Motomaster

Motomaster is a Canadian automotive products brand owned by Canadian Tire Corporation, founded as an in-house line of automotive products sold exclusively at Canadian Tire stores. Established as Canadian Tire's private label brand, Motomaster includes tires, batteries, motor oils, and automotive accessories. As of 2011, Motomaster was Canada's most popular replacement tire brand with 13% market share in passenger tires and 10% in light truck tires, manufactured by major tire companies including Michelin, Cooper, and BF Goodrich.

Motomaster was founded in 1980 by Canadian Tire Corporation as the company's in-house private label brand for automotive products. The brand was established to provide Canadian Tire customers with affordable, quality automotive products while maintaining the retailer's position as a comprehensive automotive solutions provider. From its inception, Motomaster was designed to compete with national brands while offering value-conscious consumers reliable products at competitive prices through Canadian Tire's extensive retail network.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Motomaster expanded its product lineup beyond tires to include automotive batteries, motor oils, and various automotive accessories. The brand became known for value-oriented products that appealed to Canadian consumers seeking reliable automotive solutions without premium pricing. During this period, Canadian Tire developed several sub-brands under the Motomaster umbrella to distinguish different product lines and quality tiers, establishing "Eliminator" for premium automotive batteries, booster packs, and battery chargers, while the 'Rough Rider' line targeted light truck tires.

In the 2000s, Motomaster continued to develop new product lines and expand its market presence across Canada. The brand gained recognition for providing quality and affordability, particularly in the replacement tire market where it became increasingly popular among Canadian consumers. During this period, Canadian Tire expanded the Formula 1 brand, originally launched for synthetic oils, to include conventional, diesel, marine, transmission and power steering oils, as well as various gear oils, while maintaining the Supreme sub-brand as an entry-level oil product.

By 2011, Motomaster had achieved remarkable market success, becoming the most popular replacement tire brand in Canada with 13% market share by unit volume of the passenger replacement tire market and 10% market share by unit volume of the light truck replacement tire market. This success demonstrated Canadian consumers' trust in the Motomaster brand and its value proposition, establishing it as a significant player in Canada's automotive aftermarket.

However, beginning in the early 2000s, the Motomaster line began to shrink somewhat as Canadian Tire strategically moved towards carrying more brand-name products. In 2003, the company fully discontinued Motomaster spark plugs in favor of carrying only established brands such as Champion, NGK, AC Delco, and Bosch. In 2004, the Formula 1 line of oil filters was discontinued, and the 'Motomaster 60' line of batteries was replaced with the more generic 'Sure Start' brand. This strategic shift reflected Canadian Tire's evolving retail strategy and the changing competitive landscape in the automotive aftermarket.

The decline continued with the tire lineup, as Canadian Tire discontinued the Sentinel A/S and Touring 160 tires in 2004, leaving the brand with the Touring AW/H and SE2 lines. The company also dropped its Performance tire line and merged the Premium Tire category into the Touring categories. Despite these reductions, the Motomaster name remained on many tire models, though the selection had shrunk significantly from its peak in the early 2000s.

In recent years, Motomaster has continued to evolve as Canadian Tire's automotive private label brand. The 'Rough Rider' light truck tire line was replaced with 'Total Terrain', reflecting changing market preferences and product positioning. Some tires, such as Goodyear Nordic winter tires, remain exclusive to Canadian Tire but are no longer marketed under the Motomaster umbrella, representing a further refinement of the brand's product strategy.

In 2026, Motomaster continues to serve as Canadian Tire's primary automotive private label brand, offering a comprehensive range of automotive products including tires, batteries, motor oils, and accessories. The brand maintains its position as a value-oriented alternative to national brands while leveraging Canadian Tire's extensive retail network and trusted reputation among Canadian consumers. Despite the reduction in product lines over the years, Motomaster remains an important part of Canadian Tire's automotive strategy and continues to hold significant market share in key automotive categories.