For those who remember the Esso -> Exxon rebranding in USA
Unusual gas station brands
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Citgo!
-- Dave
-- Dave
firedome
Well-known member
Another obscure brand
also found in other areas of the E and SE was Coastal, now absorbed bt El Paso Energy. Coastal's flambouyant founder and CEO Oscar Wyatt is still alive and was known as the "real J.R. Ewing". We had Costal stations in MD when we lived there up to the late 90s, all gone now apparently.
also found in other areas of the E and SE was Coastal, now absorbed bt El Paso Energy. Coastal's flambouyant founder and CEO Oscar Wyatt is still alive and was known as the "real J.R. Ewing". We had Costal stations in MD when we lived there up to the late 90s, all gone now apparently.
polkanut
Well-known member
Cities Service became Citgo in 1964.
aoghs.org
Cities Service Company
Future CITGO discovered giant Mid-Continent oilfields. Cities Service Company was established in September 1910 by Henry Latham Doherty as a public
aoghs.org
I had a Matchbox Chevron tanker truck... But a Shell service station parking garage...
I remember some documentary on energy showing just about every brand of gas/fuel/service station in existence...
Then there was a comic strip doing a spoof on a company notorious for its frequent oil spills, in parody, dubbed Wreckson (Exxon)...
-- Dave
I remember some documentary on energy showing just about every brand of gas/fuel/service station in existence...
Then there was a comic strip doing a spoof on a company notorious for its frequent oil spills, in parody, dubbed Wreckson (Exxon)...
-- Dave
Many if not most gas stations in areas far from refineries get their gas from their so called competitors refinery anyways so it's not like there's much of a difference particularly on the regular and mid grades. What's particularly aggravating here in Sarnia is that there are 4 refineries, Esso, Shell, Petro Can (formerly Sunoco). This town was built on oil refineries and chemical plants. Yet we pay on average 10 cents per litre (38 cents a gallon) more than gas stations 60 miles away.. and near twice the price of gas stations across the bridge in Michigan and they get some of their gasoline from Sarnia. So yea,, the Shell station literally 4 blocks from the refinery in Sarnia charges 38 cents a gallon more than a station in London 60 miles east.. and near twice the price as the Shell station 1.5 miles away in Michigan. It's all the same gas from the same refinery here. And vice versely, the people across the river in Port Huron Michigan are paying 10 to 15 cents more per gallon than a station 10 miles away from the bridge.. They gouge wherever and whenever they can.. You just can't win... and like everywhere,, the price drops ever so slowly 10 or 15 cents over the course of a week or two, then like magic,, on Weds or Thursdays it jumps overnight back to where it was.
brib68
Well-known member
Growing up in Ohio we had Shell and Sohio, Gulf, Mobil, Certified, Clark, Bonded and Marathon. We had a Sinclair when I was pretty small, then it became Arco, then a used car lot. We also had a Sunoco with the flashing neon arrow in the sign. That station eventually became a series of off-brand stations. There was something called Gastown that was pretty much around during the 80s. In the 80s there was also a Unocal/Union76...I think it was a different brand earlier than that. Now it's a Marathon.
Over the state line in Indiana, they had Amoco instead of Sohio. There was a Gladieaux refinery (or maybe just a tank farm) and station on the way into Fort Wayne. There was a Citgo on the way to the lake--can't remember if it was in Rome City or Wolcottville--it was one of those landmarks that as a kid told me we were finally ALMOST THERE! Some time in the mid-80s something called Futuregas opened on Coliseum Blvd in Fort Wayne--it was brightly lit, bigger than other stations at the time, and had talking gas pumps and I don't know what all. Mostly a big gimmick, I'm sure. It's long since been converted to Speedway.
I remember back in the day, my folks' Sohio card showed the 'exotic' places that also took the card--Esso, BP, Boron, and I think certain Mobil and Gulf. Off topic, their Lazarus card also listed the other department stores it could be used at (or used to open that store's charge, maybe).
Over the state line in Indiana, they had Amoco instead of Sohio. There was a Gladieaux refinery (or maybe just a tank farm) and station on the way into Fort Wayne. There was a Citgo on the way to the lake--can't remember if it was in Rome City or Wolcottville--it was one of those landmarks that as a kid told me we were finally ALMOST THERE! Some time in the mid-80s something called Futuregas opened on Coliseum Blvd in Fort Wayne--it was brightly lit, bigger than other stations at the time, and had talking gas pumps and I don't know what all. Mostly a big gimmick, I'm sure. It's long since been converted to Speedway.
I remember back in the day, my folks' Sohio card showed the 'exotic' places that also took the card--Esso, BP, Boron, and I think certain Mobil and Gulf. Off topic, their Lazarus card also listed the other department stores it could be used at (or used to open that store's charge, maybe).
In addition to the ones Brian mentioned, we also had Pure and Texaco in this area. I have seen these brands recently in the deep South. The two Pure stations in our town became Union '76 stations later. Another brand here was Ashland.
On our trip out west in '72, I remember seeing Fina, Skelly, DX, and Whiting Bros.
On our trip out west in '72, I remember seeing Fina, Skelly, DX, and Whiting Bros.
cfz2882
Well-known member
big orange rotating balls 1974...
in Washington,in 1974,used to see big orange ball signs that rotated-kinda recalled they had blue "66" or "76"on them,never saw them at night,so don't know if they were plastic and internally lit or not.
in Washington,in 1974,used to see big orange ball signs that rotated-kinda recalled they had blue "66" or "76"on them,never saw them at night,so don't know if they were plastic and internally lit or not.
whirlcool
Well-known member
Those orange balls that said 76 were mostly lit up at night. In the fall they would give away these orange Styrofoam balls you would put on your car antenna. In the winter with all the snow and snowbanks you could see if a car was coming on a perpendicular street just by looking for an orange ball coming your way.
Fina gas stations became Total gas stations and none are in the US.
Oil companies have realized that the place to make money these days is not in the retail end of the business, but as a supplier of petrochemicals for industry. That's where the money is. Petrochemicals are in most products, cosmetics, plastics, cleaners, etc. So a lot of companies are downsizing the number of stations they have.
I've noticed that Gulf Oil is making a come back again. We have a few of those around here. Not the same company as before, but they are using the name.
Sunoco is making a big entry into our market here in a big way. This time they don't have the "Select A Grade" fuel pumps with 12 or so grades of fuel. All those pumps did was make a blend of regular and premium to meet the octane stated on the pump dial.
Fina gas stations became Total gas stations and none are in the US.
Oil companies have realized that the place to make money these days is not in the retail end of the business, but as a supplier of petrochemicals for industry. That's where the money is. Petrochemicals are in most products, cosmetics, plastics, cleaners, etc. So a lot of companies are downsizing the number of stations they have.
I've noticed that Gulf Oil is making a come back again. We have a few of those around here. Not the same company as before, but they are using the name.
Sunoco is making a big entry into our market here in a big way. This time they don't have the "Select A Grade" fuel pumps with 12 or so grades of fuel. All those pumps did was make a blend of regular and premium to meet the octane stated on the pump dial.
Sohio (Standard of Ohio) was the best credit card to get if you lived in Ohio because you could use it at any of the other Standards (Chevron/Standard/Amoco/Exxon) nationwide. I collect old gasoline company road maps so this is always a fun topic for me.
whirlcool
Well-known member
"Fina is now Alon. "
You are right. I thought I read somewhere when Fina was bought out by Total they exited the US market. I guess they didn't as they still have refineries here in the US as well as gas stations. Thanks for the correction!
You are right. I thought I read somewhere when Fina was bought out by Total they exited the US market. I guess they didn't as they still have refineries here in the US as well as gas stations. Thanks for the correction!
I liked "Night & Day" and "24-7" that I remember seeing once on a couple of service stations...
-- Dave
-- Dave
whirlcool
Well-known member
Back when I was in college at Louisiana Tech they had a gas company named Rose oil. The sign out front said "Ride With Rose....your friend". But I think it's a Citgo now.
Here's one of the 76 balls. It's mounted on an old cell phone booster antenna for a car (remember those?) and it lives on my work bench.
Another one seen, while loving HEART OF THE NIGHT:
POCO!
No, no--not a SINGING GROUP! This was a GAS STATION! --It had a PENGUIN Logo...!
-- Dave
POCO!
No, no--not a SINGING GROUP! This was a GAS STATION! --It had a PENGUIN Logo...!
-- Dave
