In 1974, AmsOil was only two years old, and destined to shake up the oil industry like never before. It was hard to market synthetic oils. "Fossil oil" manufacturers laughed at them and their contention that synthetic oil was a "breakthrough" that would eventually obsolete fossil oils. These manufacturers spread lies about synthetic oils, while feverishly trying to copy AmsOil's success in the marketplace. AmsOil used "person-to-person" marketing similar to that used by the most successful marketing company in the nation, Amway. They ignored the "person-to-person" aspect of Al's marketing scheme and tried to sell it by mass marketing through their usual outlets, gas stations and parts houses, simply putting it on the shelves and not explaining why $5 a quart, against $1 a quart or less for fossil oil was less expensive in the long run.MILEAGE, NOT PER QUART
They couldn't figure out, and thus couldn't explain why a customer should look at the MILEAGE cost, not the cost per quart. Four or five quarts over 25,000 miles versus 40 quarts required to replace the oil every 3,000 miles, plus eight oil filters would cost the customer significantly MORE over 25,000 miles while making the engine last longer. Then there is all that lost time while waiting for someone to change your oil or the time it takes to do it yourself every 3,000 miles. Is your time worth money? All this oil changing costs the customer more than $250 over 25,000 miles, PLUS the time it takes to change oil over and over eight times.
LESS FRICTION
Synthetic oil makes your car run cooler, and gives you significantly less friction (which is an engine-killer) because it is, compared to fossil oil, "super-slippery." One time, I sponsored a race car, which was "running hot" and for which the owner was ready to put money into an oil cooler. We had to spray his radiator with cold water after every race to cool it down enough to shut it off. I told him to wait until after we put AmsOil in it. He did, and when he came into the pits after the first race with AmsOil in the engine, he told us not to bother with spraying the engine. It was running 50 degrees cooler and was not even hot.
In addition, it clings to the parts when you shut the engine down, giving you the assurance of NO "dry starts," ever. Fossil oils "drop down" into the crankcase when you shut the engine down, and there is a split second when you start where the engine is running dry. That can account for a LOT of engine wear. One engine additive company runs ads where a commentator is heard to say, "This man is about to do the worst thing he can do to his engine." Then the sound of an engine starting up is heard. 'Nuff said.
WINTER STARTS
One of the things everybody would like to eliminate is the "winter start," where the engine is sluggish when you start it, dragging down your battery and making it hard to turn over until the oil becomes liquid. It's only a second, and unless you have an old battery, you sometimes don't even notice it, except for the sluggish turnover of your starter. AmsOil (and every pure synthetic; there aren't many) does not "gum up" at below-zero temperatures and "clings" to the engine parts. So there is NEVER a "winter start." Your engine starts like in summer in the dead of winter. Synthetic oils were INVENTED as a "cold-weather oil."One little-known fact is that Hitler was working on a synthetic lubricant to solve his problems in trying to take over Russia. His vehicles stalled because the fossil oils they were using "gummed up." Their guns jammed for the same reason. He desperately needed a lubricant that would not "gum up" in low temperatures. Fortunately, we put him out of business before he was successful, or we'd now be speaking German.
PHONY SUIT
Some said the very name was a copy of Amway's success while ignoring the name of AmsOil's founder, Al Amatuzio and its similarity. AmsOil's name was originally AmzOil, using the "Z" from Al's name. But a national marketer of fossil oils took exception to the use of that "Z" and sued AmsOil to get them to stop using that letter, complaining that it was an obvious imitation of their name, Pennzoil, (which it wasn't). No matter, Al simply stopped using that letter and went on, earning millions for himself and his myriad dealers while making life easier for car owners everywhere.
LIES
One of the lies told by fossil oil makers was that AmsOil was "untested," and would hurt your engine. So Al took out an insurance policy that would replace ANY engine that could reliably be proven to have been hurt by use of his product. He has never had to pay off for a ruined engine, in more than thirty years and use of his oil in millions of cars. They conveniently forget that jet planes (which Al used to pilot, and where he got the idea to use synthetics in automobiles) and rocket ships could NOT fly without synthetics because of the wide parameters in temperature the lubricants must withstand while fossil oils could not measure up. You can make a synthetic oil to withstand ANY parameter. It just took money. Some of the lubricants in the space program cost as much as $25,000 an OUNCE. But the important thing is, they WORKED, and made space flight possible. Synthetics for automobiles aren't that expensive. The cost factor is such that its use can actually SAVE you money on the COST of the oil and filter alone. Then it goes on to do all the things mentioned above, while making your engine last longer and run better with less maintenance.
IMITATION: THE SINCEREST FORM OF FLATTERY
Today, every fossil oil maker has what they call a "synthetic." After Al Amatuzio showed them it could be done, by taking away a significant percentage of their market, they finally realized that synthetics were "the wave of the future" and stole his ideas to come up with their own. One company, that was an early imitator, made a big mistake in their so-called "synthetic's" formulation. It was incompatible with fossil oil. So to use it, you had to have your engine emptied and steam cleaned on the inside before you could change over. They finally rectified their mistake and their "synthetics" are now compatible.
They're now marketing a "three-tier" system where you can buy an oil that gets 5,000 miles or pay more to get one that is good for 7,500 miles. Or pay a lot more and get one good for 15,000 miles. Ain't that great? Unfortunately, none of them are PURE synthetics. They're all "synthetic blends." Which meant they're all PARTIAL synthetics. So far, NONE of them have had the guts to claim 25,000 miles, as AmsOil has been doing for more than thirty years, now.
NO FULL SYNTHETIC
There's a good reason for that. None of them have a FULL synthetic and they're all years behind in research and development to AmsOil. But their prices are similar to that charged by AmsOil for their FULL synthetic. AmsOil does have a "para-synthetic," designed for fleets and other cars that have oil leaks, so as not to be as expensive when the oil leaks out. But it is significantly less expensive. It's good for 15,000 miles and gives you many of the same benefits of a full synthetic, for a lot less money.
I get really incensed when I hear the ads run by AmsOil's chief imitator saying they're "the oil that changed oil." They're not. They're just the first one to IMITATE the REAL "oil that changed oil," AmsOil. Now everybody's doing it after Al proved there was a market, even at a higher price PER QUART because the oil saved a LOT of money PER MILE and made the engine last longer.