The world's biggest tire manufacturer isn't Michelin or Bridgestone, it's Lego
Published on Sep 20, 2025 at 7:00 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Sep 18, 2025 at 2:29 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
You might assume the world’s biggest tire manufacturer is a big name like Michelin or Bridgestone, but it’s actually toy maker Lego that claims the title.
Michelin makes just shy of 200 million tires per year, while Bridgestone produces similar numbers.
However, neither company can quite compete with Danish toymaker Lego.
Its sky-high production numbers make it the world’s biggest tire manufacturer.
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Lego is the world’s biggest tire manufacturer, with millions made per year
Lego was launched back in the late 1940s and is now the largest toy manufacturer in the world.
It’s also the world’s biggest tire manufacturer, typically producing 306 million tires every single year.
In 2010, its production spiked with a whopping 381 million mini tires being created, easily beating any other tire maker out there.
Now, we know what you’re thinking, ‘but Lego is just a toy’ – and, of course, you are right, but the Guinness World Records does note that the mini tires ‘do fit all descriptions of a standard tire’.
It goes on to say that the ‘rubber compound used for the Lego products would not be out of place on a domestic car’.
Like many major car companies, Lego has also been making efforts to make its tires greener.
In March this year, the company announced that it would be using old fishing nets, engine oil, and rope to make a new compound to produce its tires.
This means the tiny rubber rings are now made using one-third recycled materials.
“The tires are just one of many options we’re working on to make our products more sustainable, and it’s encouraging to see something this innovative making it into our sets,” sustainability boss Annette Stube said.
A life-sized Lego McLaren P1 didn’t run on Lego tires
Last year, the toymaker unveiled an incredibly detailed and drivable life-sized McLaren P1.
It was made using 342,817 Technic elements and was kitted out with an electric motor made with Lego Technic Function batteries and an electric car battery.
The car, which was driven around Silverstone by Lando Norris, took more than 8,000 hours to build.
But when it came to its tires, the world’s biggest tire manufacturer decided to go for the more conventional option with some Pirellis.
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Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.
