Linnett’s Gulf and Gulf Oil: Setting the Standard for Performance-driven Fuels

Linnett’s Gulf is affiliated with Gulf Oil L.P., a major U.S. oil company maintaining more that 2,000 Gulf-branded gas stations across the East Coast. Gulf Oil was established in 1901 and grew quickly as automobile use spread in the early decades of the 20th century. The Pittsburgh-based company was co-founded and led by William Mellon. The vertically integrated company developed functions spanning the entire oil industry, including production, distribution, marketing, refining, and exploration. Besides supplying oil, Gulf pioneered drive-in service stations that offered customers free road maps.

By the time of Mellon’s death in 1949, Gulf was established as the eighth-largest manufacturing company in the U.S. and was considered one of the Seven Sisters oil companies, which included Standard Oil, Royal Dutch Shell, and Texaco. These companies controlled some 85 percent of global oil production until the early 1970s. The years after World War II witnessed a rapid expansion of Gulf Oil activities in the Gulf of Mexico, Kuwait, and Canada. Relying primarily on Kuwaiti oil supplies, Gulf launched diverse oil-related operations throughout Europe, Africa, and India.

Gulf also became a prominent auto racing sponsor, providing the colors associated with the Porsche 917 and Ford GT40 models. Steve McQueen’s character notably drives for the Gulf team in the classic racing film Le Mans. Gulf restructured in the mid-1970s, with its seven separate operating companies placing a renewed focus on U.S. production and domestic markets. Gulf’s exploration activities resulted in a number of major oil field discoveries, creating a stable economic base for these regions. Now based in Framingham, Massachusetts, Gulf currently operates as a refined petroleum products wholesaler. It supplies a wide range of associated products like diesel fuel, heating oil, and kerosene. Linnett’s Gulf is proud to be affiliated with one of the oldest names in the oil industry. Our Gulf-branded custom-blended products offer drivers the best solutions for their engine performance needs.