Total and Citroën celebrate 50 years of lubricants partnership

French oil major Total and Citroën, a brand under the French automaker PSA Group, are celebrating their 50-year lubricant partnership. Their success story, built on innovation and passion for motorsports, has taken the two brands all the way to the top of podiums.

The Citroën brand has amassed eight Manufacturers’ titles in the World Rally Championship and won three consecutive Manufacturers’ titles in the FIA World Touring Car Championship.

Since the partnership began in 1968, Total has helped drive Citroën’s industrial growth worldwide by supplying a wide range of automobile lubricants. Over the decades, the two companies have jointly developed lubricants specifically for Citroën engines, to make them more fuel efficient and environmentally friendly.

The environment is a core concern for Citroën and Total. The pair has pledged to drastically curtail their environmental impact, notably by reducing carbon emissions. Their R&D teams co-develop specific solutions that fit the bill. Their efforts have culminated in the new TOTAL QUARTZ INEO FIRST 0W-20, a synthetic oil for pollution control systems that improve fuel economy by as much as 4%*.

Another cornerstone of the Citroën-Total partnership is dedication to excellence and competitive spirit. The strength of the Citroën-Total motorsports partnership dates back to the Morocco Rally in 1969. Citroën began racking up wins with the Citroën DS 21, and continued its rally-racing saga, stringing together 36 victories and five constructors’ titles in the FIA World Touring Car Cup. An incredible run of successes followed between 2003 and 2012, including eight constructors’ titles and nine drivers’ titles in the World Rally Championship (WRC).

In 2014, Citroën and Total decided to race in the WTCC championship, notching up three constructors’ titles, three drivers’ titles, and 50 wins. In 2017, the two brands made a fresh start in the WRC with the C3 WRC, a two-time winner, in Mexico and Catalonia.

“We are both are preparing to meet the environmental, technological and motorsports-related challenges of the future. The road we’ve already traveled together allowed us to share our dedication to excellence and customer-focused innovation. During those productive years, Total and Citroën have always been able to come up with sustainable solutions,” said Mathieu Soulas, Total Lubrifiants’ chief executive officer.

“After 50 years of working together, we can be proud of our engaged teams and their tremendous contribution to this great success story,” said Linda Jackson, chief executive officer, Citroën Brand.

With 10,000 sales and after-sales points in nearly 80 countries, Citroën sold 1.1 million vehicles in 2017.

* As measured by the M111FE fuel economy test.