Gasoline Relics
S
Dial your own octane

Sunoco

1886 — present
Founded
1886 (Sun Oil Company)
Heritage
Philadelphia
Active
1886 — present

The story

The Sun Oil Company was founded in 1886 and grew up around Pennsylvania crude and the Philadelphia refining trade. It marketed its fuels under the Sunoco name and became known for both quality lubricants and a genuinely innovative retail idea.

Sunoco’s "Custom Blended" pumps were the brand’s signature gimmick: instead of choosing between a couple of fixed grades, drivers could dial a "blend" number and the pump would mix to that octane on the spot. It was a clever, memorable way to sell the idea of getting exactly the fuel your car needed.

The bold red-and-yellow arrow-through-a-blue-diamond logo is graphic, confident, and mid-century to the core — which is exactly why Sunoco signage looks so good on a wall today.

The mark: the arrow through the diamond

A yellow arrow driving through a blue diamond with red "SUNOCO" lettering — the logo is all motion and confidence. Its strong geometry and color make Sunoco porcelain and pump plates a favorite for bold garage displays.

Signature collectibles

Custom-Blend pump plates

Pump plates and dials tied to Sunoco’s dial-your-octane blending pumps are a distinctive, story-rich collectible.

Arrow-and-diamond porcelain

The graphic diamond logo in porcelain is instantly recognizable and highly displayable.

Sunoco oil cans

Mid-century Sunoco motor-oil cans carry the same punchy graphics in a smaller, affordable package.

Era by era

1920s–1930s

Sun Oil branding

Early Sun Oil and "Blue Sunoco" signage establishes the name and palette.

1950s

Custom Blended pumps

Dial-your-octane blending pumps become the brand’s defining retail feature.

1960s

Peak graphics

The arrow-through-diamond logo reaches its boldest mid-century form.

What to look for

  • Blending-pump partsDials, plates, and hardware from Custom Blended pumps are prized for their unique history.
  • Blue Sunoco piecesEarlier "Blue Sunoco" branded material predates the modern arrow logo.
  • Sharp diamond graphicsThe value is in crisp, unfaded color on the diamond and arrow.
On the block now

Sunoco relics for sale

Live Sunoco listings pulled from eBay. Follow any piece straight to the seller.

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