Dunlop Sponsors Amelia Island, Fla., Concours d'Elegance

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., March 8 -- Dunlop Tires, one of the world's leading high-performance tire brands, announced today that it is the sole tire sponsor for the 10th annual Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance on March 11-13.

Warren Croyle, marketing manager for Dunlop consumer tires, will present The Dunlop Award for the most elegant sports car at the prestigious event. The brand will feature its new Dunlop SP Sport Maxx ultra-performance tire for luxury sports cars.

The charity event at the Ritz-Carlton at Amelia Island has raised nearly $1.3 million for the Community Hospice of Northeast Florida Inc., which provides assistance to terminally ill patients and their families regardless of their ability to pay.

Croyle said the Amelia Island event is the "ultimate automotive experience for the refined car enthusiasts. The Concours aligns perfectly with Dunlop's heritage in motorsports and as original-equipment on many collectible European automobiles, such as Rolls Royce, Bentley, Audi, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and BMW.

"Consider that by the 1920s, Dunlop had developed tires for cars capable of speeds exceeding 200 miles per hour. We were involved in many land-speed records," Croyle said.

The Concours d'Elegance features some of the most unique vintage cars from private collections nationwide, displayed on the fairways of the Golf Club of Amelia Island.

The Dunlop brand targets the "in-the-know driving enthusiast whose passion involves performance and automotive style," Croyle said. "These enthusiasts and their families definitely will enjoy the beauty of these classic automobiles and Amelia Island. And we hope they see how the SP Sport Maxx and its performance capabilities match their drive for excellence."

Dunlop, a global tire brand, has an excellent reputation among performance car enthusiasts. Well known for its prestigious original-equipment fitments and sports car racing heritage, Dunlop is also a key supplier to sport compact enthusiasts featuring "tuner" tire sizes and race series sponsorships.

Dunlop is a signature brand for The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company . For more on its motorsports heritage, go to www.dunloptires.com .