About Castrol
Castrol is a legendary British lubricant brand with over 125 years of heritage, founded on 19th March 1899 by Charles "Cheers" Wakefield in Cheapside, London. After leaving Vacuum Oil Company, Wakefield launched C.C. Wakefield with eight colleagues, initially selling lubricants for trains and heavy machinery before pivoting to the emerging motor industry. The breakthrough came when Wakefield's researchers discovered that adding castor oil—a vegetable oil from castor beans—created ideal lubricant properties. The revolutionary product was named "Castrol," a contraction of Castor Oil, launching in 1906. Castrol pioneered sponsorship marketing, with the brand appearing at aviation events, auto races, and land speed record attempts. During the 1920s-30s, 18 of 23 land speed records were broken with Castrol in the engine. Castrol's motorsport connections include lubricating the engine for Alcock and Brown's first trans-Atlantic flight in 1919. By 1960, the brand had eclipsed the company name, transforming C.C. Wakefield into Castrol Limited. Burmah Oil acquired Castrol in 1966, with the combined company joining BP in 2000. In December 2025, Stonepeak acquired a 65% majority stake. Today, Castrol products are sold in over 150 countries and partner with Renault, Volvo, Komatsu and other global brands. Compare Castrol motor oil prices on Grocefully.











