Press
Falken Tyre Europe GmbH (Falken) reports that its parent company, Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. (SRI), announced at its Board of Directors meeting on November 27, 2025, that it will change the names of seven of its subsidiaries in Europe, North America, Australia and the Pacific region. This includes Falken, whose future name, following registration in the commercial register, is expected to be Dunlop Tyre Europe GmbH in January 2026.
In January 2025, SRI acquired the trademark rights to Dunlop for passenger car tyres in Europe, North America and Oceania. This will enable the company to operate its tyre business worldwide under the Dunlop brand in the future, excluding certain regions and products. As part of its long-term corporate strategy “R.I.S.E. 2035,” which was presented in March 2025, SRI announced that it would place the Dunlop brand at the centre of its future business activities.
The planned rebranding is part of a global brand strategy that aims to strengthen the value of the Dunlop brand and establish it as the preferred choice for customers in Europe. This encompasses not only the products themselves, but interfaces such as service, customer experience and corporate image.
While Dunlop will take the leading position as a premium brand, Falken will remain an important brand in SRI's portfolio, serving the mid-price segment. Another budget brand will be introduced at a later date.
FALKEN takes first place in the BRV Service Award: German Tyre Retail and Vulcanisation Trade Association (BRV) announced tyre brand FALKEN, part of Dunlop Tyre Europe GmbH, as the winner at the BRV General Meeting on 8 June 2026.
Falken is reinforcing its position as a sporty, multi-segment tyre brand at THE TIRE COLOGNE 2026. The exhibition presence addresses the passenger car, off-road and commercial vehicle sectors alike, with a strong focus on the design of technical performance characteristics for use under realistic operating conditions.
Despite a strong performance, Falken Motorsports did not have the necessary racing luck at this year’s ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring. After an impressive comeback, the Japanese tyre manufacturer’s team was forced to end the race prematurely in the first half following an unfortunate accident. Up until that point, Klaus Bachler, Morris Schuring, Sven Müller, and Tim Heinemann had been battling for top positions in front of more than 350,000 spectators along the Nordschleife, steadily working their way up the field with consistently fast lap times.