One great oil. One great story.
More than 40 years ago, Mobil 1™ motor oil was introduced, making it the first globally available full synthetic automotive motor oil. Though it was originally released to safely enhance fuel efficiency, later formulations of Mobil 1 motor oil offered outstanding wear protection over the widest range of temperatures.
Now, more than four decades later, Mobil 1 remains the world’s leading synthetic motor oil brand. It has pushed forward the boundaries of automotive lubricant technology, evolving and improving to keep engines running like new, mile after mile, since 1974. From its important role in the world of motorsports to its many scientific breakthroughs, the Mobil 1 brand has a rich story with plenty of significant landmarks. Our history in a nutshell:
Early 1960's
Product: Synthetic Mobilgrease™ 28 developed to prevent military plane wheel bearings from failing during landings in cold temperatures. Still used in aircraft applications worldwide.
Late 1960's
Product: Mobil™-branded synthetic oil technology used to develop engine oil for big diesel engines powering oil-drilling rigs on Alaska’s North Slope in temperatures as low as -40˚C.
1971
Product: New Concept Engine Oil Team created to develop the first Mobil 1 fully synthetic motor oil — achieving far superior properties than those of conventional oils.
1973
Product: Mobil 1 synthetic motor oil is released in Europe, becoming an instant hit among car enthusiasts and owners of expensive high-performance cars. Formulation changes are made to test a fuel-saving 5W-20 grade in the USA, which becomes Mobil 1 synthetic motor oil.
1974
Product: Mobil 1 synthetic motor oil is commercially introduced in the USA — setting new standards in lubrication technology.
1978
Motorsports: The involvement of the Mobil 1 brand in motorsports officially begins with sponsorship of the Williams Formula One Racing Team.
1979
Motorsports: The Mobil brand enters Grand Prix racing as a sponsor and technical partner of the Williams team; the Mobil 1 brand helps the Williams team take five wins that season.
1987
Motorsports: ExxonMobil sponsors the Benetton F1 team.
Motorsports: The Mobil 1 brand begins the NASCAR season as an associate sponsor of Rusty Wallace’s No. 27 car. On the winding road course of Watkins Glen in August 1987, Wallace drove to victory lane and gave Mobil 1 oil its first NASCAR win.
1988
Motorsports: ExxonMobil’s relationship with the Williams team culminates with a total of 40 race wins, four Constructors’ titles, and three Drivers’ titles.
1989
Product: New Mobil 1 consumer product lines:
- Mobil 1™ Synthetic Grease
- Mobil 1™ Synthetic Gear Lube
- Mobil 1™ Synthetic ATF
Product: The Million Miles Test: A new BMW 325i is filled with Mobil 1 synthetic motor oil, then runs continuously for four years. After the equivalent of a million miles of hard driving, the engine was stripped and examined, revealing that there was no sign of any significant wear.
Motorsports: Rusty Wallace wins the NASCAR Winston Cup Series points standings and gives Mobil 1 oil its first stock car championship.
1992
Product: Chevrolet Corvettes come off the line factory-filled with Mobil 1 synthetic motor oil.
Product: New formula Mobil 1 synthetic motor oil introduced, providing improved high-temperature engine protection.
1995
Motorsports: Mobil / Mercedes-Benz partner with Team McLaren Mercedes, beginning integrated product development with results on and off the racetrack.
1996
Product: Mobil 1™ Advanced Formula launched, with improved anti-wear performance and lower phosphorus levels to increase the life of catalytic converters.
Product: Mobil 1™ Extreme Formula 0W-30 released, providing ultimate temperature protection ranging from 400˚F to colder than -50˚F.
Product: Porsche turns to Mobil 1 0W-40 synthetic motor oil as a factory and recommended service fill for its 1996 models.
1997
Motorsports: SuperSyn technology allows Team McLaren Mercedes cars to perform in extreme race conditions while minimizing engine stress.
Product: Mercedes Benz and Aston Martin cars become factory-filled with Mobil 1 synthetic motor oil.
1998
Motorsports: Team McLaren Mercedes takes Formula One Drivers’ Championship with 100 points and Formula One World Constructors’ Championship with 156 points.
1999
Motorsports: Team McLaren Mercedes’ Mika Häkkinen takes Formula One World Drivers’ Championship for second consecutive season with 76 points.
Product: Mobil launches Tri-Synthetic Formula, offering improved wear protection, cleaner running engines and better high- and low-temperature durability.
Product: The Ford Mustang Cobra R, 2000 model year car is factory filled with Mobil 1 synthetic motor oil.
Product: Mobil 1™ Motorcycle Oils introduced.
2001
Product: All Mercedes-Benz cars come off production line with a service badge recommending Mobil 1 synthetic motor oil.
2002
Product: Mobil 1 oil with Super-Syn introduced for protection under the most extreme use, using technology originally developed for the Team McLaren Mercedes Formula One cars.
2003
Product: Mobil 1 synthetic motor oil selected as original equipment in Bentley Continental GT coupes.
Product: Volunteers begin a 16-month Drive Around the World Expedition, traveling 28,000 miles with Mobil 1 synthetic motor oil and experiencing temperatures from 53°C in the Mojave Desert to -50°C in Siberia, before changing the oil.
Motorsports: The Mobil 1 brand becomes an official partner of NASCAR, the premier motorsports series in the United States.
2004
Product: Emission System Protection (ESP) unveiled. Based on the Mobil “Low Ash” technology, ESP prolongs the life of emission reduction systems in diesel and gasoline engines while maintaining the high performance of Mobil 1 synthetic motor oil.
Product: The original Mobil 1™ Truck and SUV 5W-40 formula protects hard-working engines in high temperatures and delivers outstanding cold-start protection for pickups, vans, sport utilities and other light- and medium-duty trucks.
2005
Product: Mobil 1™ Extended Performance synthetic motor oil launched. Tested in Las Vegas taxicabs, after 100,000 extreme test miles with 15,000-mile oil change intervals, it proved exceptional wear protection of critical engine parts and excellent engine cleanliness.
2006
Product: On May 12th 2006, the world’s fastest ute (HSV Z Series Maloo R8 Ute) set off from Melbourne and endured a challenging 6-month trek around Australia - 37,000 km on all kinds of roads without a single oil change. The engine was inspected after the journey concluded and found to be clean.
2007
Product: Mobil 1 synthetic motor oil selected as the factory fill oil for all 2008 Cadillac Escalade and DTS models, making Mobil 1 oil standard in every new 2008 Cadillac vehicle that rolls off the production line.
2008
Product: Mobil 1 0W-40 synthetic motor oil was selected as the factory and service fill motor oil for the 2008 NISSAN GT-R. The superior performance of Mobil 1 oil was confirmed through various performance and field tests made by Nissan. Mobil 1 oil was selected as the best partner to obtain great performance from the NISSAN GT-R.
2011
Motorsports: In its first year with Tony Stewart driving and Mobil 1 oil under the hood, the Stewart-Haas Racing team achieves its first NASCAR championship winning in the last race of the season with a margin of 1.306 seconds.
2012
Product: Mobil 1 synthetic motor oil continues to add to list of automakers using Mobil 1 oil as factory fill, with original equipment status in 2012 models Porsche, Mercedes AMG, Chevrolet Corvette, Nissan GT-R, Lexus LFA, and more.
2014
Product: The Mobil 1 brand celebrates 40 years since its introduction as the first globally available fully synthetic automotive motor oil.
2017
Product: Mobil 1™ Annual Protection, our ultimate full synthetic motor oil, is introduced. Representing a breakthrough in synthetics technology, the motor oil is scientifically proven to extend oil life, providing protection for one year between oil changes or 20,000 miles, whichever comes first – guaranteed.*
*Follow the recommendations in your owner's manual while your car is under warranty.