ENGINE OIL

Even in today’s supposed ‘eco-friendly’ world, the link between the modern motor car and the petrochemical industry remains unbroken. From most interior plastics to the fuel that still powers over 98% of cars registered on our roads, perhaps the most obvious link to fossil-fuel is the engine oil.

Planes, trains and automobiles

Whether mineral oil, intended for a four-pot classic, or a sophisticated synthetic lubricant for a modern direct-injected turbocharged triple, the ‘base stock’ originates from crude oil. Yet, while nature provides the raw material, humans deliver the development. Petroleum-based mineral oil was less prone to solidifying when cold and leaving fatty deposits behind at higher temperatures, compared to animal and vegetable oils, making it more suited to the harsh environment of an internal combustion engine. Yet, the raw product remains from perfect.

One of the notable pioneers of lubricating oil in the UK was Charles Cheers Wakefield, a publicity-conscious entrepreneur, whose business diverted from railway lubricants to supplying engine oils for motor vehicles in the early twentieth century. While supplying buses initially, the Wakefield Motor Oil company became an engine oil sponsor for more exciting competitive events to prove its engineering prowess. This successful publicity campaign began not with motorcars but monoplanes, possibly looking to cash-in on the notoriety of Louis Bleriot, a French car accessory manufacturer, who flew to England over the English Channel in under 40 minutes. By adding