Continental sees 2010 car tyre demand up -paper

FRANKFURT, June 18 (Reuters) - German automotive supplier Continental (CONG.DE: Quote, Profile, Research) expects worldwide demand for passenger car tyres to grow to nearly 1.25 billion units next year from the 1.2 billion units it expects this year, its Passenger Tyre division head told a German magazine.

For 2011, the company is forecasting demand at more than 1.3 billion units, Nikolai Setzer told Auto Motor und Sport on Thursday.

Guglielmo Fiocchi, head of German operations of rival Pirelli (PECI.MI: Quote, Profile, Research), meanwhile, told the magazine he forecast a 7 to 10 percent decline in demand around the globe this year.

"For 2010, the bottom would be reached, after which growth would then return," he said, adding the company forecast subsequent growth of up to 6 percent annually.

In Germany, Fiocchni expects the entires sector to see a decline of 7-8 percent in summer business this year, with a "better development" expected for the coming winter tyre business. (Reporting by Marilyn Gerlach; Editing by Hans Peters)