Abstract: 1-pentene dimers of .alpha.-methylstyrenes are produced with high selectivity in good productivity by stirring 50 to 95 parts by weight of an .alpha.-methylstyrene in the presence of 50 to 5 parts by weight of an aqueous solution of a sulfonic acid, and a 1-pentene dimer having good preservative property is then collected by removing the sulfonic acid, adjusting the resulting reaction solution to pH 8 or higher and distilling the neutralized reaction solution.