Where Did All of Michigan’s Gulf Gas Stations Go?

Even though the Gulf Oil Company ceased to exist in 1985, the brand name is still out there.

Gulf’s decline in the 1980s was due to the energy crisis panic of the 1970s. Oil prices took a nosedive, gas stations feared they would not receive the fuel they needed for public demand, and “unexpected supply increases” had its toll on many oil companies, including Gulf, which finally folded in 1985.

Okay, but do any Gulf gas stations still exist?

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Currently, the brand name has been resurrected. Although not operated by the original Gulf Oil Company, Gulf Oil Limited Partnership has over 2,000 stations in the country.

There is one in Michigan, at 14127 Linwood Street in Detroit. It's actually a Sunoco station that sells Gulf gas. Go figure.

The original Gulf Oil started in 1901 when oil was discovered near Beaumont, Texas. Upon building a refinery, the Gulf Oil Corporation was formed in 1907 and named after the nearby Gulf of Mexico.

I remember many times as the family traveled thru Michigan all the Gulf gas stations that we passed by. Many of them had actual guys come running out to fill your tank, wipe your windshield, check your oil, and put air in the tires.

Now it’s time to take a look at some of Michigan’s old classic Gulf Stations from the first half of the 20th Century! Scroll a little way below to see the gallery.....