Armor All

Armor All is a line of car care products manufactured by American company Armored AutoGroup of Danbury, Connecticut, United States. The company markets the product line of sprays, gels, liquids. and wipes to clean, shine, and protect interior and exterior automobile surfaces.

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.

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.

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.

2019 - Energizer Holdings, Inc.

Spectrum Brands sells the global auto care division to Energizer Holding, Inc. Headquartered in St. Louis, MO, Energizer Holdings, Inc. is one of the world's largest manufacturers of primary batteries and portable lighting products and is anchored by its globally recognized brands Energizer®, EVEREADY® Rayovac® and Varta®. Energizer is also a leading designer and marketer of automotive fragrance and appearance products from recognized brands such as Refresh Your Car!®, California Scents®, Driven®, Bahama & Co.®, LEXOL®, Eagle One® and Nu Finish®.

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.

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.

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.