Useage of Gasoline History

Gasoline was first discovered in the 1800’s as a by-product of petroleum. Its initial uses did not involve engines, but instead was sold at pharmacies as topical cure for head lice.

Then in the early 1900’s the Ford Model T was introduced as the first automobile. It had an engine that ran on gasoline; however gas stations did not exist yet. Automobile owners would go to the general store and fill a large bucket with the gas, funneling it into their cars as needed.

Eventually an increasing amount of companies got into the business of producing gasoline and around 1920, as competition increased, the first gas stations began to appear. These gas stations were primitive versions of their modern counterparts and a typical pump took a long 8 minutes to fill a 5 gallon tank.

As cars became larger and engine size increased, a need was created for gasoline that would run cars more efficiently. Companies began to increase octane levels and lead levels to improve engine performance. Octane levels still distinguish different types of gasoline today, with the most common levels being 87, 89 and 93, however by the 1980’s the United States had completely phased out leaded gas due to the health problems it caused.