Vintage gas station Pictures

This set of images contain views of the August 2, 1958, grand opening of Megs Nakama’s Flying A Service Station on the eastern side of Honolulu.



Terry Koenig’s father worked in Hawaii for the Tide Water Oil Company which used its Flying A brand name to sell its gas, oil, and lubrication services. Terry was a young child at the time and he attended this grand opening with his dad, who took this set of photos.


Courtesy of The Old Motor.

 

Here is a Streamline Moderne Standard Oil Company filling station building with bold Art Deco lettering. The photograph was taken on March 13, 1939, in the Milwaukee, WI metropolitan area. Even though the gasoline selling for fifteen cents a gallon appears to be a bargain today, with inflation factored in it is the equivalent to two dollars and seventy-five cents today.


Courtesy of The Old Motor

 

This image of a refueling rig is from the American Geographical Society Library. This circa-1920 photo was taken in New Zealand of a man at a country store using a lightweight and portable Australian-made fuel tin funnel rig with a rubber hose that directs the gasoline into the tank filler.


Courtesy of The Old Motor

 

Here is another photo from the American Geographical Society Library which shows a small circa 1930 sports car being filled up and serviced by children in front of a store in Vietnam while it was under the control of the French. The car may be a Salmson manufactured in either France or the UK.


Courtesy of The Old Motor

 

The fuel brand is Caltex, look for the star with the 'T' on the pump door and pump stand.

 

Today we feature a pair of gasoline stations that opened for business in the pre-World War II days. The lead image contains a postcard view of the Lighthouse No. 10 and filling station located in Valparaiso, IN. The facility opened for business on February 2, 1929, and offered four gas pumps out front, a barbecued chicken for sixty-five cents, a steak sandwich for fifty cents, and two brands of “soft drinks.”

Share with us what you find of interest in these photos via Vintage Filling Station History.



An early 1928 or ’29 Model “A” Ford coupe is parked at the gasoline pump island on the left-hand side of the photo and a later 1930 to ’31 Model “A” sedan on the right at the Lighthouse.


John Muirhead opened this gasoline station located in Detroit, MI, in 1938 at the corner of Michigan Ave. and Military St. The pictures were taken later on September 13, 1944, while World War II gas rationing was in effect.

Courtesy of The Old Motor

 

City of Boston, MA. This image contains a view of the “West End” Esso Station located in the West End neighborhood of the City. Note the “Last Word In Service” banner and the hand-painted “Locksmith” sign on the apartment building in the middle of the photo.


-Courtesy of The Old Motor

 

This Jenny (a local chain) service station offered Jenny “100” fuel in the lot behind the signs, and Sunoco gasoline and service in the foreground. Note the unusual signs next to the fence.


-Courtesy of The Old Motor

 

An Oldsmobile and a Chrysler at the O’Connor’s Texaco station.


-Courtesy of The Old Motor

 

This is a truly puzzling pic. A handful of marquees represented, all two-door cars, all crammed into a lot that's part of this Chevron Station's property. I can't figure out why.