The history of Dunlop Air Assist

1888: John Boyd Dunlop invented the pneumatic tire

When the Scottish vet John Boyd Dunlop sees his son riding a tricycle, he notices how uncomfortable his son is. Cycling over stones and bumps with those hard, rubber tires is not easy. That brings him to an idea that the world will change. He wraps the wheels in thin rubber sheets, glue them together and makes the resilient by pumping them up with a football pump. This makes the pneumatic tire a fact. In 1888 he applied for a patent for his invention and in 1889 he opened his first tire factory in Dublin, Ireland.

1896: Dunlop is deposited as trademark and expands

In 1895, Dunlop also sold its tires in France and Canada, while production facilities were added in Australia and the U.S. Around 1898 the company with the Dublin site moved the production to a bigger plant in Coventry, England, before being transferred to “Fort Dunlop” in Birmingham, a factory site of about 162 hectares.

1913: First Japanese factory opened in Kobel

In 1910, Dunlop opened a branch on Malacca, where a rubber plantation of 20,230 hectares was laid. In 1913 the first Japanese tire factory opened its doors in Kobe. In the course of twenty years, Dunlop’s operation has completely abolished the massive band, and Dunlop had grown from pioneer to the world’s first multinational. The tires were manufactures all over the world and also sold worldwide.

After the Second World War.

At the outbreak of the Second World War, Dunlop was synonymous with success in a whole range of activities – not just in terms of tires, where the brand was leading the market, but also in the areas of brakes, wheels, golf and tennis balls, floor coverings and many other industrial rubber products. This remained so until the end of the sixties.

DUNLOP: An industry-leading company

From the humble beginnings as the Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Company in 1890, Dunlop evolved into an industry-leading company with an innovative edge. Trough successful partnerships with a number of iconic companies over the years, like British Motor Corporation and Moulton Developments, Dunlop sets the bar for quality products and outstanding services.

2007: Foundation of Dunlop systems and Components

Dunlop systems and Components was founded in 2007, following a management buyout of the Coventry-based vehicle suspensions division of previous owners Trelleborg AB. In 2008 Dunlop Systems & Components sets up a division in The Netherlands, bringing in a wide range of air assist products for motorhomes, commercial vehicles and pick-ups.

2017: Dunlop Air Assist by DSC Nederland

In the year 2017 the division Dunlop Systems & Components Nederland becomes independent continuing the business of developing, manufacturing and selling the Dunlop Air Assist products under the tradename DSC Nederland B.V.