Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums Showcase and Stories, Petroliana Company of the Month - Chevron

and some more

and a flange


[This message has been edited by Dick Bennett (edited 08-15-2005).]

On May 16, 1927, Socals San Francisco office recieved an urgent telegram. "Can you supply Red Crown Aviation Gasoline in New York in three days for Lindberg's proposed trans-Atlantic flight?"

The office responded "Who is Lindberg?"

The world would soon know...

Six 55-gallon drums of Red Crown Aviation Gasoline were available when the "Spirit of St Louis" arrived in New York. The fuel was poured into five gallon cans, then poured into the fuel tank of the "Spirit of St Louis" for its flight.



Ryan Aircraft Company, the builders of the little plane, realized after much testing, that Red Crown Aviation Gasoline weighed more per gallon than gasolines produced in the eastern states.

So if more range was the goal, why would Lindberg want to carry a heavier fuel? Simply put, the heavier Red Crown Gasoline produced more heat units per pound...

[This message has been edited by Thunder (edited 08-21-2005).]

Holding to its tradition of exploration, even during the 1930's and the great depresion, Socal continued looking for new sources of oil.


(Edward Skinner in the Bahraini oil field)

On Bahrain Island in the Arabian Gulf, in May of 1931, drillers began searching for oil. With temperatures reaching more that 107 degrees, oil was soon found. 1,200 barrels a day was pumped from a depth of 2,000 feet.Within three years, Bahrain was producing 6,500 barrels daily. Oil was also found in nearby Saudi Arabia, following a 1932 agreement for exploration rights for the next 60 years, between Socal and the Saudi Government.

But even with oil at hand, marketing and distribution problems soon arose. Texaco had markets in Europe, Asia and Africa, but no accessible supply of oil. As such, Socal traded a portion of its California Arabian Standard Oil Company, (Casoc) which was formed in 1932, assets to obtain access to these markets. Hence the birth of Caltex, the California Texas Oil Company.



Although begining as a modest venture, with a single "teapot" refinery, Caltex soon became a major refining and marketing operation in more than 60 countries.

With the onset of WWII, Caltex soon played a major role in supplying the allied war effort. Caltex oil fields and refineries soon became enemy targets. Those facilities were bombed, and some employees were taken as prisoners. Ironicly enough, the Japanese occupying force, actually struck oil at Minas #1, using a rig left behind by Caltex Pacific Indonesia. Minas, still producing even today, eventually became the largest oil field in South East Asia.

In 1918, Standard had developed Red Crown as the first gasoline in the US specially designed for aviation use. In fact, the aviation industry was a very important aspect in both marketing and advertising.



In 1926, Socal, working with the Army Air Service, helped aviators find their way by painting town names in block letters on the roofs of their warehouses.



And in 1928, 10 million candlepower lights were installed at strategic locations on the west coast to assist pilots while flying at night.



That same year, Socal purchased Standard No1, which became their flagship, showing their commitment to the to the growing aircraft industry. The Ford tri-motor logged 200,000 miles and carried 30,000 civic officials, buisiness executives, farmers and Socal employees, all to meet business requirements, and to make the public aware of the utility of aircraft in business.



A 1928 advertisement for Red Crown Gasoline and Zeroline Oil.

In 1929, aviatrix Ruth Alaxander used Red Crown Gasoline and Zeroline oil for her record setting flight. reaching 18,000 feet in an open cockpit airplane.



[This message has been edited by Thunder (edited 08-21-2005).]

WOW, JEFF...GREAT SUPER INFORMATIVE REPORT GOING ON HERE! LINDBERG WHILE ON LONG ISLAND DEF FUELED UP AT THE MITCHELL FIELD AIRPORT AT SOME POINT. OF COURSE THAT AREA IS NOW A SUPER CENTER SHOPPING MALL AND UNIVERSITY.

CAN'T WAIT TO SEE SOME MORE!
KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!

DOC @ TAG.EAST

[This message has been edited by THE AMERICAN GARAGE (edited 08-22-2005).]

Thanks Doc... Were you able to get a few pics of Lindberg when he was there??? LOL...

Here's a pic of a sign that I saw on e-bay.



Notice the Caltex logo, and the RPM Oil.

Here is newer Caltex logo.

Lets take a look at some of the Socal Logos that have been used through the years...



Although in the very beginning, Frederick Taylor and Demetrius Scofield formed the California Star Oil Works through aquisition of the Los Angeles Oil Company, it is Pacific Coast Oil Company that is generally recognized as the grand father of Chevron.

In 1931, after the merger of PCO and Standard Oil Company (California) the now faamiliar Cevron logo appeared in its original form with the "STANDARD" name.



The Flying "V" logo appeared, accoring to "The Gas Pump Restoration Guide" 1946 through 1959. Although, I have seen it used into the 1960s. As evidenced by this 1960 photo, showing the introduction of "Methyl" a new anti-knock additive.





This is a pic of a reproduction decal, on my own G&B 96C.



Here is a pic of the original decal, discovered while undergoing restoration. Notice that the original does not have the blue shadow effect that the repro decal has. This is not to point out an inaccurate decal, but only to point out the differences on the Flying V.


[This message has been edited by Thunder (edited 08-25-2005).]

In the late 60's, early 70's, Socal adopted newer style Chevron logo, but still with the Standard name.



It wasn't untill 1969 that it finally, and oficially became known as CHEVRON.

"In ancient Aegean, Egyptian and Romanesque art, the chevron was a prominent ornamental design motif. In 19th century France, it was a military mark of rank and distinction. In Great Britain, the chevron signifies the purity of a gold or silver object."

So starts the "Branding" chapter on the Chevron history page. Its quite easy to see the pride that Socal has/had in the chevron logo.

Socal chose the three bar logo to identify its products, as well as to be an eye catcher for passing motorists.



The advertising was so effective that Socal began using the word "Chevron", starting with lubricating oils in 1937, later solvents, and on up to gasoline in 1945. It can even be found on modern day Ortho products, as it was in 1955 that Socal adopted the Chevron logo for all of its products.

Company owned stores used the familiar, red white & blue logos for their signage. While Independant distributors used burgundy colored signs, for their cream, green and burgundy colored stations.



If you get a chance, check out the photo on page 83 of the "Guide to Gas Pump Restoration"

Hello Jeff,
Here are pictures of my cans(I pulled out others)for company of the month.


Pat Anderton

As the month winds down to an end, so does this installation of the Company of the Month.

The company that we know as Chevron has many team mates. As well as the Standard Oil parent, there are the Calso and Caltex siblings.

Caltex is a partnership with Chevron and the Texas company Texaco, who is rich in their own history and partnerships. (Did somebody say Shell?)

And how about the 1984 merger with the Getty Oil Company, most people know them as Gulf. And what of their history with their aqquisition of Skelly Oil and Mission Corp?

1947 brought Signal Oil Company in as part of the family, adding 2000 retail stations.

1961, and Standard Oil (Kentucky) was aqquired, along with their 8500 retail outlets, 400 bulk plants, 11 terminals, 15 water terminals, making Socal the number 1 retail marketer in the five southwestern states.

Even Tenneco became part of the family in 1988, making Socaal the largest producer of natural gas at the time.

All of this, and more, gave to us, on October 9th, 2001, the ChevronTexaco Corporation.