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Dunlop Tyres

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Dunlop
Dunlop Grandtrek All-Terrain tyre on a new Lexus GX, in Cape Town, 2026
Product typeTyres
OwnerSumitomo Rubber Industries[1] (since 2025)
Produced bySumitomo Rubber Industries
Introduced18 November 1888; 137 years ago (1888-11-18)
Related brandsFalken
MarketsWorldwide (17 countries)
Previous ownersDunlop Ltd. (1888–1985)
TaglineTaking you beyond
Websitewww.dunlop.com

Dunlop is a brand of tyres, currently owned and produced by the Japanese company Sumitomo Rubber Industries.[1] It was founded by pneumatic tyre pioneer John Boyd Dunlop in Belfast, Ireland, in 1888 , and the commercial company (Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Co. Ltd.) was founded in 1889[2] As of 2026, Dunlop has operations in 17 countries.

Plaque on the site of the first pneumatic tyre factory on Stephen Street, Dublin

It is one of several largely unrelated companies that use the Dunlop brand under licence, most of which historically evolved from Dunlop Rubber in some way. The brand was formerly operated by Goodyear[3] in North America (for passenger car and light truck tires), Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.[4]

In several countries, including Japan, China, South Africa, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and much of Latin America, Dunlop Tires is operated directly by Sumitomo, through the company's various subsidiaries.[5][6] In other markets, certain regional and product-specific rights remain with third parties, as of mid-2026.

History

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In 1985, the Dunlop Rubber Company was acquired by now-defunct BTR plc, and Sumitomo acquired the rights to manufacture and market Dunlop branded road tyres. Sumitomo did not acquire any Dunlop company. In 1997 Sumitomo gained agreement to use the Dunlop name in its corporate name, and changed the name of its UK subsidiary to "Dunlop Tyres Ltd."

In 1999, Sumitomo and Goodyear began a joint venture by which Sumitomo continued to manufacture all Japanese-made tyres under the Dunlop name, while Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company bought 75% of the European and North American tyre businesses of Sumitomo.[7]

With the closure of the Washington plant in 2006, Goodyear Dunlop ceased mainstream car and lorry tyre production in the UK.[8]

In 2012, the Dunlop Tyre brand was managed by Continental AG, which manufactures Dunlop branded tyres for sale in Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.[9]

In January 2013, Dunlop India Ltd entered liquidation proceedings. The local operating entity was established in India in 1926, and was owned by the Ruia Group.[10] The liquidation process was finalized in May 2017.

In October 2015, Sumitomo Rubber Industries acquired the Dunlop motorcycle tyre brand in North America from Goodyear after dissolving its 16-year global joint venture.[11] On 7 January 2025, Goodyear announced the sale of the rest of its Dunlop brand activities (with the exception of motorcycle business in Europe) to SRI, which completed on 7 May 2025.[12][13]

Until May 2014, Goodyear Dunlop occupied a compact part of the Fort Dunlop site in Birmingham as its UK office. In the UK, the company operates as a sales organisation, importing tyres from manufacturing plants around the world, including Germany, Slovenia and Poland.

In 2016, it was announced that Sumitomo would commence the second phase of its US$131 million investment for the upgrade and expansion of its Dunlop tyre manufacturing plant in Ladysmith, South Africa.[14]

On 3 December 2025, Sumitomo acquired the exclusive rights to use the Dunlop brand from Continental in these countries (excluding the aircraft and winter tyres), effective January 2026.[15]

In August 2026, Dunlop Tyres South Africa completed a 3-year, R1.7 billion investment program at its uMnambithi, KwaZulu-Natal manufacturing facility. The investment introduced new manufacturing technology and expanded production capabilities, to position the facility as a strategic hub for automotive growth across Africa. Dunlop said the plant's upgrades made it among the most technologically advanced tire manufacturing operations on the continent.[16]

Operations

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Dunlop has extensive manufacturing operations throughout the world. Countries of operation include:

Country Local operating entity/subsidiary Year of establishment of local entity City of HQ Type of operations Ref.
Australia Dunlop Tyre Australia Pty. Ltd. 2014; 12 years ago Sydney Sales and distribution of tyres [17]
Brazil Sumitomo Rubber do Brasil Ltda. 2011; 15 years ago Fazenda Rio Grande Manufacture and sale of tyres [18]
Chile Dunlop Latin America Ltda. 2008; 18 years ago Santiago Regional sales and distribution of tyres [19]
China Sumitomo Rubber (China) Co., Ltd.; Sumitomo Rubber (Changshu) Co., Ltd.; Dunlop Tire Sales Co., Ltd. 2002; 24 years ago Shanghai Manufacture, sale and supervision of tyre business [20]
Germany Dunlop Tyre Europe GmbH 2008; 18 years ago Offenbach am Main European sales, marketing and distribution [21]
India Ralson India 1974; 52 years ago Ludhiana Manufacture and marketing of Dunlop-branded two- and three-wheeler tyres [22]
Indonesia PT Sumi Rubber Indonesia 1995; 31 years ago Jakarta Manufacture and sale of tyres [23]
Japan DUNLOP TYRE JAPAN, LTD. 2024; 2 years ago Tokyo Domestic replacement tyre sales [24]
Malaysia Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. 2026; 0 years ago Kobe Sales of Dunlop tyres, tubes and flaps [25]
Mexico TBC de México, S.A. de C.V. 1994; 32 years ago San Luis Potosí Distribution of Dunlop tyres [26]
Singapore Sumitomo Rubber Asia (Tyre) Pte. Ltd.; Sumitomo Rubber Singapore Pte. Ltd. 2001; 25 years ago Singapore Regional sales and procurement; Dunlop tyre sales [27]
South Africa Sumitomo Rubber South Africa (Pty) Ltd 2013; 13 years ago Durban Manufacture, sale and marketing of tyres; African Dunlop rights [28]
Taiwan Dunlop Taiwan Co., Ltd. 1980; 46 years ago Taipei Sales of tyres and sporting goods [29]
Thailand Dunlop Tire (Thailand) Co., Ltd.; Sumitomo Rubber (Thailand) Co., Ltd. 2006; 20 years ago Bangkok Tyre sales; manufacture and sale of tyres [30]
Turkey Sumitomo Rubber AKO Lastik Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. 2013; 13 years ago Çankırı Manufacture and sale of tyres [31]
United Arab Emirates Dunlop Tyre Middle East FZE 2008; 18 years ago Dubai Regional sales, marketing and technical support for the Middle East and North Africa [32]
United States Dunlop Tires North America, Inc. 2026; 0 years ago Rancho Cucamonga Sales and distribution of tyres; North American Dunlop business [33]
Total 17 countries — — — —

Motorsport

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Dunlop high-performance tire
Dunlop Tyres is the official tyre supplier of the Supercars Championship.

Dunlop Tyres currently supply tyres to the Supercars Championship and Super2 Series, the latter of which Dunlop also serves as the series title sponsor.[34][35] The company also supplies tyres to select racing teams in the Super GT series in both GT500 and GT300 classes.[36][37] Dunlop Tyres is also involved in major endurance races, including the Nürburgring 24 Hours, supplying as many as 4,000 tyres to participating racing teams.[38]

Dunlop Tyres was also a major tyre supplier in the Group C sports prototype and early Group GT1 eras, and have previously won the 24 Hours of Le Mans overall and in class with Dunlop-shod sports cars.[39]

The company is one of three tyre suppliers of the FIM Endurance World Championship.[40]

On 20 September 2025, Dunlop Tyres entered the sim racing scene for the first time, as they became the official tyre partner for Gran Turismo 7 and its respective esports tournament, the Gran Turismo World Series.[41][42][43]

Fort Dunlop

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Fort Dunlop was a motorsport manufacturing operation located in a corner of the original Dunlop factory in Erdington, Birmingham, established in 1891 until May 2014. This factory produced specialised vintage, motorcycle and touring car tyres, and produced about 300,000 specialised racing tyres per year. On 30 May 2014, the Birmingham factory ceased tyre production, ending Dunlop motorsport tyre production in the UK.[8]

See also

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Further reading

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  • Tompkins, Eric (1981). The History of the Pneumatic Tyre. Dunlop Archive Project. ISBN 0-903214-14-8.

Notes

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References

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  1. 1 2 Kaur, Gursimran (8 January 2025). "Tire maker Goodyear to sell Dunlop brand to Japan's Sumitomo Rubber for $701 mln". Reuters. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  2. ↑ "Our Heritage". Dunlop Tyres. Archived from the original on 2 January 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  3. ↑ "Dunlop Aircraft Tyres Limited v The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company [2018] FCA 1014 (11 July 2018)". Selfmark, Trademark Attorneys and Copyright Lawyers Australia. Archived from the original on 25 March 2020.
  4. ↑ "Dunlop Info". Dunlop Tires. Archived from the original on 9 October 2018. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
  5. ↑ "Brands". Sumitomo. Archived from the original on 6 August 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  6. ↑ "Apollo Tyres sells South African business to Sumitomo Rubber for Rs 340 crore". The Economic Times. 30 May 2013. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2013.
  7. ↑ Quarterly report under section 13 or 15(d) of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934, for the quarterly period ended June 30, 1999 (Report). United States Securities and Exchange Commission. p. 28. Archived from the original on 29 June 2017.
  8. 1 2 Brown, John Murray; Foy, Henry (18 March 2014). "Dunlop plant closure announcement branded cynical". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 11 December 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
  9. ↑ "About". Dunlop Tyres Malaysia. Archived from the original on 14 January 2020. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  10. ↑ "About us - The journey of Dunlop in India". Dunlop India. Archived from the original on 14 March 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  11. ↑ Bennett, Jeff (1 October 2015). "Goodyear, Sumitomo Dissolve Global Alliance". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  12. ↑ "Goodyear Announces Sale of Dunlop Brand to Sumitomo Rubber Industries". Goodyear. Retrieved 15 July 2025.
  13. ↑ "Goodyear Completes Sale of Dunlop Brand". Goodyear. 7 May 2025. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
  14. ↑ "SRI Group". www.srigroup.co.za. Archived from the original on 13 May 2016. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
  15. ↑ "Acquisition of All Exclusive Right to Use DUNLOP Trademark in Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei". 3 December 2025. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
  16. ↑ Schalk Burger (13 August 2026). "A Gay-Friendly Guide to Cape Town". Engineering News. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  17. ↑ "Current details for ABN 31 602 872 391". Australian Business Register. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  18. ↑ "Sumitomo Rubber Group Set to Increase Tire Production Capacity at Factory in Brazil". Sumitomo Rubber Industries. 26 July 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  19. ↑ "Sumitomo Rubber establishes sales base in Chile". LNEWS. 17 December 2008. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  20. ↑ "The Notice of Convocation of the 134th Annual General Meeting of Shareholders" (PDF). Sumitomo Rubber Industries. 2026. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  21. ↑ "Dunlop Tyre Europe GmbH". Fusionbase. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  22. ↑ "Dunlop Tires Return to India with Ralson India". Dunlop Tires India. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  23. ↑ "Financial Report 2024" (PDF). Sumitomo Rubber Industries. 2025. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  24. ↑ "Domestic replacement tire sales new structure (DUNLOP TYRE JAPAN, LTD.)". Sumitomo Rubber Industries. 8 December 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  25. ↑ "Acquisition of All Exclusive Right to Use DUNLOP Trademark in Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei". Sumitomo Rubber Industries. 3 December 2025. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  26. ↑ "Nosotros". TBC de México. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  27. ↑ "Annual Report 2000" (PDF). Sumitomo Rubber Industries. 2001. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  28. ↑ "Sumitomo Rubber Group CSR Report 2015" (PDF). Sumitomo Rubber Industries. 2015. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  29. ↑ "Dunlop Taiwan Co., Ltd". Ministry of Economic Affairs, Taiwan. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  30. ↑ Arno Borchers (6 October 2006). "Dunlop Tire (Thailand) gegründet". Reifenpresse. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  31. ↑ "Opening Ceremony Held at Sumitomo Rubber's New Factory in Turkey". Sumitomo Rubber Industries. 23 October 2015. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  32. ↑ "About Dunlop Tyre Middle East FZE". Dunlop Tyre Middle East. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  33. ↑ "SRNA Announces Name Change to DTNA". Dunlop Tires. 1 January 2026. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  34. ↑ "Dunlop | Supercars". www.supercars.com. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
  35. ↑ "Dunlop extend tyre deal until 2024". TouringCarTimes. 9 November 2019. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
  36. ↑ Klein, Jamie (26 March 2025). "Dunlop Feels Breakthrough Close After Strong Testing Form". Retrieved 22 September 2025.
  37. ↑ Klein, Jamie (6 February 2025). "PONOS Ferrari Makes First Outing on Dunlop Tires". Retrieved 22 September 2025.
  38. ↑ "Dunlop takes on the toughest race in the world – the Nürburgring 24 Hours". Goodyear. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
  39. ↑ "24 Hours Centenary – Michelin and Dunlop's monopoly". 24h-lemans.com. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
  40. ↑ "EWC's long-term Dunlop partnership continues and expands | FIM Endurance World Championship". www.fimewc.com. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
  41. ↑ Harrison-Lord, Thomas (20 September 2025). "Gran Turismo and Dunlop partner to improve tyre simulation". Traxion.GG. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  42. ↑ "DUNLOP Announced as Official Tire Partner of the Gran Turismo World Series and Gran Turismo 7 - Gran Turismo® 7". gran-turismo.com. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  43. ↑ "Gran Turismo 7 Gets Real: Dunlop Tires Power the GT World Series and Your Next Lap". MotorTrend. 21 September 2025. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
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