What Continental makes

Continental is one of the world's largest tire manufacturers, producing passenger-car, light-truck, commercial-vehicle, and specialty tires under the Continental brand and several regional sub-brands. The Tires group sector -- the company's core business following the spin-off of its automotive technology division in 2025 -- is organized across three geographic business areas: Americas, EMEA, and APAC, a structure Continental formalized with a new regional reporting format from Q3 2026. Per the company's FY2025 annual report, the Tires division generated 13.8 billion euros in sales, an adjusted EBIT margin of 13.6 percent, and accounted for roughly 70 percent of consolidated group revenue in that year.

The product range spans ultra-high-performance (UHP) passenger tires, all-season lines, winter tires, and tires for trucks, buses, agricultural machinery, and industrial equipment. In FY2025, UHP tires for wheels 18 inches and above represented 62 percent of Continental brand passenger-car tire sales, per the company's investor materials. The company operates 19 tire manufacturing locations in 16 countries, with plants across North America (Mount Vernon, IL; Sumter, SC; and Clinton, MS in the United States, plus Mexico), South America, Europe (including Continental Mabor in Lousado, Portugal and Continental Barum in Otrokovice, Czech Republic), Africa, and Asia.

The company also operates 807 company-owned retail tire outlets and approximately 6,000 franchised outlets worldwide, per the FY2025 annual report. The ContiTech segment -- which manufactures industrial hoses, conveyor belts, surface materials, and other rubber and thermoplastic products -- agreed to be sold to Lone Star Funds in July 2026. Following that transaction's completion, expected by end of 2026, Continental will operate solely as a tire manufacturer.

Financial performance

Continental's Tires segment generated 13.8 billion euros in revenue for fiscal year 2025, with an adjusted EBIT margin of 13.6 percent, per the company's March 4, 2026 full-year press release. The adjusted EBIT margin for the combined group (Tires plus ContiTech) was 10.3 percent on consolidated sales of 19.7 billion euros. Tires segment revenue was roughly flat compared with fiscal 2024, down approximately 0.5 percent on a reported basis.

In the first half of 2026, Continental reported an adjusted EBIT margin of 12.9 percent for Q2, driven by strong Tires performance, with the Tires segment delivering a quarterly margin of 15.3 percent and UHP volumes increasing across EMEA and APAC. Cash generation improved substantially, moving from negative 46 million euros in Q2 2025 to positive 216 million euros in Q2 2026.

The Berylls by AlixPartners Top-100 study for 2026 places Continental at rank 21 among global automotive suppliers, reflecting the post-Aumovio perimeter: the 13.8 billion euro figure represents the Tires and ContiTech businesses that remained with Continental after the automotive technology group was spun off as Aumovio SE in September 2025. The YoY revenue decline shown in aggregate comparisons (-65 percent) is a perimeter effect, not an operating result -- the 2024 baseline includes the Aumovio businesses that were divested.

For context on the group structure: as of FY2025, Continental employed 92,653 people across 336 locations in 54 countries and markets, per the annual report. The employee count will decrease materially once the ContiTech divestiture closes, as ContiTech accounted for roughly 6 billion euros of the group's 19.7 billion euro sales.

The proposed dividend for FY2025 was 2.70 euros per share, up from 2.50 euros in 2024. Adjusted free cash flow reached 959 million euros for FY2025, up 60 percent year over year. The company expects consolidated sales of 17.3 to 18.9 billion euros and an adjusted EBIT margin of 11.0 to 12.5 percent for fiscal 2026.

Ownership and history

Continental was founded on October 8, 1871, in Hanover, Germany, originally as a rubber and gutta-percha product manufacturer. The company's 155-year history spans both the replacement-tire and OEM markets across multiple product generations. The company entered tire manufacturing in the late 19th century and grew through much of the 20th century as an integrated rubber and automotive-components supplier. It is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and included in the DAX 40 index of major German companies, trading under the ticker CON.

Hanover has remained Continental's headquarters throughout its history. The company moved into a new corporate campus at Continental-Plaza 1, 30175 Hanover, in December 2023, consolidating offices that had previously been spread across several Hanover locations.

The company executed two major structural transactions in 2025 and 2026. In September 2025, it completed the spin-off of its automotive technology group sector as Aumovio SE, a separately listed Frankfurt-traded company focused on electronic safety, comfort, and software-defined vehicle systems. Continental shareholders received one Aumovio share for every two Continental shares held at the record date; Aumovio opened trading at a market value of approximately 3.7 billion euros. In July 2026, Continental agreed to sell its ContiTech group sector -- which makes hoses, conveyor belts, and industrial materials -- to Lone Star Funds for 4.0 billion euros (plus up to 250 million euros in performance-based payments), with approximately 3.1 billion euros in expected cash proceeds. The company plans to distribute around 2.5 billion euros of those proceeds to shareholders.

Certifications and quality

Continental claims IATF 16949 certification across its tier-1 tire manufacturing plants, which is the sector-standard quality management system for automotive suppliers. IATF 16949 covers design, development, production, and service of automotive-grade products. The specific certification scope, issuing body, and certificate dates for individual plants are managed at the plant level and are not consolidated in a single company-wide document; Continental's quality and sustainability disclosures reference the standard in the context of its OE supply relationships.

The company's OE tire business operates under the quality requirements of its vehicle-manufacturer customers, including customer-specific requirements from BMW, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Ford, Toyota, and others. These customers' own supplier qualification processes typically require IATF 16949 as a minimum baseline.

Known customers

Continental supplies original-equipment tires to the full range of major global vehicle manufacturers. The evidence below reflects documented OE supply relationships from company press releases, investor materials, and major-outlet coverage.

Per company investor materials, the five largest OE customers have historically represented approximately 40 percent of revenue. Continental also sells tires through its replacement channel, which accounted for roughly 71 percent of FY2025 revenue, via more than 800 company-owned retail outlets and approximately 6,000 franchised outlets. All ten of the world's highest-volume EV manufacturers used Continental tires in 2025, per the company's March 2026 press release.

Continental Tire the Americas, the company's North American operating entity, shows more than 162,000 US import shipments on record through September 2026, with the most recent shipment recorded September 16, 2026 -- a pattern consistent with active inter-group transfers from Continental's European plants (including Continental Mabor in Lousado, Portugal and Continental Barum in the Czech Republic) to its US distribution network. The bill-of-lading records also reflect the scale of the nearshoring and logistics decisions that Continental has made across its tire manufacturing footprint.

Frequently asked questions

What does Continental make?

Continental is one of the world's largest tire manufacturers, producing passenger-car, light-truck, commercial-vehicle, and specialty tires. Following the spin-off of its automotive technology division as Aumovio SE in September 2025, Continental's primary business is tires. A second business segment, ContiTech, which makes industrial hoses, conveyor belts, and surface materials, is pending sale to Lone Star Funds as of September 2026.

Who owns Continental AG?

Continental AG is a publicly listed company, trading on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the ticker CON and included in the DAX 40 index of major German companies. It has no single controlling shareholder; the shareholder base is institutional and public market investors. The company was founded in 1871 and has been listed throughout the post-war era.

What is Continental AG's annual revenue?

Continental's Tires segment generated 13.8 billion euros in revenue for fiscal year 2025, with an adjusted EBIT margin of 13.6 percent, per the company's March 2026 full-year earnings announcement. Combined group revenue, including ContiTech, was 19.7 billion euros for FY2025. The company guides for 17.3 to 18.9 billion euros in consolidated sales for fiscal 2026.

Where is Continental AG headquartered?

Continental AG is headquartered in Hanover, Germany. The company moved into a new campus at Continental-Plaza 1, D-30175 Hanover, in December 2023. Continental has operated in Hanover since its founding in 1871.

Who are Continental's customers?

Continental supplies original-equipment tires to major global vehicle manufacturers including BMW, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Ford, General Motors, Toyota, Honda, Porsche, Audi, Volvo, Renault, and Tesla, among others. Per company investor materials, the five largest OE customers have historically represented approximately 40 percent of revenue. Continental also sells tires through its replacement channel, which accounted for roughly 71 percent of FY2025 revenue, via more than 800 company-owned retail outlets and approximately 6,000 franchised outlets.

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