Wherever internal combustion engines appear, filters are present as well. Although simple components, filters play a significant role in proper engine function. They keep dirt and debris from reaching delicate engine components, and as the automotive industry developed, so did the need for high-quality filters rise. Today, there are countless automotive filter manufacturers out there, among which you’ll find WIX as well.
As one of the often mentioned manufacturers on the market, many people ask is WIX OEM or an aftermarket manufacturer of automotive filters. In this article, we’ll try to answer this question by covering the history of WIX, their product range, and other essential aspects of its business activity.
History Of The WIX Brand
The history of WIX starts more than 8 decades ago, in 1939 when the company was founded by John Doane and Paul Crawshaw. The idea was to manufacture filter replacements that are simple and easy to change. The company was located in an old cotton mill, due to the need for a huge supply of white cotton thread waste for filter manufacturing.
Three years later, in 1942, WIX expanded its product catalog with cotton-thread-filled oil filters for farming applications. That same year, WIX also joined the war effort.
In 1944, WIX started manufacturing can-type filters for the automotive industry, specifically for passenger cars. These filters were rust-proof and had built-in seals.
By 1948, WIX expanded its product line to completely cover the passenger car, truck, and tractor market. By 1955, WIX patented a full-flow spin-on filter that just a year later became an automotive standard. By 1956, the spin-on filters became OEM for car manufacturers such as Ford, Mercury, Lincoln, and more.
Later on, WIX added a hex nut to the spin-on filters for an even easier change. Compared to the year before, WIX has increased sales by more than 15%! For the next couple of years, WIX experienced unbelievable sales increases between 15% and 30%.
In 1967, WIX was able to double its manufacturing capacity, and it added a brand new racing line to its product catalog. By 1968, it was an OEM supplier to more than 40 customers. Just one year after revealing racing oil filters, race cars fitted with WIX filters won 13 out of 14 NASCAR races.
The next two decades were a little slower when it came to inventions and milestones, however, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, WIX expanded internationally, opening a number of manufacturing facilities across the globe and contesting the likes of Bosch when it comes to filtration.
In the following years, WIX has broadened its product range to other types of filters such as air cabin filters, and fuel filters. At the same time, WIX manufacturing facilities have been awarded numerous certificates for quality and environmentally friendly business operations.
Today, WIX is one of the leading filtration manufacturers in the world, with more than 12,000 unique product numbers, covering oil, air, fuel, coolant, and other types of filters. It’s safe to say that WIX is one of the pioneers that changed the automotive industry.
WIX in Motorsports
For decades, WIX has been a part of motorsports. From the early 1960s, WIX was present in NASCAR, and many other prestigious racing competitions. The reason why this brand achieved so much success as soon as it started manufacturing racing filters is that it used local race tracks as testing grounds for its products. Extreme conditions under which the filters were tested proved that they can withstand extreme heat for long periods of time without losing their filtering capabilities.
WIX Product Catalog
Since the WIX company was founded, it has increased its product catalog significantly. Today, the WIX product catalog includes 4 main product categories that include automotive filters, heavy-duty filters, industrial filters, and filters for compressed air systems.
When it comes to automotive applications, WIX offers oil, air, fuel, and cabin air filters. With each of these categories, the emphasis was put on quality, and in many cases, WIX filters offer better filtering capabilities compared to OE manufacturers.
There’s also a racing product line in the WIX catalog that’s focused solely on motorsports and performance vehicles.
Is Wix OEM or Aftermarket?
After learning about the history, involvement in motorsports, and product range, it’s time to cover the last question — is WIX OEM?
Although WIX made filters for dozens of OE manufacturers in the past, today, it’s a company focused on the aftermarket with an impressive list of parts covering most of the North American and European vehicle market.