Monday 7th February 1938

Harvey S. Firestone (89), founder of the Firestone Tire & Rubber Company, died in Miami Beach, Florida. At the age of 31, Firestone developed a new way of manufacturing carriage tyres and began production with only 12 employees. Eight years later, Henry Ford asked Harvey Firestone to provide the tyres for the Ford Model T, and Firestone Tires became a household name. Firestone and Ford remained great friends, but, unfortunately, neither man would live to see the marriage of their grandchildren and the legal union of their empires.