Armor All

You view your car as a work of art and enjoy keeping it that way. That’s why we have been committed for over 50 years to making products that help you make your car look so good inside and out that you can’t help but stare. This is the story of how one product called Tri-don launched the industry leader in car care appearance products.

1966
The Secret Gets Out
That secret formula wasn’t doing anybody any good just sitting on a shelf in Joe’s lab. But luckily for all of us car lovers, in 1966 a local auto shop owner convinced Joe to bottle and sell his formula. They called it Tri-don – that’s No Dirt spelled backwards – and the automotive world would never be the same.

1972
Call It Armor All Protectant
In 1972, marketing expert and car enthusiast Alan Rypinski bought the rights to Joe’s company, renamed the product Armor All® Protectant, and set out to make its powerful shine enhancement available to fellow car enthusiasts everywhere.

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1992
Tire Foam® Protectant
Tires are meant to be dirty, and nobody pays attention to them, right? Wrong, because you do. Our Tire Foam® Protectant was designed specifically to break down road grime and protect tires.

1994
Wheel Cleaner
A car is not clean until the rims shine. At Armor All we know this and designed a wheel cleaner that breaks through road grime, brake dust, and grease to bring out your wheels’ beauty.

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2005
Gels
Armor All® Gels are introduced in a continuing effort to make it easier for you to achieve the level of beauty you are looking for. Long-lasting shine, rich and luxurious looking leather, and most importantly, protection, can now all be applied in precise amounts and locations.

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1962
Humble Beginnings
You probably know history’s famous inventors. But we’d like to offer up polymer chemist Joe Palcher, the inventor of Armor All® Protectant. In 1962, Joe discovered a “miracle formula” that protected rubber, plastic, and vinyl from UV radiation and ozone. Move over, light bulb.

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1976-1979
A Patent Shine
In 1976, Alan made it official – he patented Armor All® Protectant, and in 1979 received a second patent for its exclusive infusion method, which allows its chemicals to penetrate the surface and protect it from degradation. But that was just the beginning – and for the next three decades, the innovations kept rolling out.

1979
McKesson
McKesson acquires the rights to the Armor All® brand in 1979, eventually taking the company public in the 1980’s.

1982
Car Wash
The Armor All® brand launches a wash specifically formulated for cars as an alternative to commonly used dish soap.

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1996
Clorox
Clorox acquires the Armor All Products Company in 1996, beginning a new chapter for the Armor All® Brand.

2000
Wipes
The introduction of Armor All® Wipes was truly revolutionary. By combining the protection and shine of our sprays with the convenience of a wipe, we made it easier to keep your car beautiful and protected even during the busiest times.

2010
Avista Capital Partners
Clorox sells the Armor All® and STP® brands to Avista Capital Partners in 2010, which named the business Armored AutoGroup and moves its headquarters to Danbury, CT.

2014
Introducing Outlast®
Who wants dull, faded exterior trim and tires? Not us! Armor All® Outlast® Trim & Plastic Restorer and Tire Glaze are launched to give the best the Armor All® brand has to offer: brilliant results without needing to spend the weekend in the driveway.

2015
Spectrum Brands
A new chapter for Armor All® begins as Spectrum Brands, a global and diversified consumer products company with market-leading brands, acquires Armored AutoGroup from Avista Capital Partners and becomes part of the Spectrum Brands Global AutoCare division.

We’ve come a long way from Joe Palcher’s lab and his formula of five decades ago – in addition to constantly expanding our product line, we’ve become a complete resource for the car enthusiast. And that means innovating and testing new automotive care technologies, and working with industry experts. Because like you, we know that every last detail of your car needs to look perfect – not just the body, but the wheels, tires, seats, dash, and interior trim. A car should look so good that nothing else matters. Some people might call that an obsession. But like Joe Palcher, Alan Rypinski, and every car care enthusiast who has ever worked for or used Armor All® products, we know it’s pure passion.

To this day it’s the passion of car care experts like you that continues to inspire us. We encourage you to follow us on Facebook, Instagram , or Twitter OR Contact Us with a question or comment and we’ll be sure to get back to you!