Dunlop Tyres
Encyclopedia
Dunlop Tyres is a British company owned 75% by Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company
and 25% by Sumitomo Rubber Industries
, which bought the right to sell Dunlop-branded road tyres.
In 1985, Dunlop Rubber Company was acquired by 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.
The company has extensive manufacturing operations throughout the world. With the closure of the Washington plant in 2006, Goodyear Dunlop ceased mainstream car and lorry tyre production in the UK.
There is still a Motorsport manufacturing operation located in a corner of the original Dunlop factory (nicknamed "Fort Dunlop
") in Erdington
, Birmingham
, established in 1891. This factory produces specialised vintage, motorcycle and touring car tyres, and produces about 300,000 specialised racing tyres per year.
The Dunlop GP Racer D209 tyre has been chosen repeatedly as a control tyre for the R&G Racing GSX-R Trophy car race. It has also been chosen for the Henderson Harley-Davidson XR1200 Trophy and Focused Events KTM RC8 Cup race.
The main Birmingham building has been redeveloped extensively as a combined residential, office and hotel complex, with a modern shopping facility (The Fort Shopping Centre), car dealerships and several logistics warehouses. It can be observed between junction 5 and 6 of the M6, on the north side of the motorway.
Goodyear Dunlop still occupies a compact part of the site with their British main office. In the UK, the company operates as a sales organisation, importing tyres from manufacturing plants around the world, including China, Slovenia and Poland.
The company is in an extremely competitive sales environment and has had to continually readjust. Apart from the main Goodyear and Dunlop brands, tyres are also sold under the Fulda, Sava and Arrowspeed brand names.
The Goodyear Dunlop joint venture is managed from sites in Luxembourg and Brussels, which report to Goodyear in Akron, Ohio
, United States.
Dunlop Tyres was the sole tyre supplier to the British Touring Car Championship
race for 2003 to 2006 and the V8 Supercars Championship race from 2002 to date. Dunlop also supplies tyres to the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters
and the American Le Mans Series
races.
Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company was founded in 1898 by Frank Seiberling. Goodyear manufactures tires for automobiles, commercial trucks, light trucks, SUVs, race cars, airplanes, farm equipment and heavy earth-mover machinery....
and 25% by Sumitomo Rubber Industries
Sumitomo Rubber Industries
is a tire and rubber company based in Japan. It is part of the Sumitomo Group.The company traces its origins to 1909, when the Sumitomo Group made an investment in Dunlop Japan, the newly formed Japanese subsidiary of the British company Dunlop Rubber...
, which bought the right to sell Dunlop-branded road tyres.
In 1985, Dunlop Rubber Company was acquired by 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.
The company has extensive manufacturing operations throughout the world. With the closure of the Washington plant in 2006, Goodyear Dunlop ceased mainstream car and lorry tyre production in the UK.
There is still a Motorsport manufacturing operation located in a corner of the original Dunlop factory (nicknamed "Fort Dunlop
Fort Dunlop
Fort Dunlop , is the common name of the original tyre factory and main office of Dunlop Rubber in the Erdington district of Birmingham, England. It was established in 1917, and by 1954 the entire factory area employed 10,000 workers...
") in Erdington
Erdington
Erdington is a suburb northeast of Birmingham city centre, England and bordering Sutton Coldfield. It is also a council constituency, managed by its own district committee...
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, established in 1891. This factory produces specialised vintage, motorcycle and touring car tyres, and produces about 300,000 specialised racing tyres per year.
The Dunlop GP Racer D209 tyre has been chosen repeatedly as a control tyre for the R&G Racing GSX-R Trophy car race. It has also been chosen for the Henderson Harley-Davidson XR1200 Trophy and Focused Events KTM RC8 Cup race.
Goodyear Dunlop still occupies a compact part of the site with their British main office. In the UK, the company operates as a sales organisation, importing tyres from manufacturing plants around the world, including China, Slovenia and Poland.
The company is in an extremely competitive sales environment and has had to continually readjust. Apart from the main Goodyear and Dunlop brands, tyres are also sold under the Fulda, Sava and Arrowspeed brand names.
The Goodyear Dunlop joint venture is managed from sites in Luxembourg and Brussels, which report to Goodyear in Akron, Ohio
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
, United States.
Dunlop Tyres was the sole tyre supplier to the British Touring Car Championship
British Touring Car Championship
The British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom. The Championship was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and has run to various rules over the years – "production cars", then FIA Group 1 or 2 in the late 1960s...
race for 2003 to 2006 and the V8 Supercars Championship race from 2002 to date. Dunlop also supplies tyres to the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters
Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters
The Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters is a touring car racing series based in Germany, but also with rounds elsewhere in Europe....
and the American Le Mans Series
American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consists of a series of endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Teams compete in one of five classes: LMP1, LMP2 and LMPC...
races.
See also
- Formula One tyresFormula One tyresFormula One tyres play a significant role in the performance of a Formula One car. The tyres have undergone significant changes throughout the history of Formula One, with different manufacturers and specifications used in the sport.-History:...
- Goodyear Tire and Rubber CompanyGoodyear Tire and Rubber CompanyThe Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company was founded in 1898 by Frank Seiberling. Goodyear manufactures tires for automobiles, commercial trucks, light trucks, SUVs, race cars, airplanes, farm equipment and heavy earth-mover machinery....
- Dunlop RubberDunlop RubberDunlop Rubber was a company based in the United Kingdom which manufactured tyres and other rubber products for most of the 20th century. It was acquired by BTR plc in 1985. Since then, ownership of the Dunlop trade-names has been fragmented.-Early history:...
- Dunlop (brands)Dunlop (brands)Dunlop was originally a brand of tyre produced by the Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Company at the end of the 19th century, taking its name from John Dunlop. The brand is now used for many other products either derived from rubber or with a looser connection to rubber.Ownership of the brand has become...
- Dunlop BridgeDunlop BridgeThe Dunlop Bridge is a footbridge situated at a number of racing circuits.The bridge is considered to be one of the most significant landmarks in a motorsport venue particularly the Circuit de la Sarthe and Donington Park., although the latter was removed during renovations for the failed attempt...