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Halfsheet 1928 vintage advertisement celebrates the dominance of
Wakefield Castrol Motor Oil at the Isle of Man TT (Tourist Trophy) races, a historic annual motorcycle event. The poster highlights that winners in all three major categories—Senior, Junior, and Lightweight—used Castrol oil to achieve their victories.
1928 T.T. Race Winners Highlighted
The advertisement showcases the winners of the three main classes held that year:
Senior T.T. (500cc): Won by Charlie Dodson on a Sunbeam motorcycle at an average speed of 62.98 mph. The poster notes that the top three finishers all used Castrol.
Junior T.T. (350cc): Won by Alec Bennett riding a Velocette at an average speed of 68.65 mph. Bennett made history with this win, which was his fifth TT victory, utilizing a newly developed "positive-stop" foot gear-change.
Lightweight T.T. (250cc): Won by Frank Longman on an OK-Supreme motorcycle, leading from start to finish with an average speed of 62.87 mph.
Historical Context
Brand Origins: "Castrol" was a brand name created by Charles Cheers Wakefield in 1909, named for the castor oil that was a key ingredient in its formula.
Marketing Strategy: During the late 1920s, C.C. Wakefield & Co. Ltd. heavily used motorsport successes to promote their products, using the slogan "racing improves the breed" to suggest that performance on the track translated to reliability for everyday motorists.
Design Elements: The poster features a royal crest indicating the company was a supplier "by appointment to His Majesty the King" and includes a statue of the Greek god Hermes, representing speed and commerce. |
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