Castrol Logo PNG
The original corporate design sets the Castrol logo apart from the competition. It conveys impeccable product quality, high demand, and naturalness. Bright accents quickly attract attention and highlight the company’s activity. The mark also reflects the movement that branded oils and lubricants bring.
Castrol: Brand overview
Castrol began on March 9, 1899, when Charles Cheers Wakefield left Vacuum Oil Company and opened C.C. Wakefield & Company in London with eight former colleagues. The firm first sold lubricants for steam locomotives and heavy industrial equipment. Still, Wakefield soon focused on cars and aircraft, whose engines needed oil that performed well during cold starts and under high heat.
In 1906, the company released its first motor lubricant. Its formula used a measured amount of castor oil, which helped give the product its name: Castrol, from “castor oil” and “lubricant.” Wakefield then tied the brand to racing and aviation. In 1919, John Alcock and Arthur Brown crossed the Atlantic nonstop with engines using Castrol. In 1927 and 1929, Henry Segrave set land speed records with Castrol-backed cars, including Golden Arrow at Daytona Beach.
During World War I, Castrol oils were used in military aircraft and armored vehicles. By the 1930s, the brand was present in many markets, and in 1960, C.C. Wakefield & Company officially became Castrol Ltd. In 1966, Castrol joined Burmah Oil Company, and in 1968, the company launched Castrol GTX. By the late 1960s, Castrol products were sold in more than 140 countries.
In 2000, BP Amoco bought Burmah-Castrol, which had 18,000 employees and operated in 55 countries. Castrol remained a separate brand under BP. In 2012, Castrol lubricant was used in NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover mission. In December 2025, Stonepeak agreed to acquire a 65% stake in Castrol from BP. Its long-term competitors include Mobil (Mobil 1) and Shell (Shell Helix).
Meaning and History
Over more than a hundred years of Castrol’s operation in its target audience’s market, nine variants of the logo have been presented. With the exception of the first logo, introduced in 1899, all subsequent redesigns were made in the same style, greatly increasing the brand’s visual recognition.
What is Castrol?
This is one of the most famous companies globally that specializes in the production of engine oil. Products manufactured by this brand are available to car owners in more than 100 countries worldwide.
1899 – 1917
The Castrol brand dates back to the late 19th century, specifically to the Wakefield Oil Company. Charles Cheers Wakefield created her.
The logo at this stage was a red rectangle with several elements inside. There was a thick white horizontal line in the center with “Castrol” written in classic bold sans-serif. All black letters were capitalized. Also, if you look closely, you can see that they are arched. Around this horizontal line was a yellow circle with two black outlines. The company’s name was written on top and bottom, namely “Wakefield” and “Motor Oil.” This element was also done in a classic font, but the lines in the words are much thinner.
1917 – 1929
The first redesign took place 18 years after the company was founded. It was at this stage that the familiar red-green color palette appeared. The main title, namely “Castrol,” was handwritten and looked extremely convincing. As in the previous version, the words “Wakefield” and “Motor Oil” were present at the top and bottom. They were made in a classic sans-serif typeface. All letters in these inscriptions were white.
1929 – 1946
The main change in the new “Castrol” redesign is the updated background, now white. The main inscription was also made in a cursive style, but less explicit. Diagonal lines when connecting symbols look modern and convincing. Due to the change in background color, additional inscriptions were no longer white but green. Also, an additional red rectangle appeared in the upper right corner, inside of which “Patent” was written in white letters.
1946 – 1958
At this point, the logo’s shape changed from a rectangle to a green circle with a black outline. Inside it was a white rectangle from which additional vertical lines emanated in the upper-left and lower-right corners. In the center of the rectangle was “Castrol,” written in red letters. The italic style, however, remained identical. Above and below the title were the words “Wakefield” and “Motor Oil” written in black letters. All the words on the emblem were written diagonally upwards.
1958 – 1968
The green circle and rectangle with additional elements remained unchanged. In this case, the black outline was removed, and only one word remained in the center of the rectangle, namely “Castrol.” Moreover, it was written in a classic bold sans-serif font. Consequently, the company moved away from using cursive styles and italics.
1968 – 1992
The green circle’s background is a white square with a green outline. The rectangle now had only one vertical line in the upper left corner. The points on the circle that were in contact with the rectangle had no outline. If we talk about the inscription itself, italics appear in it again.
1992 – 2001
After another redesign, the green color began to take up even more space on the Castrol logo. Now the green circle with a white outline was inside the green square. The verbal inscription remained identical to the previous version.
2001 – 2006
The company’s logo and emblem had an unusual background. It looks like a rectangle with a large rounding on the left side. There was a green circle with a white rectangle inside. However, red dots now appear on the horizontal line where “Castrol” used to be. The closer they were to the right side, the more united they became. On the right was a red inscription with a slightly changed font. For example, the vertical line in the letter “a” was missing.
2006 – 2023
In the latest redesign, minimal changes have been made. For example, the circle’s color became brighter, as did the red inscription. Moreover, it stretched across the entire background.
2023 – today
In late February 2023, Castrol updated its visual identity, including its logo, which became more straightforward and minimalist while maintaining the overall composition. The team at Landor & Fitch retained the primary elements: a green circle divided into two parts by differently colored stripes and a red cursive inscription. Only details such as line shape, font, and proportions changed.
- First, the thin green frame that made the old logo resemble a tag was removed. Its removal is due to a desire for minimalism, to improve the logo’s readability, and make it clean and concise.
- Second, the red stripe in the green circle became whole, no longer disintegrating into quadrilateral pixels. This created a modern and clean image. Some consumers criticized this step, as the blurred squares in the past represented a stylized checkered flag, an essential symbol for a company associated with motorsports.
- Third, the red line now extends upwards and forms a “boomerang,” resembling a receding road. The curve dividing the green circle into two parts became smoother. All of this infuses the emblem with energy and dynamism.
- Fourth, the font of the word “Castrol” remained italic but became more standard. This change improved the inscription’s readability. Designers used the Gilroy grotesque as a basis and slightly modified the letters, in particular, adding a cut at the top of the “l” to match a similar cut on the “t.”
Landor & Fitch’s employees simplified the logo to display better on small-screen devices, while retaining Castrol’s iconic colors: white, green, and bright red.
Font and Colors
During the company’s market operation for the sale of engine oil, several fonts were used for the logo. The peculiarity was the use of cursive and cursive styles. Now the company has a legible and unique logo. Rounded corners and the main emphasis on the brand name attract potential buyers’ attention.
After the first logo redesign, the company concluded that its traditional palette would be red, green, and white. It looks modern and confident, prompting car owners to consider Castrol. Green is associated with life and ambition, while red indicates the project’s passion and ambition.