page_title: Gulf Oil
section_title: Independent filling stations in the UK
hierarchical_section_title: Gulf Oil / Case studies in current use of the Gulf brand / Independent filling stations in the UK
caption_attribution_description: English: Palmer's Garage in Tollesbury, Essex, England
context_page_description: Gulf Oil was a major global oil company from 1901 until March 15, 1985. The eighth-largest American manufacturing company in 1941 and the ninth-largest in 1979, Gulf Oil was one of the so-called Seven Sisters oil companies. Prior to its merger with Standard Oil of California, Gulf was one of the chief instruments of the Mellon family fortune; both Gulf and Mellon Financial had their headquarters in Pittsburgh.
  Gulf's former headquarters, originally referred to as "the Gulf Building", is an Art Deco skyscraper. The tallest building in Pittsburgh until 1970, when it was eclipsed by the U.S. Steel Tower, it is capped by a step pyramid structure several stories high. Until 1973, the entire top was illuminated, changing color with changes in barometric pressure to provide a weather indicator that could be seen for many miles. After 1973 until the 2000s, only a beacon on top would change colors.
  Gulf Oil Corporation ceased to exist as an independent company in 1985, when it merged with Standard Oil of California, with both re-branding as Chevron in the United States.
context_section_description: In 1970, there were nearly 25,000 filling stations in the UK, of which 10,000 were independents (typically, privately owned and supplied by a major or jobber while using a brand under license). By the end of 1999, the number of filling stations had dropped to 13,700 and to 9,700 at the end of 2005. In recent years, filling stations have been closing at a rate of 50 per month. Many of the smaller and independent stations have succumbed to competition from out-of-town supermarkets that undercut local enterprises through sheer volume of sales and shared overheads.
caption: Gulf service station in Tollesbury, England, 2009
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