What Is the Dunlop Logo?
The Dunlop logo is the flying D: a capital D set inside an arrow-shaped badge, usually shown with the name DUNLOP. It is the mark of Dunlop tyres, whose tyre rights belong to Sumitomo Rubber Industries. The brand began with John Boyd Dunlop's pneumatic tyre of 1888 and a company founded in Dublin in 1889.
The flying D also appears on Dunlop tennis and golf equipment. The Dunlop name is carried by other firms in other trades, from conveyor belts to boots. The tyre mark is available as the Dunlop logo SVG.
Dunlop Logo Facts
| Introduced | Around 1960 |
| Symbol | The letter D inside an arrow, known as the flying D |
| Logo type | Combination mark: flying D and the DUNLOP name |
| Earlier mark | A drop or flag shape with a D in the centre |
| Owner | Sumitomo Rubber Industries |
What the Dunlop Logo Means
The D stands for Dunlop, the surname of the Scottish vet who gave the company its name. In 1888, while living in Ireland, John Boyd Dunlop worked out the principle of the air-filled tyre. He withdrew from the company in 1895 and went back to his veterinary practice, but the company kept his name.
The arrow around the letter gives the mark its nickname. It replaced a drop or flag shape but kept the D at the centre.
Dunlop Logo History
The business was founded in Dublin on 18 November 1889, and the flying D arrived around 1960.
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1889 | The business is founded in Dublin on 18 November |
| 1890 | Dunlop is registered as a trademark; the first tyre plant opens in Dublin |
| Before 1959 | The trademark shows a waterdrop or flag with a D in the centre |
| After 1959 | An arrow with a circle and a D in the centre |
| January 2025 | Goodyear agrees to sell its Dunlop tyre rights to Sumitomo Rubber |
The dating of the arrow comes from the Australian Tennis Museum's records of Dunlop rackets. Wikipedia, citing Dunlop's own heritage pages, dates the flying D to 1960.
Ownership of the name split over the following decades:
- Sumitomo Rubber Industries: became the main holder of the Dunlop trademark.
- Goodyear: held the Dunlop tyre brand in Europe, North America and Oceania.
The 2025 sale to Sumitomo Rubber (compare the Goodyear logo) brought the flying D on car tyres back under one owner in most of the world.
Dunlop at Le Mans
Dunlop first won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1926 with a Lorraine-Dietrich.
- The 1980s: eight Le Mans victories in a row, seven of them with Porsche (compare the Porsche logo) and one with Jaguar.
- 1991: the Mazda 787B won on Dunlop tyres, the first Japanese car and the only rotary-engined car to win the race (compare the Mazda logo).
For more brands like Dunlop, browse our car logos.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Dunlop logo called the flying D?
Because the letter D sits inside an arrow-shaped badge rather than the drop or flag of earlier marks.
Who owns the Dunlop tyre brand?
Sumitomo Rubber Industries. In 2025 it bought the Dunlop tyre rights for Europe, North America and Oceania from Goodyear.
Who was Dunlop named after?
John Boyd Dunlop, a Scottish vet living in Ireland who developed the pneumatic tyre principle in 1888.
When did Dunlop introduce the flying D?
Around 1960. Dunlop rackets made after 1959 carry the arrow-shaped D in place of an earlier drop or flag design.