The original Michelin Man from 1898.
The Michelin Man is white because rubber tires are naturally white. It was not until 1912, that carbon chemicals were mixed into the white tires, which turned them black. The change was structural, not aesthetic. By adding carbon, tires became more durable.
The Michelin Man also has a name—Bibendum. It’s a weird name considering the latin phrase, “Nunc est bibendum,” which means, “Now is the time to drink.”
The phrase appears in the first line of a poem (written by the Roman poet Horace) celebrating the death of Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, in 30 B.C.
Michelin also began reviewing restaurants so that more people would travel further distances in their cars to eat at these restaurants. This in turn would wear down their tires faster, and force them to buy more.
The Michelin star system goes up to three and is broken down by whether or not it’s worth driving to the restaurant.
One star: “A very good restaurant in its category”
Two star: “Excellent cooking, worth a detour” (
Three star: “Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey”
