€20m refurbishment programme underway at Portugal’s Camac
Portugal’s national tyre maker, Camac, has been revived following significant investment from its new owner, Nova Motorsport.
The factory in Santo Tirso, near Porto, is undergoing a €20 million programme of refurbishment and upgrades since it was purchased by Nova Motorsport in April, with an annual production target of 500,000 tyres.
More than 100 skilled jobs will be created across various business disciplines, including engineering, technical, marketing, and other roles.
In October, the revitalised Portuguese manufacturing facility recommenced production of the Camac Classic tyre range for the European market. The Camac Classic 5.90×13 cross-ply tyre is based on a product introduced in 1969 and supports classic models, including the Ford Taunus/Cortina Estate, Opel Rekord and Simca 1300.
Camac began producing its 145R10 radial tyre in the early 1970s, and today, in Classic guise, it plays a crucial role in keeping iconic models such as the Austin Mini and the Honda N300, N400 and N600 on the road.
Nova Motorsport is a new tyre company founded by British-owned rubber compounding leader SPC Rubber. Established in January 2024, Nova Motorsport has made several acquisitions and secured tyre supply and partnership agreements across the international motorsport landscape.
In addition to Camac, Nova Motorsport has secured the global rights to Avon Motorsport Tyres. It has partnered with racing series’ including the RallyX international rallycross championship, the Peter Auto historic racing series in Europe and the British Hillclimb Championship.
James Weekley, Nova Motorsport commercial director, said: “Our seasoned team of technical and manufacturing experts is now completing the recommissioning of our manufacturing facility in Portugal, supported by our Global Technical Centre and HQ in Holt, England.
“The first new tyres under the Avon brand were produced in August. Robust track testing demonstrated that the quality and performance of the tyres produced in Portugal match those of the Avon products previously manufactured in the UK. Achieving this strategic step enables us to focus on continually advancing innovation in tyre technology.
“In addition to supporting existing customers and markets, our state-of-the-art facilities are uniquely positioned to collaborate with companies seeking bespoke tyres for competition and specialist applications. Our goal is to provide unparalleled levels of ultra-rapid R&D, time-to-market, and customer support.”