In the second instalment of our series, Tyre Manufacturers of the World, we take a look at British tyre brands and their origine in the UK.
Dunlop
In 1888, Scottish veterinary surgeon John Boyd Dunlop invented the tyre as we know it today in Belfast, Northern Ireland. As early as 1889, following the success of his invention, he opened the Dunlop group’s first factory in Dublin, Ireland. In 1893, Dunlop’s headquarters moved to Carlisle in the north of England before the entire company moved to the “Fort Dunlop” factory in the town of Birmingham.
After the tyre company went bankrupt in 1984, Dunlop was partially bought by Sumitomo Rubber, which formed a joint venture with Goodyear a few years later to manage the tyre brand throughout the world. Today, Goodyear owns the Dunlop operations in Europe, North America and Oceania while Sumitomo is in charge of Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Avon Tyres
Avon Rubber was created in 1885 in the small village of Limpley Stoke in the heart of the Avon Valley, located in the south west of England. In 1904, the company founded the Avon Tyres brand which sold tyres for cars, motorcycles and bicycles. Avon Tyres and all of the group’s tyres operations were then sold to the American company Cooper Tires in 1997. Although today, the operational headquarters are in the United States, the brand still produces its tyres in the United Kingdom.
Dmack
Originating from Carlisle, in the north of England, the DMACK brand was created in 2009 by Dick Cormack, after many years at Pirelli. His objective: provide tyres for rally cars. The brand has been supplying tyres for the FIA World Rally Championship alongside Michelin since 2011. After focusing on race car tyres, DMACK is now proposing a range of tyres for general road use.
