LUBRICATION FIRSTS

Carbon build-up was the curse of early engines. Duckhams New Process oils, introduced in 1922, cut it markedly. Within a year more than 60 British car makers specified them, with special grades for the air-cooled Rover Eight and fast Vauxhalls.

In 1933 MG gave Duckhams its sole recommendation, not just for the engine but for the gearbox and axle too, as synchromesh gearboxes reached mass-market cars. Its engine oil, Duckhams N.P.5 (Aero), was the only one the M.G. Car Company recommended.

After a research trip to the USA, Duckhams’ Dr Cecil Pepper brought back the idea of a multigrade oil. Duckhams Q, launched in 1951, was Europe’s first: one green oil for cold starts and summer heat, instead of changing grades with the seasons.

The BMC Mini put its gearbox in the engine’s sump, so one oil had to protect both. Duckhams Q20W-50 could take the shearing of the gears and the heat of the engine together, helping make the Mini’s compact layout work.