Historic black-and-white montage: In the foreground, a bearded man sits thoughtfully at a table; in the background, several people repair an early tire on a street.

Our History

1800s
1900s
1910s
1920s
1930s
1940s
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
PRESENT
1800s
- 1887 John Boyd Dunlop develops the first air cushioning system in history, laying the foundation for the world’s first practical pneumatic tyre.
Black-and-white portrait of an older bearded man in a suit, looking directly at the camera.
- 1888 The tyre as we know it today is patented by Mr. Dunlop.
Historical black-and-white photograph of several men in a workshop conducting early tire experiments.
- 1890 Dunlop® is registered as a trademark & DUNLOP opens its first tyre plant in Dublin, Ireland.
Technical sketch of an early pneumatic tire, including a cross-section and labeled components.
1900s
- 1904 Dunlop developed the first automobile tyre with a lateral groove pattern on the tread.
Black-and-white photo of an early carriage-like vehicle with a wire mesh structure and large spoked wheels.
- 1909 Dunlop establishes Japan's first modern rubber factory called “The Dunlop Rubber Co. (Far East), Ltd.” In Naniwacho, Kobe.This factory initially focused on producing solid rubber tyres for rickshaws and bicycles.
Historical aerial photo of an industrial factory site with multiple buildings and chimneys.
1910s
- 1913 Japan begins producing automobile tyres.
Black-and-white photograph of an early, low-profile tire standing upright against a neutral background.
1920s
- 1922 Development of the first Dunlop steel bead tyre with a woven cord casing trebled tyre life. At the 1922 Motor Show, DUNLOP introduced wide tyres with detachable flange rims, paving the way for wide tyres to become standard as it improved ride comfort for passenger cars.
Black-and-white photo of a delivery truck with large Dunlop branding in front of a building.
- 1926 Dunlop wins Le Mans for the first time with the Lorraine-Dietrich B3-6 Le Mans piloted by André Rossignol and Robert Bloch.
Graphic depiction of the classic Dunlop logo with a red “D” on a yellow background.
- 1927 Dunlop’s tyres break the speed record when Sir Henry Segrave drove the Sunbeam 1000 HP to a world record of 203.79 mph.
Black-and-white photo of a streamlined race car used for speed record attempts.
1930s
- 1930 Dunlop wins Le Mans six times with Bentley, Alfa Romeo, Lagonda, Bugatti, and Delahaye.
Black-and-white photo of a large Dunlop archway with a vehicle passing underneath.
- 1934 Dunlop experiments with tractor tyres changing the tread pattern from horizontal to vertical grooves that improves tread wear and grip on wet roads.
Black-and-white photo of a tractor with early Dunlop tractor tires operating in a field.
1940s
- 1947 Dunlop’s tyres once again enabled land speed records to be shattered, contributing to a new world record of 393.949 mph.
Black-and-white photo of a streamlined record car on a dry salt flat.
- 1948 Dunlop introduces a tubeless tyre with a plastic self-sealing layer on the inner surface casing. This coating prevented loss of air in case of tyre damage.
Technical illustration of a cutaway view of a tubeless tire.
1950s
- 1950 Dunlop takes Six Le Mans wins with a three-peat victory in the Jaguar D-Type.
Black-and-white photo of a crowded starting grid at the Le Mans race.
- 1954 Dunlop Japan produces its first tubeless tyre.
Studio photograph of a Dunlop car tire accompanied by colorful product packaging.
- 1959 Dunlop introduces the first tyre (RS5) incorporating an intensive knife-cut tread pattern, a nylon casing for strength and resistance at high speeds, and a safety shoulder developed by the engineers in Germany.
Studio image of an early Dunlop racing tire against a neutral background.
1960s
- 1960 Dunlop dominates F1 Drivers’ Championships with Jack Brabham, Phil Hill, Graham Hill, Jim Clark, John Surtees, and Jackie Stewart.
Black-and-white image of a waving motorsport checkered flag.
- 1962 Dunlop develops tread pattern technology known as ‘aquajets’ that enabled water to be ejected sideways to minimize hydroplaning.
Black-and-white photo of a race car drifting at high speed through a wet corner.
- 1968 The Dunlop SP Sports won the gold medal at the Leipzig International Trade Fair.
Close-up view of an advanced tire tread pattern with pronounced tread blocks.
1970s
- 1970 Dunlop dominated The World Championship in the East African Safari with wins in 1973 with Toyota, 1972 and 1977 with Ford, and in 1974.
Color photo of a red dirt road running through a green landscape with trees and hills.
- 1972 Dunlop develops the first 60 series steel belt tyre.
Technical illustration of a motorcycle tire cross-section showing the internal structure.
- 1973 Dunlop launches DENOVO the predecessor to run-flat tyres as a ‘fail-safe’ wheel/tyre system. By 1973 it was OE fitment on the Mini 1275GT.
Black-and-white photo of a car showcased with Dunlop Denovo tires, including product images below.
- 1979 Dunlop produces the first mass-market radial tyre for sports engines. Ford and DUNLOP also won the World Rally Championship.
Studio photo of a radial tire with a classic tread pattern against a light background.
1980s
- 1980 Dunlop took eight consecutive Le Mans victories seven with Porsche and one with Jaguar.
Color photo of a large Dunlop arch over a racetrack with two people standing in the foreground.
- 1983 Dunlop presents the TD/Denloc safety and ’fail-safe’ system.
Black-and-white collage showing a car tire and a mechanic working on a machine.
1990s
- 1991 The Dunlop-equipped Mazda 787B becomes the only rotary-powered and first Japanese car to win at Le Mans.
Dynamic color photo of the Mazda 787B racing at night with motion blur and light trails.
- 1994 Dunlop presents the first ultralight construction belt tyre It reduces the vehicle weight by about 12 kg or 26 lbs.
Graphic depiction of the Dunlop logo with a red “D” on a yellow background.
- 1997 Dunlop introduces the high-performance tyre SP Sport 9000 a completely new profile technology.
Studio photo of a high-performance tire with a sporty tread design against a neutral background.
- 1998 Development of the DSST Run Flat tyre, a self-supporting tyre. DUNLOP announced the development of Digital Rolling Simulation (DRS), which is simulation technology that is utilized to develop high-performance tyres quicker and led to the beginning of selling the "Digi-Tyre".
Image of a Dunlop run-flat tire combined with colorful technical illustrations of the tire’s internal structure.
- 1999 Tyre monitoring system WARNAIR is introduced It quickly detects air pressure loss and indicates this to the driver either by an audible or visual warning.
Photo of a car tire on a vehicle, combined with a warning symbol indicating low tire pressure.
2000s
- 2000 Dunlop develops the second-generation run-flat tyre, the CTT Run-Flat, which improved run-flat performance with a reinforced side layer, rounded tread for improved comfort, and reduced weight.
Technical close-up of a cutaway run-flat tire showing reinforced sidewalls.
- 2002 Dunlop introduces the 3S-technology an innovative asymmetrical tri-area tread that unites the aspects of Silent running, Sportiness, and Safety.
Display view with multiple technical charts and measurement graphics related to tire development.
- 2006 Dunlop develops Silent Core a sound-absorbing sponge inside the tyre that absorbs harsh sounds from the road.
Tire tread with a highlighted section and a small inset showing a noise-reducing foam element.
- 2007 Introduces "Touch Technology™" to give drivers a better feel for the road.
Color photo of a winding road through an autumn forest with a visible tire in the foreground.
- 2008 Improves steering response, with Kevlar® pulp inserts in the sidewall.
Close-up of a modern tire showing fine tread grooves and textured surface.
2010s
- 2010 Dunlop earns nine consecutive Le Mans 24h LMP2 class wins and ten consecutive European Le Mans Championship wins.
Black-and-white photo of a Dunlop arch over a racetrack with race cars passing underneath.
- 2013 Dunlop launches the ENASAVE 100, a 100% fossil resource-free tyre.
Studio photo of a slim, eco-friendly car tire from the Ensasave series.
- 2014 Dunlop launches the SP Sport Maxx 050 NEO a run-flat tyre using high-precision metal core manufacturing system, “NEO-T01.”
Studio image of a sporty high-performance tire with a modern tread design.
- 2016 Victory at World Endurance GT Drivers' Championship Marco Sørensen and Nicki Thiim win with Aston Martin on DUNLOP tyres.
Color photo of a modern racetrack featuring red-and-white curbs in a tight corner.
- 2017 Win at Le Mans LMP2 Jonathan Adam, Daniel Serra, and Darren Turner win with Aston Martin on DUNLOP tyres.
Photo of a Dunlop arch on a racetrack at sunset.
PRESENT
- 2020 Cam Waters produces a new Bathurst record lap time of 2.03.559 on the DUNLOP control tyre.
Close-up of a start/finish line with a classic black-and-white checkered flag pattern painted on the asphalt.
- 2025 Sumitomo Rubber Industries acquired the Dunlop brand distribution and trademark rights for North America, Europe, and Oceania. This procurement unified the DUNLOP brand, establishing it as a singular global entity.
Color photo of a modern office building.