The 1955 Wayne 501 Island Display was designed to sit on the filling station island, making products available for purchase right at the pump. This unit was intended to be placed alongside the Wayne 500 series pumps. There wasn’t a pump on this unit; it was designed purely to encourage sales. Beginning in the early 1930’s, oil companies realized the opportunity to make sales right at the pump by making products available to the customer who didn’t usually get out of his car, as filling stations had gas attendants in those days. The 501 not only displayed cans of oil, it also has a glass display case on the top and within that is an electric rotating platform to display other necessary automotive products.

This Wayne 501 Island Display was restored by us at Vintage Vending. This item is not for sale. We show restored items in this blog to encourage discussion, prompt questions and further the hobby.

To view more pictures of the Wayne 501 restoration, visit the RetroPlanet.com Museum.

Mobil Oil
“At the Sign of Friendly Service”

In 1870 the oil tycoon, John D. Rockefeller and his partner, Henry Morrison Flagler incorporated the Standard Oil Company. By 1878 Standard Oil had control of $33 million of the total $35 million refining business in the United States and in 1882 Rockefeller reorganized his company into the Standard Oil Trust. This was the first “trust” in business history in the United States. In 1890, the Sherman Antitrust Act was passed, in a reaction to this trust, making it illegal for any company to run a monopoly.

In 1892 the Standard Oil Trust was sued, and as a result the trust was dissolved. It was divided into 34 smaller companies. One of the companies to be broken out was the Standard Oil Company of New York that used a Pegasus for a logo. Another of the resulting “Baby Standard Oils” was the Vacuum Oil Company that sold petrol using the brand name of Mobilgas. The two companies merged, combining the Pegasus, or flying horse symbol, and the Mobilgas name.

In 1955 the company name changed to Socony Mobil Oil, and in 1966 it became the Mobil Oil Corporation. Exxon and Mobil merged in 1999, creating the Exxon Mobil Corporation.

Historical events worth noting:

● In 1903 the Wright brothers used fuel from Jersey Standard and lubricants from Mobiloil in their airplane during their historic flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

● In 1927 Charles Lindbergh used Mobiloil in the “Spirit of St. Louis” during his solo flight across the Atlantic.

● In 1928 Amelia Earhart used Mobiloil in her airplane, “Friendship”, when she made her historic solo flight across the Atlantic.

● In 1958 the first trans-Atlantic flight, made by Pan American Airways from New York to London, used fuel produced by Mobil.

ExxonMobil

5959 Las Colinas Blvd.
Irving, Texas

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