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Celebrating a Century of Performance: Mobil Delvac’s 100-Year Legacy
By Kaitlyn Stern Reinesch
May 16, 2025
As Mobil Delvac celebrates 100 years of innovation in the heavy-duty engine oil industry, we sat down with Scott Stern to reflect on the partnership between Stern Co. and ExxonMobil and how engine oil—and the engines themselves—have evolved over the decades.
A Legacy Begins: The Early Days of Mobil Delvac at Stern
Stern Company began its partnership with Mobil in 1983. At the time, straight-grade oils were the mainstay.
“We were just coming of age when multi-grade products were starting to gain traction in the heavy-duty space,” Scott recalls. Back then, Mobil Delvac offered a lineup that included the Mobil Delvac 1100, 1200, and 1300 series oils—each designed for different applications and engine needs.
The 1100 Series was formulated for Detroit’s two-cycle diesel engines, known for requiring low-ash oil. The 1200 Series offered more flexibility, suitable for both gas and diesel engines. The 1300 Series, by contrast, was designed for high-sulfur diesel environments and was not recommended for gasoline engines due to its higher sulfated ash content.
Mobil also offered a lesser-known parallel brand called “Mobiland,” targeting the agricultural sector with formulations nearly identical to those of Mobil Delvac. “Eventually, they phased out Mobiland and consolidated everything under the Mobil Delvac brand,” Scott explains.
Rising to the Challenge: Changing Engines, Changing Oils
Over the last four decades, Stern Co. has been in business, diesel engine design has seen significant transformations, driven largely by environmental regulations. “Engines used to leak a lot more oil,” Scott notes. “Drain intervals were short—getting to 10,000 miles was a big deal back then. Now, 50,000 to 70,000 miles isn’t uncommon.”
These changes demanded more from lubricants, and Mobil Delvac kept pace. Improvements in base oil formulations and additive packages have enabled modern oils to support today’s high-efficiency, low-emission engines. “That’s where the oil technology really evolved—because the engines did.”
Standards That Matter: The Birth of Oil Specifications
Before SAE and API established performance specifications, each oil company essentially set its own standards. “Texaco’s 30 weight and Mobil’s 30 weight could be entirely different viscosities,” Scott explains. “The standardization of oil specs not only helped level the playing field but also raised the bar for product quality—something ExxonMobil was particularly well-equipped to achieve due to their robust engineering capabilities.”
Leading with Innovation: The 1300 Super Story
Scott fondly remembers the launch of Mobil Delvac 1300 Super. “We ordered 12 drums of it right when it came out. It was a dollar a gallon more than the 1200 Super, and at first, no one wanted to pay that.” But ExxonMobil saw the future. With superior performance, the 1300 Super was designed for extended drain intervals and tougher operating conditions. “At first, we had to sell it at the price of 1200 just to move it,” Scott laughs. “But before long, demand exploded. Everyone wanted the performance 1300 Super could deliver.”
Today, 1300 Super remains a cornerstone of Mobil Delvac’s product line, reflecting ExxonMobil’s long-standing commitment to leading with technology.
Looking Ahead: Honoring the Past, Embracing the Future
As Stern Company celebrates this centennial milestone with Mobil Delvac, it’s not just about looking back—it’s about looking forward. “Mobil Delvac has always led with technology and capability,” Scott says. “They’ve anticipated the market’s needs and engineered products to meet them before the demand even existed.”
From the early days of straight-grade oil to today’s synthetic formulations, the Mobil Delvac story is one of resilience, innovation, and unmatched performance. Here’s to the next 100 years of driving progress—together.