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Underscoring Texaco’s commitment to pre-testing its new products under real driving conditions, the company brought out New Havoline® Super Premium All Temperature 10W-40 in 1971 after State Troopers had tested the motor oil under various conditions to replicate the driving habits of motorists in power-option-equipped vehicles. The company also introduced additional multigrades, 5W-30 and 20W-50, to meet the needs of motorists in extreme temperature areas.
In 1972, Texaco devised a new way to demonstrate the quality of its lubricants in the demanding, high-profile world of auto racing. The company scored big with its first sponsorship of Emerson Fittipaldi, who became world champion on the Formula One circuit in 1972. Four years later, Britain’s James Hunt drove a Texaco-backed McLaren-Ford to the Formula One world title. Texaco made auto racing history in 1978 when it sponsored Janet Guthrie, driver of the “Texaco Star Wildcat” on the Indy Car and National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) circuits. After becoming the first woman to start and finish the Indianapolis 500, Guthrie was named spokesperson for Havoline brand advertising.
The next round of lubricant product testing paved the way for the introduction of Havoline® All Temperature 10W-30 in 1978. Its launch followed a three-year period in which more than 1 million new U.S.-built cars were delivered to dealers with this multigrade product in their crankcases.
In 1979, Texaco capped the decade with the development of a new generation of motor oil, Havoline® Supreme 10W-40. To maximize fuel efficiency, the product contained a special friction-reducing additive to help lower engine friction. Exhaustive engine tests – in State Police cars, New York City taxis, and Texaco employee vehicles – established that the new Havoline Supreme offered unbeaten mileage compared with leading competitive products. In the words of Technologist Dr. Ron Von Allmen: “The development of Havoline Supreme was a tremendous accomplishment, but it was not necessary to reinvent the wheel. We had at our fingertips the decades of research and experience that went into the making of such fine Texaco motor oils as Havoline Super Premium.”
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