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Markets in everything, plain stupidity edition
KUMHO Tire USA…December 21, 2006…announces the introduction of the world’s first fragrance automotive tire, the ECSTA DX. The project is the “fruition” of more than a year’s worth of research and development to deliver an alluring aroma tire that replaces the normal “black rubber” smell with heat-resistant oils in the scent of lavender, and in later versions, neroli (orange) or jasmine. Visitors to www.kumhotireusa.com [product is here] can find the nearest Discount Tire store or TireRack.com will ship them for installation.
Here is a link. Here are more sources. Thanks to Natasha for the pointer. I guess it matters if you are run over by the car...
Posted by Tyler Cowen on January 21, 2007 at 07:01 AM in Economics | Permalink
Comments
Haha, this is funny. One would think that the market of people who actually smell their tires on a regular basis (racers, rice rocket owners, drifters, sideshow-types, street racers, etc.) enjoy the smell of rubber, so there would be no market for a tire that doesn't smell right. Perhaps the drifter/rice-rocket community wants to impress, so they would like lavender smelling tires. There has been a market for tires that burnout in multiple colors, not just white.
Posted by: Sameer Parekh at Jan 21, 2007 8:37:38 AM
"I guess it matters if you are run over by the car..."
Doesn't that make it a public good? Maybe we should have the government pay for further research?
Posted by: Somebody at Jan 21, 2007 9:31:47 AM
I don't know.... Every time I go into the garage, I might be happier if the tires smelled of lavender or potpourri instead of black rubber. But a cheaper way to get that effect might be to put a plug-in air freshener in the garage.
And what about the guys who work in tire stores? Maybe they'd like something different?
Ceteris paribus (i.e. at the same quality and price), it might be a good marketing tool for some customers.
Posted by: EclectEcon at Jan 21, 2007 11:07:56 AM
Regardless of how they smell, Kumho makes excellent tires at a low price; I've never been disappointed with a set.
Posted by: Scott at Jan 21, 2007 12:15:11 PM
Thanks. I was thinking "how stupid" until you mentioned getting run over!
Posted by: lee at Jan 21, 2007 4:32:01 PM
See them soon on MTVs Pimp My Ride...and then on your favorite football player's Hummer2...and then on your teenaged son's or duaghter's x-mas wish list.
Posted by: aaron_m at Jan 21, 2007 6:14:36 PM
Yeah, I bet the rice-rocket and hiphop communities will buy these in droves. With scents like lavender, neroli, and jasmine, your streed cred will go nowhere but up.
Posted by: Sameer Jain at Jan 21, 2007 8:58:54 PM
"I guess it matters if you are run over by the car..."
Or if you're the one that runs over. You'll cause slightly less emotional distress and get sued for less.
...
Well come on, the heading said plain stupidity edition.
Posted by: David at Jan 22, 2007 12:34:29 AM
Kuhmo makes a good tire for the price; they hold up well in comparisions with more expensive brands.
-Chris
Posted by: ChristianCB at Jan 22, 2007 3:27:09 AM
Who funds projects like that ?
Posted by: Radha at Jan 22, 2007 4:38:52 AM
Yesterday I saw a car with a red interior and everything on the exterior was red except the tires. Soon I predict we will see colored tires--red first probably.
Posted by: lee at Jan 22, 2007 12:35:04 PM
I like Lee's idea, and would like a set of rainbow colored tires with lavender scent for my white car. The scent part is very stupid, I agree. But it is a gesture of kindness toward whatever that is smashed by a piece of white cloud. The only trouble is that when the car is still, it turns into a piece of scented crap.
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