Tyres Dunlop

The company Dunlop owes its existence to a three-wheeled bicycle that the son of Scottish veterinarian John Boyd Dunlop used to ride. The caring father noticed the discomfort and inconvenience caused by the solid rubber wheels of the child's vehicle. To eliminate these drawbacks, the doctor wrapped the tire with several layers of rubber, inflating them with a little air. As a result, the world's first pneumatic tire was created, for which a patent was granted on June 3, 1888.

This was the name of the company that John Dunlop headed in 1889. For the first four years of its existence, it was engaged in the production of exclusively pneumatic bicycle tires. In 1893, an epochal event occurred in the history of this company - the production of automotive pneumatic tires began. This coincided with the start of mass production of cars, thanks to which Dunlop tires first appeared in France, Austria, and Germany, and then in Canada.

This is the name the company received in 1896, when it also acquired the world's first laboratory for testing automotive tires, and later, aircraft tires, the production of which began in 1911. World War I, unfortunately or fortunately, forced the company to switch to fulfilling military orders. Nevertheless, scientific developments did not stop, and as a result, the British manufacturer began producing agricultural tires in 1929, on which, a year later, the world's first side lugs appeared.

The history of the "royal races" and the company Dunlop are closely linked. In 1956, the British manufacturer introduced the world's first "rain" tire for Formula 1 racing cars. And in 1958, an epochal event occurred for the entire automotive world. This refers to the nylon cord, which allowed the weight of the tire to be reduced by 30% without compromising its strength. Another innovation that had no less of an impact on the automotive world was presented in 1962, when the company mastered the production of a rubber compound with synthetic rubber. Tires made from it allowed the speed of a Formula 1 racing car to be significantly increased.

The impact of the engineers of this British company on the design of the automotive pneumatic tire is extremely difficult to overestimate. After all, it was they who first divided the tread pattern into several longitudinal rows, providing the tire with not only excellent directional stability but also increased wear resistance.

It is also impossible not to note that this British manufacturer was the first to put into serial production a tubeless tire, as well as a rubber compound with water-repellent properties. Thanks to this, it became possible to produce winter non-studded tires, from Graspic to SJ4, which have earned the trust of car enthusiasts around the world.

Technological leadership became possible thanks to the scientific base that was laid down back in the 1920s. At the same time, the pneumatic tire was considered an integral component of the car. It was this understanding that led to the creation of the world's first testing laboratory for automotive tires. In 1960, scientific research made it possible to discover the effect of aquaplaning, and in 1983, to develop a run-flat tire, which is used by millions of car enthusiasts today.

In our time, the vast scientific base is actively used by the Goodyear concern, which includes the British company. But, unlike Fulda, Kelly, Debica, and Sava, this English manufacturer does not belong to the so-called "second-tier" category of tire companies, being one of the recognized world leaders in the development and production of automotive pneumatic tires.