Nova Motorsport, the tyre supplier set up to succeed Avon following its closure last year, has invested €20 million (US$21.64m, £16.85m) to develop a new manufacturing hub in Portugal.
The British company, which acquired Avon’s residual stock after the brand was shut down, purchased the existing Camac Pneus production site located on the banks of the Ave river and is undergoing a major refurbishment to turn it into a ‘new European centre of tyre manufacturing excellence’.
The site, situated between the cities Porto and Braga, will enable Nova to resume production of new Avon Motorsport products and develop new racing tyres for the future.
Over 200 trucks have been used to transfer the tyre manufacturing equipment from Avon’s previous headquarters in Melksham, UK, to the new site in Portugal. The Melksham site was auctioned off by Avon’s parent company, Goodyear, in February but the buyer remains undisclosed. Nova was set up by former Avon employees and has launched a recruitment drive for its European manufacturing programme.
‘The creation of Nova Motorsport’s new European centre of tyre manufacturing excellence represents a crucial strategic step for the imminent resumption of production of legendary Avon Motorsport tyre products,’ said Nova Motorsport chief technical officer, Mike Lynch.
‘Integrating Nova Motorsport’s engineering and design resources into the Camac facility has significantly enhanced the site’s manufacturing capabilities. The upgraded labs and NDT (Non-Destructive Testing) facilities will elevate product quality and performance, significantly benefiting both Avon Motorsport and existing Camac products.’
Nova plans to start production of its historic and rallycross Avon tyres in early August, using track and in-house rig testing as part of the process. The company has stated that it is ‘on track’ to start full-scale production of the Avon CR6ZZ, Avon ACB9, Nova autocross and some rallycross products in the fourth quarter of this year. Other tyres, such as the Avon ACB10, Avon hill climb products and several historic competition ranges, will be manufactured in early 2025.
‘The hard work and rapid advancements made by the Nova Motorsport and Camac teams bear testament to our determination to establish a world-leading centre of tyre manufacturing excellence in Europe, supported by our Global Technical Centre and HQ in Holt, England,’ said James Weekley, Nova Motorsport Commercial Director.
‘However, this is only the beginning of the Nova Motorsport journey. Our next goal is to produce the first Avon Motorsport products in Portugal, marking a new chapter in our commitment to delivering high-performance tyres for the motorsport industry, and we remain firmly on track to achieve that.’
