Lego - the world's largest tire manufacturer

Lego holds the Guinness World Record for the company with the most tires

If you think of companies producing the most tires, you might think of Bridgestone or Michelin - tire stars producing millions of tires yearly. While this may sound unexpected, it turns out that it is actually Lego that is the biggest tire manufacturer in the world in terms of the number of tires produced^[1].

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, in 2010 alone, Lego produced 381 million tires for its toy models. This is more than any other tyre company. However, the tires produced are for toy cars, trucks, and other Lego vehicles, so the size is small. Nevertheless, they meet the criteria for tire production. This company produces more tires than companies producing wheels for real cars, trucks, and bicycles.

In 2012, the Lego Group was recognized for the first time as the world's largest tire manufacturer in the number of units.

But if you tried to count the number of wheels on the world's cars that take to the streets every year, you would probably feel dizzy^[2]. However, it is known that in 2023, the global vehicle fleet will be around 1.49 billion vehicles, including 1.11 billion cars and 380 million commercial vehicles. In terms of regional distribution, Asia led the way with around 543 million vehicles, followed by Europe (around 413 million) and North America (around 358 million).

Tires are manufactured using high-quality compounds of plastic and rubber

These tiny tires are manufactured using high-quality plastic and rubber compounds to ensure their durability, just like other Lego products. However, many wonder whether the company is a serious competitor to conventional tire companies^[3].

Although Lego produces more tires than conventional tire manufacturers, their products are intended for toys and are, therefore, not direct competitors to the big players in the tire industry. This is a good example of how Lego, as a giant in the toy industry, manages to distinguish itself in unexpected areas included in their production statistics.

The Danish toymaker celebrates its 90th anniversary in 2022

A Danish toy manufacturer celebrates its 90th anniversary in 2022. It was already highlighted then that the company produces almost 100 million more tires than the second-placed Michelin. And every single one of them is said to find a home in the company's toy kits, from Lego buses to favorite racing cars^[4].

While some people bet that it is easy to make smaller tyres, the Guinness World Records Office says that Lego tyres "meet all the standards of a standard tyre", adding that "the rubber compound used in Lego products would not be inappropriate for use in a domestic car". But I wonder how many Lego tires are equivalent to one normal car tire?

A standard car tire is made up of about 45% rubber. Lego tires are 100% rubber and weigh about 20 grams on average. So, a quick calculation shows around 200 Lego tires for every normal tire. This means that at its peak, Lego produced 1.9 million full-size tires.

The Lego toy production facility is known t located in Denmark. It was founded in 1932 in Billund, where the company is headquartered today.