's first balloon tire. 914 00:40:15,000 --> 00:40:17,542 - The main advantages of a balloon tire 915 00:40:17,542 --> 00:40:21,667 is the fact that it had a wider contact patch, 916 00:40:21,667 --> 00:40:24,125 as well as having a lower pressure, 917 00:40:24,125 --> 00:40:27,750 which meant that it provided a smoother ride for the car. 918 00:40:27,750 --> 00:40:29,375 - Car companies like Ford, 919 00:40:29,375 --> 00:40:30,583 they see how powerful this innovation is, 920 00:40:30,583 --> 00:40:32,458 and consumers fall in love with it. 921 00:40:32,458 --> 00:40:35,208 Within six months, they've ramped up production 922 00:40:35,208 --> 00:40:38,542 to over 25,000 tires every week. 923 00:40:38,542 --> 00:40:41,167 - [Narrator] By 1925, Firestone's innovation 924 00:40:41,167 --> 00:40:45,125 is applied to motor buses, trucks, and race cars. 925 00:40:46,792 --> 00:40:50,208 - These new balloon air cushion tires were so revolutionary 926 00:40:50,208 --> 00:40:53,750 that Ford literally changed the design of their cars 927 00:40:53,750 --> 00:40:56,583 to adapt to these new tires, 928 00:40:56,583 --> 00:40:59,792 and it revolutionized the whole auto industry. 929 00:40:59,792 --> 00:41:01,625 - The balloon tire is very similar 930 00:41:01,625 --> 00:41:03,167 to tires that we know today. 931 00:41:03,167 --> 00:41:06,292 This is really a precursor of our modern tire. 932 00:41:06,292 --> 00:41:08,792 And this revolutionized tire building. 933 00:41:08,792 --> 00:41:11,125 - In 1932, Firestone retires. 934 00:41:11,125 --> 00:41:14,667 And though he never beat his rival one on one, 935 00:41:14,667 --> 00:41:17,875 he has the last laugh, because to this day, 936 00:41:17,875 --> 00:41:21,708 his name is associated with the product he produced. 937 00:41:21,708 --> 00:41:24,167 Can't say the same for Seiberling. 938 00:41:24,167 --> 00:41:25,542 - [Narrator] Today, Firestone 939 00:41:25,542 --> 00:41:28,000 is part of a global tire empire 940 00:41:28,000 --> 00:41:31,417 that generates nearly $30 billion annually 941 00:41:31,417 --> 00:41:36,125 and oversees nearly 2,000 auto repair centers nationwide. 942 00:41:36,125 --> 00:41:37,875 - Cars wouldn't have gotten faster, 943 00:41:37,875 --> 00:41:40,500 trucks wouldn't have gotten more capable 944 00:41:40,500 --> 00:41:43,708 without the tires being designed by Firestone. 945 00:41:43,708 --> 00:41:45,875 - [Narrator] And while Frank and Charles Seiberling 946 00:41:45,875 --> 00:41:47,875 may not have remained at the helm, 947 00:41:47,875 --> 00:41:50,333 their legacy continued at Goodyear. 948 00:41:50,333 --> 00:41:51,583 - And the Seiberlings 949 00:41:51,583 --> 00:41:53,292 remained large shareholders of the company. 950 00:41:53,292 --> 00:41:55,958 And many of the men that they had hired into the company 951 00:41:55,958 --> 00:41:58,167 went on to run the company themselves. 952 00:41:58,167 --> 00:42:00,208 [dramatic music] 953 00:42:00,208 --> 00:42:02,708 - [Narrator] Today, the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company 954 00:42:02,708 --> 00:42:06,583 continues to be a global leader in tire manufacturing, 955 00:42:06,583 --> 00:42:09,833 with annual revenues of nearly $20 billion. 956 00:42:11,208 --> 00:42:14,625 - They built a structure and a framework to help Goodyear 957 00:42:14,625 --> 00:42:16,792 continue to be one of the largest tire companies 958 00:42:16,792 --> 00:42:19,708 in the world for the foreseeable future. 959 00:42:19,708 --> 00:42:21,625 - The legacy of Goodyear and Firestone 960 00:42:21,625 --> 00:42:23,500 is that they really helped birth 961 00:42:23,500 --> 00:42:25,208 the American automotive movement. 962 00:42:25,208 --> 00:42:28,667 They allowed cars to become what they become. 963 00:42:28,667 --> 00:42:31,042 - As painful as that competition probably was 964 00:42:31,042 --> 00:42:35,708 to both of these men, we benefit, to this day, 965 00:42:35,708 --> 00:42:39,583 from that technology, to make us safer, 966 00:42:39,583 --> 00:42:41,417 to make us faster, 967 00:42:41,417 --> 00:42:46,250 to make the machines that we pilot every single day 968 00:42:46,250 --> 00:42:47,875 the best they can be.