Michael Satterfield
TGR Staff – 03/04/2023
The Gulf Oil Corporation was founded in 1901 by William Mellon, the brother of the famed American financier, Andrew Mellon. Initially based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Gulf was a major player in the burgeoning American oil industry and quickly expanded across the country.
The company’s first gasoline filling station was established in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1913, and by the early 1920s, Gulf had over 1,000 retail outlets in the United States. Gulf stations became known for their distinctive orange and blue colors and iconic logo.
During World War II, Gulf was a major supplier of fuel to the Allied forces, and the company continued to expand globally in the post-war years, opening new operations in Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America. In the 1960s and 70s, Gulf was one of the “Seven Sisters” of the global oil industry, along with companies like Shell, Exxon, and BP. Gulf was immortalized in the 1971 Steve McQueen film, Le Mans and became an enduring icon among automotive enthusiasts. However, the oil crisis just two years later, which saw the price of crude oil skyrocket, hit Gulf hard, and the company struggled to compete with its larger rivals.
In 1984, Gulf was acquired by the Chevron Corporation, and the Gulf brand gradually began to disappear from the American market. However, the Gulf name continued to be used by Chevron in some international markets, and in 2010, a group of investors acquired the rights to the Gulf brand in the United States and began to open new Gulf filling stations.
Today, Gulf Oil is a leading provider of energy products in the United States, offering gasoline, diesel fuel, and other products through a network of independent retailers and distributors. While the Gulf brand is no longer as ubiquitous as it once was, it remains a well-known and respected name and is still beloved by motorsports enthusiasts around the world.
