Oak Tyres at 45: Unsung heroes of the fast-fit world (and the Proton's new rubber)

Let’s face it, while we love a bit of patina, a heady whiff of fuel or the clunk of a proper mechanical switch, few people get dewy-eyed over sidewall specs. But here’s the thing: without a decent set of tyres, none of that matters. And in my case, the Petrolblog Proton Satria GTi would be running on perished rubber, rather than clinging heroically to the King's B-road.

A while ago, I fitted my son's Proton with a set of Davanti Ecoura HP1s – sensible mid-range tyres from a brand you may not have heard of, unless you work in a garage, enjoy reading the small print on race-day pit banners, or support Everton FC. They’ve been quietly excellent. The tyres, that is, not Everton, although things have improved since David Moyes arrived.

Grippy, comfortable, and crucially, they don’t squeal in protest when asked to change direction – which, given the Proton’s suspension setup, is no small ask. They were also reassuringly excellent in the wet when we were making our way to the Festival of the Unexceptional.

So who’s behind Davanti? That’ll be Oak Tyres, the family-run tyre wholesaler that’s just turned 45. Based in the north of England and founded in 1980, Oak Tyres has grown from a local tyre retail business into a global distributor with seven warehouses, the latest opening recently in Warrington. That’s not bad going for a company that started when Dallas was on telly and the Austin Metro was fresh out of Longbridge.

Over the years, Oak has become the exclusive UK distributor for brands like Landsail, Delinte, Aptany, Evergreen and Linglong. But the clever bit is this: Oak has also developed its own tyre brands: Davanti, now a big name in the mid-range market, and Envoy, a new value brand launched this year to bring decent rubber to those of us without £600 to spend on a set of Michelins.

Both brands are properly developed and tested, not just stickers on something generic. Davanti tyres, for example, go through rigorous R&D with experienced engineers at state-of-the-art production facilities. It’s all very grown-up.

Oak has also expanded its offering to include specialty tyres and all the tyre-fitting consumables needed to fit them: valves, wheel weights, tyre paste – the gritty, unglamorous stuff that actually keeps the country moving. The sort of stuff we don’t think about until it’s missing.

Over the past year, Oak has also refined its B2B tech, rolling out the Oak Portal: a new platform designed to make life easier for its network of independent garages. It's integrated with Oak8 and the Oak Partnership system, offering everything from faster SmartSearch results to better account management and ordering tools. Not much use to the average Satria GTi driver, admittedly, but a lifesaver if you’re running a garage and want to keep your shelves stocked and your customers happy.

According to Peter Cross, Oak’s commercial director: ‘In its 45 years, Oak Tyres has achieved an astonishing amount; seven warehouses with over 700,000 sq ft of space, stocking 900,000 tyres across premium, mid-range and budget ranges, and introducing two of our own brands into the market.’

He also rightly points out that while the industry has shifted with technology, customer demands and various economic curveballs, Oak’s focus has remained the same: delivering top-drawer service to the fast-fit industry. That, and staying proudly independent. No shareholders, no flashy marketing guff – just tyres, service and substance.

Which brings us back to the Proton. It might not be glamorous. It doesn’t have the tightest panel gaps or the most forgiving ride. But on the right tyres, it still brings joy – which is all Petrolblog has ever really asked for.

So here’s to Oak Tyres: 45 years of rolling up sleeves, shifting rubber and keeping Britain moving, one warehouse at a time. Not exactly front-page news, but quietly, brilliantly essential.