Caltex Australia unveils new Ampol logo

Caltex Australia has taken an important step towards its revitalisation as Ampol, with the unveiling of the new Ampol logo, after the company announced last December that Chevron Corp. had terminated its permission to use the Caltex name.

“Trusted and high-quality products, a commitment to customer service, market leading networks and infrastructure and playing a positive role in local communities remain at the heart of our business, as they were when Ampol was established over 80 years ago,” said Interim Chief Executive Officer Matthew Halliday.

“At the same time, the new Ampol logo reflects our growth and evolution into new markets and geographies and our ongoing drive to be world-class in everything we do. Our fresh new symbol will connect Ampol with a new generation of customers and underpins our commitment to again make it Australia’s most loved and admired fuel brand.”

The new Ampol logo draws on key elements from the heritage Ampol brand, including the original red and blue bands, capturing the organisation’s proud history as a company built for Australians.

The new, modern and distinctive leaning ‘A’ symbolises the company’s forward momentum with the striking and simple symbol to be a beacon for customers when on the road.

The logo unveiling comes ahead of the company’s annual general meeting where formal approval is sought for the name change of Caltex Australia to Ampol.

The first Ampol sites will appear in Sydney and Melbourne in the second half of 2020, with roll out nationally in 2021. The transition from Caltex to Ampol will be completed by the end of 2022.

Ampol emerged from The Great Depression in 1936, founded by Sir William Gaston Walkley. The company name was derived from the acronym Australian Motorists Petrol Company (AMP).

Ampol was the first first publicly listed oil company in Australia, launching on the Australian share market in 1948 as AMP before changing its name the following year to Ampol Petroleum Ltd.

In 1965 it built the Lytton Refinery in Brisbane, giving Australia its first wholly-owned and-operated refinery, which is still a major part of the company’s operations.

In 1988 it was acquired by Pioneer International, now known as concrete company Hanson Australia. The following year Pioneer bought Solo Oil, which at the time was Australia’s largest independent distributor and retailer of petroleum products. In 1995, the company merged with Caltex, which at the time was a joint venture between two American oil giants Chevron and Texaco, to form Australian Petroleum Pty. In 1997,  Australian Petroleum Pty. was renamed Caltex Australia. In  March 2015, Chevron sold its 50% stake in Caltex Australia for AUD4.62 billion (USD3.16 billion).

However, Chevron announced it is re-entering the Australian fuel retail market last December, with its purchase of Puma Energy (Australia) Holdings Pty Ltd. for AUD425 million (USD291 million) from Puma Energy Asia Pacific B.V. The acquisition of Puma Energy (Australia) Holdings Pty Ltd is expected to close in mid-2020, subject to regulatory approvals and the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.