The Faboulus Torch and Ovals of Detroit

[Rocko]

Turns out that ESSO was in fact a simple linguistic branding of the initials of this company's immediate predecessor: Standard Oil. Hence, S.O. or Esso. It's a similar tactic as R.B,'s or Arby's. Several other common day oil companys today have their history steeped in the Standard Oil empire of a century ago. Another was the Socony [[Standard Oil Company of New York) Vacuum Company, which is Mobil today.

I had just noticed that the old Amoco oval and torch had recently come down from along 96 near Schaefer. For years, old Standard signs from the 1960s remained at a few gas stations, particularly large freeway signs similar to the 96/Schaefer example. One great STANDARD torch presided over the interchange of the Southfield Expressway and Joy Road for probably 40 years before the BP flower replaced it 5-7 years ago. Others were prominent up US-23 and I-75 going north. Another was at 94 and Airport Road on Jackson's west side. I have some photos of these someplace....we'll see if I can dig any up!

Union 76's did used to be everywhere. I remember as a small kid the one that was in west Dearborn at Cherry Hill and Military. The sign was so old it wasn't a orange globe but just a disc. A closed 76 is still present on Michigan Ave. in Detroit at the bend in the road near Central. Other old globes still exist in Kalamazoo and Fremont, IN. They are still very common in southern California, among other places out that way.

[douglasm]

76 used to be Pure Oil in the south and mid-west, right? Maybe I've been in the Pacific Northwest too long [[where Union 76 stations still live, as a part of Conoco/Phillips) but when did Standard stations convert to Amoco?

http://www.savethe76ball.com/

[douglasm]

BTW, I found this little bit of history on a Flikr site.....

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25229906@N00/3495432731/

[rooms222]

Boron became BP around 1990 when Sohio and Gulf in the South were also converted [[and Gas and Go).....Sohio had a history of entering and leaving Metro Detroit, but could not use Sohio anywhere in Michigan [[because it was one of the Standard oil trademarks, the one for Ohio).....


Exxon came in right when the Mobil distribution in SE Michigan was sold off to a local distributor. Exxon and Mobil had already merged and Exxon was a second brand [[like @ 96 and Merriman where there is an Exxon and a Mobil together). The one on Fenkell was one of the first ones in MI.

Has Chevron ever been in MI? They just exited the mid-South and Northeast, even some states that they were the Standard Oil brand, like Kentucky. They do remain in the "deep South," FL,GA,AL,MS,GA,TX, and the Western states.....

[reddog289]

After my trip around the thumb and beyond, I can say one thing, I was glad that I found plenty of Speedway Gas Stations, and second.I got to see a old Standard Gas Station up in Port Huron. Had to do a double take.
As a side note my Uncle would only use Amoco Gas in his car for the longest time, After the BP switch I asked him so does the Focus run any different?, His answer was it runs good on Speedway Gas too.
Would love to have one of those signs to hang up on the garage. I grew up with the Standard/Amoco brand. B.P. could really dupe the public if they rebranded their stations as Amoco/ Standard.

[Whitehouse]

Would love to have one of those signs to hang up on the garage. I grew up with the Standard/Amoco brand. B.P. could really dupe the public if they rebranded their stations as Amoco/ Standard.

Ebay.





Ebay.

Look at the size of this!! There's a car behind it.

Ebay.

Do you feel lucky?

Nice one!! Amoco sign with bullit- and buckshot holes!

Ebay

[mtburb]

Union 76's did used to be everywhere. I remember as a small kid the one that was in west Dearborn at Cherry Hill and Military. The sign was so old it wasn't a orange globe but just a disc. A closed 76 is still present on Michigan Ave. in Detroit at the bend in the road near Central. Other old globes still exist in Kalamazoo and Fremont, IN. They are still very common in southern California, among other places out that way.

A small globe 76 also still exists at Eureka Rd. and 15th in Wyandotte as home base for a towing service [[it is mounted on the building on the west side).

According to here, the Detroit 76 actually became a self-service station before closing: http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie...88.54,,0,-2.76 And only a couple blocks west there was an abandoned Citgo station which was demolished some time between the visit from the Google car and the date the satellite image was taken [[5/2010).

[mtburb]

B.P. could really dupe the public if they rebranded their stations as Amoco/ Standard.

That was supposed to happen when BP acquired Amoco/Standard of Indiana. They told the public that all BP stations in the US were going to be rebranded to Amoco while all Amoco stations outside of the US were going to be rebranded to BP. But they instead changed to "bp" and changed "British" to "Beyond".

[fryar]

I think "beyond petrol" is just a marketing slogan. AFAIK, the legal name is BP nowadays.

[mtburb]

Finally Valero has opened numerous locations around Detroit in the past few years.

Valero entered the scene in SE Michigan right when several very-low-volume Citgo stations threatned to close, but to be saved from closured Valero rebranded these stations. Two that I know of are Pennsylvania and Quarry and the Wyandotte side of the Ecorse River at Biddle and North Dr.

[fryar]

Whitehouse, what are you, a Dutch Picker? Those signs are really cool.

[mtburb]

As a side note my Uncle would only use Amoco Gas in his car for the longest time

Remember this Amoco Corvette commercial from 1984? Back then if you went to an Amoco station on Ford Road you could make it to 9 Mile before it ran out while other gasoline brands would run out at 8 Mile.

[reddog289]

Whitehouse, thanks for posting those, My wife would shake her head if one of those found their way to my house.I sorta remember the Vette comercial, I belive though that the Uncle who used the Amoco was running Shell SU2000 in his Dodge Daytona Turbo Z. He probably said that would only work if you had a Vette not a Dodge.
I need to try again to post picutures on here.

[mtburb]

Was Penzoil or Quaker State ever in Michigan? Both have just exited the gasoline retail business.

Esso has had a history of entering and then leaving Southeast Michigan but could not use the Esso name anywhere in Michigan, they had to use "Enco". But in other languages Enco was a bad word [[some meant that it translated to "stalled car").

[reddog289]

I can't recall seeing a Pennzoil station in Mich. Saw one in West Virginia 20 years ago and that was a first. Back to the Standard brand. My folks knew the brothers who ran Al & George Standard on Middlebelt in Garden City.So we went there alot. But they wern't really in our neighborhood ,So my Mom would stop at Paynes Amoco on Cherry Hill and Venoy, or the Boron at Ford and Venoy.
The Quaker State deal brings up more memories, Yet Not about gas.

[mtburb]

My folks knew the brothers who ran Al & George Standard on Middlebelt in Garden City.So we went there alot. But they wern't really in our neighborhood ,So my Mom would stop at Paynes Amoco on Cherry Hill and Venoy, or the Boron at Ford and Venoy.

That means you have connections to the Standards of Ohio and Indiana as a customer.

And do you remember back in the late 60's/early 70's Marathon attempted to put a station at every exit on I-75 but the oil crisis put an end to that?

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie...60.4,,0,-19.88 This one is in Berkley. Is that one full- or self-serve? According to Google, when their car went by on Catapala the Torch and Oval is there, with pride. By the time they returned to this area the BP sign was up.

You may not know this, but gas stations are not just for cars, they are also built on piers at marinas for boats. The lone Total in Metro Detroit is one such station, as well as a Citgo in Wyandotte, a BP [[with the old badge logo!) at the mouth of the Ecorse River and a Marathon in Ecorse.

[mtburb]

Two BP stations across the street from each other: http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie...97.68,,0,-1.77

[Whitehouse]

Two BP stations across the street from each other: http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie...97.68,,0,-1.77

Is that special?
Right where I live, two Texaco's opposite each other.

[DetroitPlanner]

Is that special?
Right where I live, two Texaco's opposite each other.

Thats not all that uncommon for limited access highways outside of Michigan. Here, in most cases the govt does not own the facility and lease it to priviate companies. To have two private companies put the same brand at the same location is rare. On limited access highways however those are run by the state.

[reddog289]

For my connections to the Stardard Oil Company, Well my Mom who did the driving bought the gas.Which was pretty much Standard Brand back in the day.She could use her card at Standard, Boron or other stations listed on the back. I got to know of Sohio during a trip to Ohio.
While there were many gas stations around my house my Mom went to the Standard Station more often then not.I do remember them as clean and upkept till the BP era.
The old Al&George Standard on Middlebelt in Garden City looks like it could fit in in inner city Detroit with it's neon green/yellow paint.Besides lacking the service these stations once provided they lack class.No sqeugges to clean windows, No paper towels to check the oil, Dirty if allowed restrooms.All the gas stations in my area except for one are just a party store that can't sell beer, Yet they can sell gas.
Most sell your snacks , Pop,$5 dollar knock off caps and still the Obama framed pictures yet little to do with your Automobile.

[mtburb]

Was Ashland ever in Michigan? Five years ago they exited the oil retail business.

Valero or Citgo? http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie...19.04,,0,-3.68

[reddog289]

I belive there was an Ashland Station on Ford Rd near Beech Daly in the 70's.Could be mistaken.

[mtburb]

Does Sunoco have A Plus convincence stores in Metro Detroit? They have them in Toledo.

[reddog289]

Mtburb, I remember seeing those on some Sunoco stations, Yet havn't paid enough attention in recent years. But that has brought up another couple of questions.Why do the oil companies let their stations, namely the ones with former service bays look like junkyards with neon signs and ATM,s?