In 1914, Harry Hower, a chauffeur in the Chicago area, joined forces with the Woodbury family in the tire business. About 1918 to 1919, they created a new tire design - the whitewall. This initial design had the whitewall on both sides.
Since practically all tires were blackwall at this time, they hoped to attract the business of chauffeur driven cars with this unusual design. Margaret Woodbury named this new whitewall tire "Vogue" and the name "Custom Built" was added at a later date.
Up until 1926, Vogue Tyres were sold only in Chicago Illinois. Having been sucessful promoting Vogue Tyres to the Chauffeur industry. Mr. Hower branched out to the West Coast and in late 1926 added Dodson Limited in Los Angeles as distributor in this region.
This unique wide whitewall design soon appeared on the cars of the motion picture stars. During the Depression years of the early 1930's, practically all large car sales were based on six tires, including 2 tires on the side fenders for spares.
The movie stars were among the few who still had the income to afford Vogue Tyres. Dusenberg owners became a primary source of business for the company.
In 1935 Mr. Hower negotiated with the Kelly-Springfield Tire Company to take over production of Vogue Tyres. This agreement was the first for Kelly-Springfield which had just been purchased by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. This agreement between Vogue Tyre and Goodyear would last for more than 75 years.
During World War II, while tire production was halted, Mr. Loyd Dodson of Dodson Limited was able to negotiate an offer and thus purchased the Vogue Tyre & Rubber Company in December 1942. When production resumed, Mr. Dodson led the way for the expansion of Vogue Tyres on a national scale.
Over the years, innovation has led our customers to purchase Vogue Tyres for both Safety and Performance in addition to our distinctive Style. In the early sixties the Vogue handcrafted Gold Streak and the V.S.S. were highly touted in Rod and Custom magazine as being a preferred choice for street and track use.
The 60's also saw the introduction of the Twin Air Life Preserver Gold Streak Tyre and the Gold Puncture Control Pad. Innovation which has continued through the decades.
The 70's brought the introduction of the 7 rib glass belt and the Wide Trac Glass Belt. These tyres were later replaced with the Brougham Gauntlet Custom Built Super Steel Tyre built for safety, comfort and worry free driving.
In the late 70's a new creation from DuPont enabled Vogue to add a new meaning to safety and performance. Kevlar, also know in the tire industry as Aramid, was introduced in Vogue Radials. This new material, used in bulletproof vests, was added to the Vogue Super Aramid Radial Tyres and the new unparalleled beauty and quality were joined with extra strength for extra safety.
In the early 90's technology enabled Vogue Tyre to challenge the new Seville STS and Cadillac 32 Valve Northstar System with the advanced Vogue Custom Built Twin Tread Touring Tyre. This tire pushed the limit on traction, treadwear, and performance with a "Z" speed rating and an extended treadwear mileage warranty of 40,000 miles.
In the early 2000's the Vogue CBR IX sported a distinctive sidewall design while offering three in one Asymmetrical tread providing 1.) all season Traction, 2.) Touring Tyre ride Quality, and 3.) High Performance Handling.
Seeing new opportunities, Vogue is able to advance beyond Goodyear manufacturing, and have its own state-of-the-art factories in China and Vietnam. This means greater flexiblity, and faster product development than ever before.
In 2013, Vogue develops the Signature V Ultra High Performance All-Season tire. With higher speed ratings, and an exclusive black V insignia, Vogue is able to keep pace with the luxury car market, and offer the best all-season tires for those vehicles.
In 2015, with SUVs, Crossovers, and Light Trucks accounting for most of the market share of vehicles sold, Vogue develops two new tires for these vehicles: the Custom Built Radial SCT, and the Signature V Black SCT. Both tires offer a silica infused tread for the quietest, best, all-season performance, while still offering the class leading Vogue Craftsmanship Promise: 5 Year/60,000 mile Limited Treadware Warranty.