Where Are Metzeler Tires Made & Who Owns The Company?

Metzeler was founded in 1863 in Munich, Germany, by Robert Friedrich Metzeler. The company got into tire production in 1892, and its next major milestone came in 1933, when it built on one of the biggest changes made to car tires over the last 100 years by creating its first synthetic rubber tire. The company survived World War II, rebuilding after the war's end and returning to producing tires for a full range of cars, trucks, and motorcycles. 

Metzler is currently owned by Pirelli, which purchased the tire manufacturer in 1986. Pirelli itself is now partly Chinese-owned, with the Chinese company Sinochem having a 34.1% controlling interest in the company as of December 2025. Other major Pirelli shareholders include the Italian holding company MTP S.p.A. Camfin, with 25.3%; institutional investors who collectively own 36.6% of the company; and retail investors, who hold the final 4%. 

As to where Metzeler tires are currently made, two different production facilities produce Metzeler motorcycle tires. One of these is in Metzeler's home country, Germany, located in Brueburg. Pirelli's Chinese ownership means that Metzeler also makes tires in China. This almost certainly takes place in the city of Yanzhou, in Shandong province, where Pirelli makes some of its motorcycle tires as well.

The ownership of Metzeler tires has had many twists and turns since the 1970s. In 1972, Bayer AG, maker of Bayer aspirin among other things, bought a minority stake in Metzeler, and eventually tried to take over the company. Metzeler restructured in 1978, deciding to focus solely on making motorcycle tires. 

In 1986, Pirelli acquired Metzeler. A few decades later, in 2015, Chinese company ChemChina — which later merged with Sinochem — became Pirelli's largest shareholder. Unfortunately, this ownership structure poses a threat to Pirelli's, and potentially Metzeler's, plans to compete in the U.S. market. As of 2026, China-U.S. tensions and the Trump administration's proposed ban on Chinese car tech may affect Pirelli's cyber tires, which have embedded technology.

Trade issues aside, Metzeler tires are generally held in high regard by the motorcycling community. A good example is the German motorcycle magazine Motorrad, whose readers have repeatedly named Metzeler as the best tire brand. As of 2024, the manufacturer had won the award 13 times, with the first coming in 2006 and the most recent win in 2024. In the latter year, 62.3% of the 49,707 Motorrad readers who voted chose Metzeler as their preferred motorcycle tire brand.