Zuber Issa, the billionaire entrepreneur who co-led the £6.8 billion acquisition of Asda in 2021, is investing millions in a new venture — the revival of Duckhams, a storied British motor oil brand once favoured by Formula 1 legends including Nigel Mansell and Ayrton Senna.
Issa’s investment, made independently of his brother Mohsin, is set to value Duckhams at approximately £50 million and will help propel the brand into new international markets while expanding its presence in the UK. The company, based in Bolton and employing around 100 people, is preparing for a five-year global expansion plan targeting 50 markets, up from the current 24.
“It’s great to see it back,” said Professor David Bailey, automotive industry expert at Birmingham University. “It is a brand very much intertwined with British motoring heritage and sport. It was sadly killed off as a brand under BP ownership.”
Founded in 1899 by chemist Alexander Duckham in Millwall, east London, Duckhams was once the lubricant of choice for British automotive icons including Austin, Bentley, Rolls-Royce and Rover. In 1951, the company launched Duckhams Q, Europe’s first multi-grade motor oil. It later gained global recognition through its sponsorship of Formula 1 teams, including James Hunt’s Hesketh Racing.
After being acquired by BP in 1969, the brand was heavily promoted throughout the 1970s and 1980s. However, by 2000, BP began consolidating its motor oil products under the Castrol name, and Duckhams disappeared from most markets.
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