CHARLOTTE, NC (March 31, 2005) - Continental Tire North America, Inc. (CTNA) announces the introduction of its new General S580 steer tire for the demanding North American transportation market. Developed for usage in long haul steer positions, the economical General S580 helps freight carriers to face stiff competition and tough cost pressures.

The new General S580 steer tire features an 18/32" six-rib tread design to provide long original mileage and low rolling resistance which results in high fuel mileage. The optimized footprint ensures even pressure distribution that resists irregular wear and provides long original tread life. In addition, a special shoulder protection rib resists irregular shoulder wear.

"With rising cost pressure facing freight carriers, finding ways to improve the bottom line has increased significantly in importance," said Clif Armstrong, CTNA's Marketing Director for commercial vehicle tires group. "This is reflected in the demands made on truck tires used in long haulage: high mileage performance, reliable casings, traction, even wear and low fuel consumption. The new General S580 meets all these criteria, making it an economical high-tech option when it comes to buying tires."

Like most CTNA truck tires, the General S580 comes with a stone ejection system to help minimize stone retention and casing penetration as well as the innovative Visual Alignment Indicator (VAI) system to quickly identify misalignment problems before the tire becomes severely worn.

The new General S580 tire is available in following sizes:

• 11R 22.5
• 11R 24.5
• 295/75R 22.5
• 285/75R 24.5

For more information about the new General S580, visit www.generaltiretruck.com.

About Continental Tire North America, Inc.

Continental Tire North America, Inc. (www.continentaltire.com, www.continental-truck.com), based in Charlotte, North Carolina, is a group company of Germany-based Continental AG, a leading systems supplier to the automotive industry.  Continental Tire North America, Inc. has nearly 6,500 employees and operates six plants in North America.  It is a major supplier to the original equipment and replacement tire markets, selling Continental, General, Euzkadi, Semperit and private brands in North America.