Nokian Tyres at a glance
Nokian Tyres traces its roots back to 1898, when Suomen Gummitehdas was founded in Helsinki. In 1904 the factory moved to the town of Nokia. It was here, in 1934, that the first winter tyre was made – designed for lorries. In 1936 the Hakkapeliitta followed for passenger cars. The name refers to the Finnish cavalrymen of the Thirty Years' War. The present company was formed in 1988 and is not connected to the Nokia phone company, although the two share a history.
Nokian Tyres is an independent company listed on the Helsinki stock exchange. Its main factory is in Nokia, Finland, with further factories in Dayton in the USA and Oradea in Romania. The company sold its Russian factory to Tatneft in 2023. Its winter tyres are tested at its own winter test centre in Ivalo, Lapland. Nokian Tyres sits in the premium price bracket and is particularly well suited to Nordic drivers who drive on snow and ice. The more affordable Nordman belongs to the same group.
The best-known Nokian Tyres winter tyres are the Hakkapeliitta 10 and the newer Hakkapeliitta 01 studded tyres, and the Hakkapeliitta R5 non-studded tyre. The Snowproof 2 is designed for Central European winters. In summer tyres, Nokian Tyres offers models such as the Hakka Blue 3 and Powerproof 1. For year-round use there is the Seasonproof 1, which carries the snowflake symbol. The Hakkapeliitta name has been in use since 1936.