Bardahl is a brand name of a line of petroleum

Petroleum

Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...

 lubrication

Lubrication

Lubrication is the process, or technique employed to reduce wear of one or both surfaces in close proximity, and moving relative to each another, by interposing a substance called lubricant between the surfaces to carry or to help carry the load between the opposing surfaces. The interposed...

 products used in automobile

Automobile

An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...

s and other internal combustion engines.

Ole Bardahl

World famous industrialist and founder of Bardahl Oil Company in 1939 and 6 time National Champion owner of the famous Miss Bardahl unlimited hydroplane.Ole Bardahl, a Norwegian

Norway

Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

 immigrant to the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Ole Bardahl (28 Jan 1902 - 11 Aug 1989) arrived in the United States in 1922. When he arrived in Seattle, he had $29 in his pocket and couldn’t speak a word of English. Through hard work he earned the American Dream. He became a millionaire by the age of 39 as a general contracter in Seattle building homes. After that, he founded the Bardahl Oil Company in Ballard , a northwest suburb of Seattle , and with clever animated cartoon advertising won the American consumer to have to the #1 selling oil additive in the world. The company is still owned and managed by the Bardahl family.

1950s

Its original factories were located in Ballard, Washington. In the mid-1950s, Bardahl was the leading brand of motor oil

Motor oil

Motor oil or engine oil is an oil used for lubrication of various internal combustion engines. The main function is to lubricate moving parts; it also cleans, inhibits corrosion, improves sealing, and cools the engine by carrying heat away from moving parts.Motor oils are derived from...

 and oil additive

Oil additive

Oil additives are chemical compounds that improve the lubricant performance of base oil . By utilizing the same base stock, many different oils can be manufactured, each with its distinctive properties. Additives comprise up to 5% by weight of some oils.Nearly all commercial motor oils contain...

s in the United States. The company's products were proven with championship performance with the 6 time National champion hydroplane "Miss Bardahl". The brand continues to market a number of lubricants and additives used in automobile engines and in motor sports.

Bardahl's oil additive was advertised during the 1950s in animated TV commercials which showed the product's effectiveness in combating engine problems such as "Dirty Sludge", "Sticky Valves," "Gummy Rings," and "Blackie Carbon," all of which were anthropomorphized in the commercials. The animated films have been rediscovered and will be released soon.

1960s

In the early 1960s York Research Corporation, an independent commercial testing laboratory of Glenbrook, Connecticut conducted controlled testing on Bardahl. As the result of those tests, York President Warren C, Hyer was featured in regional and national Bardahl television advertisements touting the benefits of Bardahl as an oil additive. For many years the York Research company seal could be found on all cans of Bardahl.

Miss Bardahl

The company remains prominent as a result of its sponsorship of a number of motor sports competitors. The "Miss Bardahl" hydroplane was a 6 time National Champion and 5 time Gold Cup winner, racing in the United States from 1957 to 1969.

Today

Over the years, Bardahl increased its global presence and can now be found in more than 80 countries throughout the world. Today, Bardahl global group ranks amongst the top ten producers in the world. The goal of the company was to provide all types of industry with specialty lubricants that were superior to those currently available. This would eventually include many fuel additives for gas-, diesel- and propane-powered vehicles.

Throughout the years Bardahl became involved in various types of racing, using events as proving grounds for its products, as well as for the new technologies produced by the company's research and development arm. Types included Unlimited Hydroplanes, Offshore Powerboats, Unlimited Airplane Racing, INDY cars and CART Racing, NASCAR

NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...

, Motorcycle

Motorcycle

A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...

 and Snowmobile

Snowmobile

A snowmobile, also known in some places as a snowmachine, or sled,is a land vehicle for winter travel on snow. Designed to be operated on snow and ice, they require no road or trail. Design variations enable some machines to operate in deep snow or forests; most are used on open terrain, including...

racing, to name a few. In its lifetime Bardahl has expanded its product line to include more than 250 different products, including engine oils, motor oil and fuel additives, and specialty lubricants. The company also expanded to foreign markets, opening plants in countries such as France, Mexico and Brazil.

The plant in Toluca Mexico is the largest of all.

OEM Recognition

Bardahl is backed by a global network of distributors throughout 80 countries under several different brands such as Bardahl, and Motron. Formulations meet or exceed OEM Top Tier Performance requirements for the automotive industry:
Audi - BMW - Chrysler - Citroen -
Ferrari - Fiat - Ford - GM -
Honda - Hyundai - Mazda - Mercedes -
Mitsubishi - Peugeot - Renault - Volkswagen -

Other sources

• The Ole Bardahl Story (James W. Phillips. Sons of Norway, 60:46. March, 1963)
• Trønderen Ole Bardahl kom til USA (Brooklyn, NY: Nordisk Tidende. Volume 22, July 11, 1963) Norwegian
• Seattle’s Ole Bardahl - Trønder og multi-millionær (Henning C. Boe. Western Viking, Volume 24, May 19, 1967)

External links

• Bardahl official website
• Bardahl AP Official Website
• http://www.bardahl.com.mx/ Bardahl Mexico
• Bardahl Canada
• Miss Bardahl