Petrol Stations

[Austin Maxi]

There was nothing like the distinctive smell of leaded 4-star and the exhaust fumes produced through the classic DYR era. Petrol stations have always been there, of course, but I still remember the National/Smurfs promotional tie-up of the 1970s/early '80s, and the Shell/Corgi promotion in the late '80s where £6 of fuel would get you a 'wheel' voucher - 4 of which would then get you a Corgi junior car in a funky-patterned box......and what was it with all the free wine glass offers?!

Then there were the classic logos - the red & yellow shell, the BP sheild, the Esso oval, etc.

There you go, pump number 4, the brown Allegro - that'll be £8.50, and there's your Green Sheild stamps.

Memories?

[sarcymarky]

Re: Petrol Stations

My kids hate the smell of petrol, which I find odd as I used to love it! I think you're right that the old 4 star did smell different. I also remember our local garage used to have a machine for dispensing parafin I think. It was a little white pump with a pink cartoony type animal on it like an elephant or something. I also remember my father having a book full of green shield stamps.

[Trickyvee]

Re: Petrol Stations

It was my job to get out and press the button for the grade of star petrol we wanted. I agree that it had a different smell then. Weirdly I used to think it had a whiff of cream cakes in amongst its pungent petrolyness. I liked it.

I only remember a few of the offers. My parents still have a couple of glass tumblers kicking around from the Shell garage, and I was given a few C60 blank cassette tapes that came from there too.

[wispa lover]

Re: Petrol Stations

Shell, Gulf, Texaco, Esso, those and their logos are still around with the exception of BP's sheild.
Four defunct stations I remember are: Butler, Fina, Action and Flare.
On a related note, my dad (almost retired) worked for BP but Japs took over it and changed it to Zeon Chemicals.

[Jacqueline]

Re: Petrol Stations

Do Murco petrol stations still exist? I always thought they sounded like whoever named them was having a bit of a laugh...

[Trickyvee]

Re: Petrol Stations

What were the petrol stations that had a Viking's head as the logo? I think it was on a blue background, with the head in profile.

[Balbarian74]

Re: Petrol Stations

i love the smell of petrol stations, the fumes always remind me of my grandads garage. He was always tinkering with a car or something and the petrol station smell brings them memories flooding back

[memoman]

Re: Petrol Stations

Do Murco petrol stations still exist? I always thought they sounded like whoever named them was having a bit of a laugh...

I believe we passed a few on the way to the coast.And we have one the other side of town.

[memoman]

Re: Petrol Stations

My kids hate the smell of petrol, which I find odd as I used to love it! I think you're right that the old 4 star did smell different. I also remember our local garage used to have a machine for dispensing parafin I think. It was a little white pump with a pink cartoony type animal on it like an elephant or something. I also remember my father having a book full of green shield stamps.

Petrol used to contain lead,But they use a lead substitue now for obvious reasons.Plus modern petrol has other additives.So the smell would have changed.Plus they no longer have 2/3/4 star so i think it is more generic.
How many people still have parafin heaters ?I would thought they were extinct now?

[FLYING SAUCER]

Re: Petrol Stations

My Dad worked at a Local Garage and they had a Pink Paraffin machine, and yes the logo was a little pink elephant.

Was the Vikings head yellow with blue & white National Benzole? later to become National? (SMURFS!)

Anyone remember ZIP Petrol stations?

And finally, the little stand in the middle of the petrol island with a red and white striped top on, Pascall Murray sweets were sold in bags from it, Marshmallows were my fave and chocolate eclairs?

[Richard1978]

Re: Petrol Stations

Some petrol stations didn't use to have 3 star, so my Gran used to put in half a tank or 2 star into her Triumph Acclaim & top up with 4 star.

Brands of petrol that don't seem to be around any more include Mobil (merged with BP), Apex, Burmah, Globe, Avia & Q8 (they are still around in Sweden, I noticed one in an episode of Wallenger). I remember Texaco's logo changed from the stripy hexagon back to it's original T star symbol in the md 1980s.

Until the early 1990s some diesel pumps were labelled DERV standing for Diesel Engined Road Vehicle.

My parents still have some glasses & cheap crockery we got from those 1980s offers.

When was the last time you saw a petrol station that was also a new car dealership & had a workshop? There was one near where I lived until the early 1990s.

[RetroAEROSMITH]

Re: Petrol Stations

Aye I remember screaming my head off because i wanted what i thought was a drink from the drinks machine but was a pink paraffin dispenser thingy... i remember one of those promotions where you had to collect different cards with various members of Dallas on them and you had to find the left and right hand side of the coupons...so youd open one and it would be a left hand half of a larry hagman then you had to find the right hand side.

[Jacqueline]

Re: Petrol Stations

When was the last time you saw a petrol station that was also a new car dealership & had a workshop? There was one near where I lived until the early 1990s.

When was the last time that you saw a petrol station that was open for business that wasn't attached to a supermarket?

[Austin Maxi]

Re: Petrol Stations

Do Murco petrol stations still exist? I always thought they sounded like whoever named them was having a bit of a laugh...

I jet-washed my car at a Murco station only a few hours ago. Are Elf petrol stations still around?

[Jacqueline]

Re: Petrol Stations

I jet-washed my car at a Murco station only a few hours ago. Are Elf petrol stations still around?

Is that where Will Ferrell works?