GenCorp came into being on March 29, 1984, when the shareholders of the General Tire & Rubber Company approved the company's proposal for a change of names and the establishment of GenCorp Inc. as the parent holding company. In a subsequent restructering, the company exited the tire business by divesting General Tire.

On April 23, Continental AG of Hannover, West Germany, expressed an interest in General Tire and began to visit company facilities. On June 29, GenCorp and Continental signed an agreement for the sale of General Tire. Continental acquired General Tire, including related domestic and foreign operations, from GenCorp. The sale was finalized October 30, 1987. According to then - Continental chairman Helmut Werner, "The acquisition will provide us with a sound and strong presence in the world's largest tire market. This step is of vital strategic importance to us and will provide Continental with worldwide operations."

Continental is the # 1 tire maker in Germany, # 2 in Europe and # 4 in the world.

In 21 plants around the globe more than 90 million passenger car tire and more than 6 million commercial vehicle and two-wheel tires are produced each year.

Today, General Tire is a leader in the development, production, and marketing of quality tires for automotive applications.