Michelin - Sign - Enamel

Enamel sign, length 34.5 cm, height 44.5 cm. track
Bibendum (the gerundive of the Latin word bibere - 'to drink' - meaning 'to drink') is the name of the well-known figure made up of tires, which is depicted in many poses on the products of the French tire manufacturer Michelin.

The name is derived from the well-known Latin expression Nunc est bibendum! (Now it must be drunk!), a fragment from a verse by Horace.

The figure made of tires first appeared on an advertisement poster in 1898. It depicted him holding a glass full of nails and glass shards, shouting: 'Nunc est bibendum!' Beneath the poster was the phrase 'Le pneu Michelin boit l'obstacle!' ('Michelin tire drinks the obstacle!'), a slogan from 1893 for the tire brand. The figure and the slogan were so successful that the figure quickly became known as Bibendum.