“The Vagabond” highlights Motul heritage at Goodwood Revival

The Goodwood Revival is without a doubt the highlight of the year when it comes to classic motoring. Not only do car owners and classic car enthusiasts relish the opportunity, the manufacturers also grab the opportunity to celebrate their rich heritage — Motul being no exception to that. The now fully restored “Vagabond” truck is a unique part of Motul’s heritage and shows our passion for our heritage. We sat down with Motul’s external communications manager Romain Grabowski to talk about just how strong Motul’s passion is for its heritage.

It’s much more than a motorsport event, it’s a true celebration of motoring from yesteryear. Whether you’re a car manufacturer, bike manufacturer or a lubricant company, everyone loves it. During the Revival, we live like it’s the 1950s or ‘60s and that lets us recreate the feel of the motor racing world from back then. For the second time, Motul has teamed up with Goodwood to be the official lubricant partner of the Goodwood Revival.

How important is Motul’s heritage for the brand today?

Incredibly important, because it defines us. Motul is a brand that was founded in 1853 and has enjoyed a very rich history. The Goodwood Revival is the perfect opportunity to celebrate this history. At Motul, we have a small heritage department that is constantly looking for artifacts, collecting old cans, and trying to gather as much details of our past as possible. We have a big collection of cans, pumps, oil mixers, and old branding; you name it, we have it.

 

Yes, I’m fascinated by the company’s history, and I buy and own a lot of nice artifacts that highlight its heritage. Following the rebuild of The Vagabond has been one of my favourite things to do. I actually have a funny story on how passionate Motul employees, myself included, are about the brand. In the past, when people still wrote with ink pens, companies would brand a set of cotton tissues that were used to clean up ink spills or spots. Motul also had these branded cotton tissues, and I stumbled upon them in an online auction. I started bidding and got into a bidding war with an anonymous buyer, ended up winning the bid, but spent quite a bit of money. The next morning, I came into the office and met my colleague who told me this story about a bid he had been in last night, but had lost because someone was willing to spend more than he was willing to pay for a set of cotton tissues (laughs).

Well, we’re driving it to Goodwood because it’s now completely restored, and it tells a lot about Motul and what the brand stands for. It’s got an amazing story and, more importantly, it runs and drives like a charm. Although the company has been around the block quite a few times, it’s still very much alive.