Donn-lop????

[michael_1265]

I picked this up at thrift today. I know Dunlop did everything they could to ride the McEnroe Train, and they had a kazillion different racquet models with his name plastered on every one, but I never imagined that they would unashamedly rip off the Donnay color scheme. Unless I am totally wrong about this and Donnay ripped them off, but I don't think so. It doesn't really make sense to me, but maybe this was at a time when Donnay was dominating them.

 

[swizzy]

what is the deal with the signature?

 

[michael_1265]

what is the deal with the signature?

It almost looked real at first glance; a little too neat, maybe. But it's repeated on the other side.

 

[coachrick]

It was interesting how the color styles were represented in various sports and the equipment. It's almost as though some governing body declared certain colors to be de rigueur for certain years. Tennis rackets, snow skis, bicycles, even motorcycles of a given period often looked like they were designed by the same color artist! I resisted the heck out of the change from yellow and black for Volkl and red/deep yellow for Cannondale.

That red, orange, gold/yellow color scheme was certainly popular in the '70s and '80s; but I agree that particular racket shown says "Borg Pro" in no uncertain terms!
http://www.80s-tennis.com/pages/dunlop-mcenroe-bag.html
http://www.thevintager.de/DONNAY-BORG-PRO-BI/en

https://www.etsy.com/listing/257478586/vintage-head-yahoo-2-freestyle-skis

 

[robbo1970]

Looks a bit like this one on the right doesn't it.

http://www.terapeak.com/worth/vinta...rn-borg-signature-bancroft-borg/111755018731/

Dunlop also tried to lure Borg with this one.

http://gameusedonly.com/bjorn-borg-3/

Looks like there is a bit of a story behind that racquet.

 

[michael_1265]

Looks a bit like this one on the right doesn't it.

http://www.terapeak.com/worth/vinta...rn-borg-signature-bancroft-borg/111755018731/

Dunlop also tried to lure Borg with this one.

http://gameusedonly.com/bjorn-borg-3/

Looks like there is a bit of a story behind that racquet.

Wow. Yes, a perfect copy of the Donnay. I wasn't even thinking of that model.

 

[retrowagen]

This Dunlop came after the Donnay Borg; Dunlop did use a red-orange stripe motif over black (or white) on other tennis items in the early 80's. Consider their pro bags and such.

It was admittedly very Donnay-esque, though; I totally agree.

 

[robbo1970]

Wow. Yes, a perfect copy of the Donnay. I wasn't even thinking of that model.

Even down to the positioning of the signature.

My guess is that they are identical, from the same factory, but some had the Dunlop branding and others had the Donnay. Everything about them seems identical.