STP is a brand name and trade name for the automotive additives and performance division of the
CloroxThe Clorox Company is a manufacturer of various food and chemical products based in Oakland, California, which is best known for its bleach product, Clorox.- History :...
Corporation.
Founded in 1953 in
Saint Joseph, MissouriSaint Joseph is the largest city in Northwest Missouri, serving as the county seat for Buchanan County. With a 2007 estimated population of 73,912, Saint Joseph is the eighth largest city in the state. The St...
, the company’s name,
STP, was derived from “Scientifically Treated Petroleum”. The company entered into the marketplace with one product, STP Oil Treatment.
In 1961 the company was acquired by the
Studebaker-Packard CorporationThe Studebaker-Packard Corporation was the entity created by the purchase of the Studebaker Corporation of South Bend, Indiana by the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan, in 1954.Packard acquired Studebaker in the transaction...
. Studebaker briefly tied STP into its advertising as an abbreviation for “Studebaker Tested Products”. However, Studebaker-Packard CEO
Sherwood EgbertSherwood Harry Egbert served as president of the Studebaker-Packard Corporation and Studebaker Corporation from 1961 to 1963.A former Marine, Egbert came to Studebaker from the McCulloch Motors Corporation, and, while he was not initially known as an automobile man, he certainly became one once...
felt that STP could one day out-pace its parent company and recruited
Andy GranatelliAnthony "Andy" Granatelli was the CEO of STP.Along with brothers Vince and Joe, Andy first worked as an auto mechanic and 'speed-shop' entrepreneur, modifying engines such as the 'flathead' Ford into racing-quality equipment...
as the CEO of STP to help raise the product’s image. At the same time, Granatelli became the public face of STP, often wearing a white suit emblazoned with the red oval “STP” logo to races, distributing thousands of all-weather STP stickers. Granatelli ran two Novi specials at the
1964 Indianapolis 500The 1964 Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 30 1964. It was won by A.J. Foyt, but is best known for a fiery second-lap accident that resulted in the deaths of Eddie Sachs and Dave MacDonald, involving a total of seven cars...
.
Jim HurtubiseJim Hurtubise was an American race car driver who raced in USAC Champ Cars , as well as sprint cars and stock cars . He was from North Tonawanda, New York...
and
Bobby UnserRobert William "Bobby" Unser is a retired U.S. automobile racer. He is the brother of Al Unser and Jerry Unser, the father of Robby Unser, and the uncle of Al Unser, Jr. and Johnny Unser...
were the drivers. There was a film made of the race centering on the Novis. While
StudebakerStudebaker Corporation, or simply Studebaker , was a United States wagon and automobile manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana. Founded in 1852 and incorporated in 1868 under the name of the Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company, the company was originally a producer of wagons for farmers,...
abandoned auto manufacturing in 1966 to become a closed investment company, STP sales continued to climb to the point where it was spun off Studebaker-Worthington Corporation’s balance sheet and into a publicly traded company in 1969.
For a long time STP was the sponsor of stock-car drivers
Richard PettyFor the president & C.E.O. of Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment, see Richard PeddieRichard Lee Petty is a former NASCAR driver who raced in the Strictly Stock/Grand National Era and the NASCAR Winston Cup Series...
and
John AndrettiJohn Andretti , is an American race car driver. He currently drives the #34 Chevrolet Impala in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for Front Row Motorsports out of Statesville NC. He has won in CART, NHRA Top Fuel Dragsters, endurance racing and NASCAR stock car racing...
on Petty Enterprises famous #43, as well as having been a sponsor of Indy racecar driver
Mario AndrettiMario Gabriele Andretti is a retired American automobile racing driver, one of the most successful Americans in the history of the sport. He is one of only two drivers to win races in Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship and NASCAR...
, John's uncle. That partnership ended shortly after its acquisition by Clorox.
In 1976 STP faced a consumer protection order that required it to have scientific backing for certain statements and prohibited making false claims. In 1978 it paid a $500,000 civil penalty over claims, and in 1995 it paid $888,000 to settle Federal Trade Commission charges of false advertising.
In the fall of 2006, STP fuel additives began being used in
MarathonMarathon Oil Corporation, , headquartered in Houston, Texas, is a worldwide oil and natural gas exploration and production company. Principal exploration activities are in the United States, Norway, Equatorial Guinea, Angola and Canada. Principal development activities are in the United States, the...
gasolines, likely to compete with
ChevronChevron Corporation is an energy company. Headquartered in San Ramon, California, USA, and active in more than 180 countries, it is engaged in every aspect of the oil and gas industry, including exploration and production; refining, marketing and transport; chemicals manufacturing and sales; and...
's
TechronTechron is a patented additive developed by Chevron Products Company, consisting of a family of compounds known as polyether amines. Techron reduces accumulation of deposits in fuel injectors and on intake valves, and minimizes build-up of deposits in the combustion chamber.With the introduction...
additive.