[4][5][6] Dr. John Ellis, the inventor of a petroleum lubricant for steam engines, founded Valvoline in 1866, in Binghamton, New York, as the "Continuous Oil Refining Company".

[8] During the early 20th century, Valvoline was the recommended motor oil for the Ford Model T.[4] In 1949, Ashland Inc. purchased the Freedom-Valvoline Company.

Valvoline sponsored a number of auto races to market its motor oil, including the SCCA National Championship Runoffs and Bommarito Automotive Group 500.

[2] In Australia, Valvoline owns naming rights to the Sydney Speedway[13] and sponsors the Australian Sprintcar Grand Prix.

Since June 2020, Valvoline sponsors La Liga association club Sevilla FC as a global partner, with their logo appearing on the sleeves of match kits.