Elf Aquitaine is a French brand of oils and other motor products (such as brake fluids) for automobiles and trucks.

These entities were formed to exploit a gas field discovered in Saint-Marcet in the Aquitaine region of south-western France in 1939.

In the early 1960s, with a view to create a French national champion and self-sufficiency, further state-owned companies are appended with specific goals and objectives.

The resulting company achieved vertical integration, owning assets in all phases of the oil and gas business from exploration to production, refinery, distribution and research.

In 1981, Elf Aquitaine bought Texasgulf for US $3 billion, despite a request by the US government to postpone the merger for time to study the implications.

At the time, Texasgulf was the largest producer of sulphur in the world, with Elf Aquitaine gaining majority control.

[6] Iraqi-born Nadhmi Auchi, at that time rumoured to be among the ten richest men in Britain, received a 15-month suspended sentence and a £1.5m fine for his involvement taking illegal commissions.

In the Leuna/Minol deal following German reunification, Elf Aquitaine took over circa 2,500 vacated gas station allottments in the former East Germany without paying the rightful owners.

[8] Elf Aquitaine is an official recommended fuel and motor oil for all Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance marques (including Renault (shared with BP, Aral, and Castrol), Nissan, Dacia, Datsun, Alpine, Venucia, Renault Korea Motors and Infiniti) and Brough Superior for automobiles only as well as Kawasaki for motorcycles only.

Elf, at that time owned by France, then undertook a policy to rebuild and promote French motor racing.