Transportation fuels have driven all the economies in the world over the past 100 years and lubrication has had to keep pace with these developments. An overview of these developments will be given with emphasis on the parts which are not known or seen by the general public. It will start in the early days and progress to a brief outline of how efficiently an oil refinery operates and the plethora of products produced which are important to modern day living including things as diverse as pharmaceuticals to adhesives. The scientific and technical background behind these fuels and lubricants will be reviewed together with the changing economics over time. The fastest and biggest changes in the science and technology have been taking place over the past 20 years. Unlike the early years, these changes have been driven by environmental demands and political manoeuvrings and continue to accelerate now and will continue to do so into the future.