The business was developed by Alfred Dunhill after he inherited his father's saddlery business on London's Euston Road at the age of 21 in 1893. Alfred Dunhill, responding to the growing demand for automobiles at this time, developed a line of accessories called "Dunhill's Motorities". This first collection included car horns and lamps, leather overcoats, goggles, picnic sets and timepieces, which provided the company with the strap line of "Everything But The Motor". Within a few years, the business moved towards the luxury market with the opening of two Dunhill Motorities stores in Mayfair. By this time, Dunhill's had become known not only for motoring accessories but also for motoring attire. The Dunhill Motorities catalogue featured over 1,300 items. The launch of the Dunhill pipe was a logical step from Motorities; in 1904 Alfred had patented a "Windshield Pipe" to help a driver combat the effects of wind and weather in his open top car. Alfred's first tobacconist and pipe shop opened in 1907 on Duke Street. Alfred retired from the business in the 1920s. In the position of managing director and President were his brother Alfred-Henry, then daughter Mary and finally his grandson Richard and with the interests of the Dunhill family at heart, the business continued to embody the attributes and characteristics of Alfred's personality.
Later history
By the late 1970s, Alfred Dunhill was offering a range of 3,500 luxury products in more than 20 stores round the world. The brand had expanded into offering a range of men's ready to wear clothing. In the 1990s, Alfred Dunhill's store on Jermyn Street was renovated to evoke the atmosphere of a private club, complete with a marble-floored humidor and a barber's shop.
Abridged timeline
1893 – Aged 21, Alfred Dunhill takes over his father's saddlery business and converts it into Dunhill's Motorities, providing 'Everything for the car but the motor'.
1903 – Alfred Dunhill's first dashboard clock marks their entry into the timepiece arena.
1905 – Alfred Dunhill patents his Windshield Pipe, designed to allow comfortable smoking while driving or cycling.
1907 – Having retired from running the Motorities business, Alfred Dunhill opens a pipe, cigar and tobacco store among the men's clubs of Duke Street, St. James's, London SW1.
1910 – Alfred Dunhill opens a pipe factory near the store.
1915 – The trademark White Spot marking is added to Alfred Dunhill's pipes.
1921 – Store opens in New York; Paris store opens three years later.
1927 – Alfred Dunhill launches the revolutionary Unique lighter, the first to be operated using just one hand.
1928 – Alfred Dunhill begins distributing the Namiki pen company's maki-e lacquered pens.
1936 – The famous Facet timepiece, based on Alfred Dunhill's car head-lamp designs, is launched.
1941 – Alfred Dunhill's Duke Street store is bombed during World War II; it was extended and rebuilt in the 1950s and recently renovated.
Alfred Dunhill Limited has licensed Inter Parfums, Inc. to produce and distribute fragrances under the Dunhill brand. The ten-year, worldwide agreement replaces Dunhill's contract with Procter & Gamble, which ended in April 2013.
Rollagas lighters
Developed in the mid-1950s, Dunhill produced one of the first butane gas lighters. This design has remained relatively unchanged since and was regularly used by James Bond in both print and on the screen.
