You view your car as a work of art and enjoy keeping it that way. That's why we have been committed for over 40 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Armor All launched a wash specifically formulated for cars as an alternative to commonly used dish soap.

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.

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.

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.

We launched Armor All® Gels 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.

How do you improve on a miracle formula that launched an entire product line? First, we made it thicker to enhance control, so now it stays where it sprays. Then, we gave it a nongreasy finish that produces an even deeper shine. Finally, we factored in better UVA & UVB protection, to help preserve the natural beauty of your vehicle for years to come. The result is a reformulated original that now performs better than ever.

We've come a long way from Joe Palcher's lab and his formula of four 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, working with industry experts, sponsoring Busch Series driver Jon Wood, and providing new ways for you to hone your car care skills like the Armor All Owner Center. 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, 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 drop by the Owners Center and talk to us by dropping an email or posting a question or comment and we'll be sure to get back to you!