Vogue Tyre and Rubber Co., also known as Vogue Tyre, is an American company providing custom luxury tires, wheels, and car accessories.[3] The company was founded in 1914 in Chicago, Illinois by Harry Hower and then in 1940, sold to Lloyd O. Dodson who remained its chairman[4] until his death in March 1996.[5] Vogue Tyre invented the whitewall and patented the gold stripe in the 1960s.[6][7]
Harry Hower, a chauffeur in the Chicago area in the early 1900s, got into the tire business and proposed an idea about the whitewall to the Woodbury family. By 1918, the Woodbury's and Harry were in business as the Vogue Tyre Company. Over the decades, celebrities and notable people have used Vogue Tyre products on their vehicles with Vogue whitewall tires.[1]
In 1928, Lloyd Dodson contracted with Vogue Tyre owners Harry Hower and Margaret Woodbury to begin selling whitewall tires.[7] When the Great Depression hit in 1929, he began selling upscale tires to the local entertainment industry. In 1942, Dodson bought Vogue Tyre and remained its chairman until his death.[5] A selection of these products and list of notable customers are displayed below:
Expansion: 1960 to present
Lloyd Dodson started his tire business in 1923 and became the exclusive distributor of Vogue Tyres for the western United States. He bought the Chicago-based company during World War II and remained active in the business until his death, serving as chairman of the board of directors for the last ten years of his life.[9]
Recent history
- Vogue Tyre acquires some assets of E&G Classics to create E&G Corporation LLC, a new company.[10]
