Mobil Gas Pegasus

Mobil’s Pegasus

In Greek mythology, the Pegasus was an immortal creature. As the story goes, the Pegasus sprung from Medusa’s neck when the Greek hero, Perseus, cut off her head. The flying horse was tamed and given his name by Athena, the goddess of wisdom. Athena presented Pegasus to the Muses, where he was placed at the service of the poets. Legend has it that the Pegasus struck the ground on Mount Helicon with his hoof, and a spring sprouted from that location, giving inspiration to those who drank its waters.

The Pegasus symbol was used by the Standard Oil Company of New York in the earliest days of oil refineries and filling stations. The logo first appeared on their gas pumps and petroleum products in 1911. When the Standard Oil Trust was broken up by the Supreme Court in 1911, two of its divisions, Standard Oil Company of New York and the Vacuum Oil Company merged. The former brought with it the Pegasus logo, the latter brought the Mobilgas name.

The Pegasus appeared on Mobilgas products beginning in 1911, but it was in 1931 with the forming of Socony-Vacuum that it was officially adopted as a trademark. The flying horse was first colored red by an artist at the Mobil Sekiyu division in Japan. A major makeover was done in the 1930s by the commercial illustrator Robert “Rex” Elmer. Not only was it given a cleaner and more graphic appearance, but the horse now flew from left to right, as opposed to from right to left. Through the years there have been gradual changes made to the rendering of the red horse, but the symbol itself has stood strong. The Pegasus symbol is still used today by ExxonMobil, symbolizing imagination, power and speed.

There is an array of Pegasus and Mobilgas reproduction signs, filling station photos and other items available for you to purchase at Retroplanet.com. Take a few minutes to take a look and consider adding a bit of nostalgia to your garage, home or office.