Castrol

Castrol is a brand of industrial and automotive lubricants which is applied to a large range of oil products for most lubrication applications. The brand is part of the BP Group of companies, but has retained its separate identity.

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History

In February 1899, Charles Cheers Wakefield took what was perhaps the greatest risk of his working life: he resigned from the Vacuum Oil Company over a disagreement with the management regarding Vacuum Oil's foray into the railroad lubricants sector, and set himself up as competition. He could not have guessed that the firm he left behind would go on to become Mobil Oil.

Wakefield rented three small rooms on the third floor of 27 Cannon Street in the heart of London, and it was there, on Thursday 9 March 1899, that the firm of C.C.Wakefield & Co opened its doors for the first time. Little did he know then, that his fledgling company – the nine-man, three-room C.C.Wakefield & Co – would grow into one of the largest, most innovative and highly respected lubricants businesses in the world – CASTROL....

In 1909, the company began production of a new automotive lubricant named "Castrol" (a contraction of castor oil, from which it was made). The company developed specific oil applications for various applications of the new internal combustion engine, including automobiles, motorcycles, and aircraft.

In 1966, Castrol was acquired by British oil company Burmah, which was renamed Burmah-Castrol. In 2000, Burmah-Castrol was acquired by the then BP Amoco plc (now renamed BP plc). Castrol branded lubricants continue to be sold around the world and are, in many countries, market leaders.

Castrol products

A747 is considered by many^{[citation needed]} to be the premier oil for 2 stroke racing motorcycles. It has a distinctive smell that can be recognized instantly and is often nostalgic. This characteristic smell derives from the Castor oil base lubricant.^{[citation needed]}.

Other brands offered by Castrol around the world for cars include XL, GTX, GTD, Magnatec, Formula RS, EDGE, Synt, Syntec synthetic oils, SLX. For motorcycles, they include TT, TTS, GP, GPS, Act>evo, Power1.

Castrol produce oils for the whole arena of automotive lubrication, including 2 and 4 stroke motorcycle engines, car petrol and diesel engines, an extensive range of manual and automatic transmission fluids, chain lubricants and waxes, coolants, suspension fluids, brake fluids, greases, maintenance products.

Castrol also produce products for agriculture, plant, industry and marine uses.

Sponsorship

The most prevalent display of the Castrol brand is to be found in sponsorship of varying motorsports (mainly as a "technical partner"), currently in the World Rally Championship, MotoGP, World Superbikes and World Supersports. Castrol have previously been formally involved in Formula 1, World Touring Cars, British Superbikes, British Rallying, DTM, V8 Supercars, Dakar Rally, Sidecar Racing - and more!

In North America, Castrol has been an active sponsor of NHRA drag racing, especially with John Force's funny car under the GTX brand. The company has also sponsored the Brewco Motorsports #27 car in the NASCAR Busch Series, driven by Casey Atwood.

In 2007 Castrol is due to sponsor the Bugatti Veyron in its attempt to set a new Guinness landspeed record in the road-going production car category.

Castrol is one of the most popular oils used in the Australian Touring Car/V8 Supercar series with Castrol as one of Ford Performance Racing's title sponsors. Castrol has been sponsoring Perkins Engineering for many years, most of them as a title sponsor until 2006. Castrol has also have hold the rank of title sponsor with Team Bray, owned by Australian drag car legend, Victor Bray for 17 years.

For the 2007 Formula 1 World Championship, Castrol also sponsor the Williams F1 Toyota team.

Castrol sponsored Swindon Town Football Club from 1995 to 1997. In the first season of this two-year deal, Swindon were Division Two champions.

Castrol has recently began to sponsor a popular Nintendo podcast called Lithcast.

Another interesting sponsorship by Castrol is of the UEFA Euro 2008 football tournaments.

Speed records

Historically, Castrol has been a prolific sponsor of World Land Speed Records , with 21 "titles" to their credit, and their rightful claim of the "World's 'Fastest' Oil", with their current unbroken record of a supersonic speed of 763.035 mph (1,228 km/h) set by RAF pilot SqnLdr Andy Green, in the Richard Noble 'brainchild' Thrust SSC. This occurred in the USA at the Black Rock Desert in Nevada, on 15 October 1997.

Advertising

Advertisements for Castrol oil feature the slogan "Castrol - liquid engineering". For many years the opening notes of the second Nachtmusik movement of Mahler's Seventh Symphony was used as the signature theme of Castrol TV commercials.