Editing Castrol (section)

== History ==
[[File:Charles_cheers_wakefield.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Charles Wakefield, founder]]

The "Wakefield Oil Company" was founded by [[Charles Wakefield, 1st Viscount Wakefield|Charles Wakefield]] in [[Cheapside]], [[London]] in 1899. Wakefield had previously 
left a job at [[Vacuum Oil Company|Vacuum Oil]] to start a new business selling lubricants for trains and heavy machinery. 
Eight Vacuum Oil employees joined Wakefield, and the company launched its first [[motor oil|lubricant]] in 1906.

In early 20th century, Wakefield Co. developed lubricants especially suited for automobiles and aeroplanes.<ref name="histuk">{{Cite web |title=Castrol Classic Oils {{!}} History of Castrol and Castrol Classic Oils |url=https://www.classicoils.co.uk/history |access-date=2025-01-09 |website=Castrol Classic Oils |language=en-US}}</ref> The brand "Castrol" originated after researchers added measured amounts of [[castor oil]] (a vegetable oil derived from castor beans) to their lubricant formulations.<ref name=hist>
{{cite web
 |url         = http://www.bp.com/en/global/corporate/about-bp/our-history/history-of-castrol.html
 |title       = History of Castrol
 |website     = BP
 |access-date  = 15 June 2014
 |quote       = Early in the new century, Wakefield took a personal interest in two sporty new motorised contraptions – the automobile and the aeroplane. The company started developing lubricants especially for these new engines, which needed oils that were runny enough to work from cold at start-up and thick enough to keep working at very high temperatures. [...] Wakefield researchers found that adding a measure of castor oil, a vegetable oil made from castor beans, did the trick nicely. They called the new product 'Castrol.'
 |url-status     = live
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20140605040954/http://www.bp.com/en/global/corporate/about-bp/our-history/history-of-castrol.html
 |archive-date = 5 June 2014
}}
</ref>
By 1960, the name of the motor oil had eclipsed the company's name itself so "CC Wakefield & Company" became "Castrol Limited".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-11-26 |title=HISTORY {{!}} ABOUT US {{!}} CASTROL NEW ZEALAND |url=https://www.castrol.com/en_nz/new-zealand/home/about-us/history.html |access-date=2025-01-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201126070016/https://www.castrol.com/en_nz/new-zealand/home/about-us/history.html |archive-date=26 November 2020 }}</ref> In 1966, Castrol was acquired by company [[Burmah Oil]], which was renamed "Burmah-Castrol". Burmah-Castrol was purchased by London-based multinational [[BP]] (then, "BP Amoco plc") in 2000.<ref>{{cite web|title=BP to buy U.K.'s Castrol for $4.7 billion |date= 14 March 2000|url=https://money.cnn.com/2000/03/14/europe/bp_burmah/|website=money.cnn.com|access-date=1 June 2020}}</ref>

At the time of purchase, Burmah-Castrol had a turnover of nearly £3 billion with operating profits of £284 million. The company also had 18,000 employees worldwide, with operations in 55 countries. Respectively, BP Amoco had 80,400 employees worldwide and revenues of more than £63 billion.<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC News {{!}} BUSINESS {{!}} BP buys Burmah Castrol |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/676927.stm |access-date=2025-01-09 |website=news.bbc.co.uk}}</ref>

[[File:Castrol logo (2001-2023).svg|thumb|200px|Previous Castrol logo, used from 2001 until 2023. The logo shown here is the 2006 revised version.]]

While Burmah's operations folded into the group, Castrol has remained as a subsidiary of BP.