Castrol
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2008-06-13T09:40:57Z
Motorex
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/* Products */
[[Image:castrollogo.jpg|200px|right]]
'''Castrol''' is a [[brand]] of [[Industry|industrial]] and [[automotive]] [[lubricants]] which is applied to a large range of [[Oil|oils]], [[Grease|greases]] and similar products for most [[lubrication]] applications. The Castrol brand is part of the [[BP]] Group of companies, but has retained its separate identity.
==History==
In February [[1899]], [[Charles Wakefield, 1st Viscount Wakefield|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 [[Rail transport|railroad]] lubricants sector, and set himself up as competition. The firm he left behind would go on to become [[Mobil|Mobil Oil]].
Wakefield [[Renting|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.
In [[1909]], the company began production of a new [[Automobile|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 cars, [[motorcycles]], and [[aircraft]]. The original 3 grades of oil being CW for cars, C for motorcycles and R for aircraft and racing engines.
In [[1966]], Castrol was acquired by [[United Kingdom|British]] oil company [[Burmah Oil Company Ltd.|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.
==Products==
Castrol offers lubricants for virtually all domestic, commercial and industrial applications. Some of the bigger, current product brands offered by Castrol include:
- for passenger cars: Edge, Magnatec, Syntec, GTX<br />
- for motorcycles: Power1, PowerRS, Act>evo<br />
- for heavy duty vehicles: Elixion, Enduron, Hypuron, Tection, CRB, Agri<br />
- for ships: Cyltech, TLX Plus<br />
- for industrial applications: Hyspin (hydraulic), Aircol (compressors), Alpha (industrial gears)
More specialist, less well-known or discontinued brands of note for cars include XL, GTD, Formula RS, Synt and SLX. For motorcycles, they include TT, TTS, GP, GPS and Go!.
[http://www.castrol.com/castrol/productdetailmin.do?categoryId=9003076&contentId=6008867 Castrol A747] is considered by many{{Fact|date=February 2007}} 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.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}.
Castrol produce oils for the whole arena of automotive lubrication, including [[motorcycle]] [[Two-stroke oil|2-stroke]] and [[Motorcycle oil|4-stroke]] engines, car [[Petrol engine|petrol]] and [[diesel engine]]s, an extensive range of manual and automatic transmission fluids, chain lubricants and waxes, [[coolant]]s, suspension fluids, brake fluids, [[grease]]s, cleaners and maintenance products.
Castrol also produce products for [[agricultural machinery]], [[Factory|plant]], general [[industry]] and [[marine engineering]] uses.
Castrol products were voted best/most trusted products in switzerland.<ref>Peterson. J:"Auto Illustrierte" July, 2007.</ref>
==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]], [[Grand Prix motorcycle racing|MotoGP]], [[Superbike World Championship|World Superbikes]] and [[Supersport racing|World Supersports]]. Castrol have previously been formally involved in [[Formula One|Formula 1]], [[World Touring Car Championship|World Touring Cars]], [[British Superbike Championship|British Superbikes]], [[British Rally Championship|British Rallying]], [[Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters|DTM]], [[V8 Supercars]], [[Dakar Rally]], [[Drag racing]], [[Superside|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]].
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 F.C.|Swindon Town Football Club]] from [[1995]] to [[1997]]. In the first season of this two-year deal, Swindon were [[Football League Second Division|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 see www.castrolindex.com
==Speed records==
Historically, Castrol has been a prolific sponsor of World [[land speed record|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 [[Royal Air Force|RAF]] [[fighter pilot]] [[Squadron Leader|Sqn Ldr]] (then) [[Andy Green]], in the [[Richard Noble]] 'brainchild' [[ThrustSSC]]. This occurred in the [[USA]] at the [[Black Rock Desert]] in [[Nevada]], on [[15 October]] [[1997]].
==Advertising==
Castrol products are still marketed under the red, white and green colour scheme that dates from the launch of Castrol motor oil in 1909. Advertisements for Castrol oil historically featured the slogan "Castrol - liquid engineering"; this was more recently refreshed and reintroduced as "It's more than just oil. It's liquid engineering.". For many years the opening notes of the second ''Nachtmusik'' movement of [[Mahler]]'s [[Symphony No. 7 (Mahler)|Seventh Symphony]] were used as the signature theme of Castrol TV commercials.
==External links==
{{Primarysources|date=February 2007}}
*[http://www.castrol.com/ Official Site - Castrol Motor Oil]
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/676927.stm BP buys Burmah Castrol] report on [[BBC]] News
*[http://www.edge.castrol.co.uk Castrol Edge Motor Oil]
{{British Royal Warrant holders}}
[[Category:Multinational companies]]
[[Category:Petroleum products]]
[[Category:Motor oils]]
[[Category:Oil and gas companies of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Chemical companies of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Automotive companies of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Companies established in 1899]]
[[Category:BP]]
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