Pumping gas.

...something is not quite correct here:

- In the mid to late '70's gas was neither $1.30 nor .13 cents per gallon.

- Where there self-serve pumps in the mid 1970's? 

- The earliest I can recall seeing self-serve pumps was about 1980, and I didn't start pumping my own gas until about 1982-83.

Answers?  Anyone?

@chris

Modern girl, modern times, classic car. Taken before current surge in prices.

Posted by: @david-green

@chris

Modern girl, modern times, classic car. Taken before current surge in prices.

 

I don't think so..........  this photo appears to me, to be a true "vintage" pic, take around 1975 -1979. I can't see anything that appears to be "modern." 

I'm pretty sure I remember my mother filling her car in the 1970s.  I decided to do a little search and found in a 'The Reading Chronicle' editorial....

A NEW era dawned for motorists in 1968, as Great Western Motors’ opened its first ever ‘self-service’ petrol station in Wokingham Road.

Traditionally, most drivers would usually be served by a forecourt attendant, but by the mid 1970’s this had largely disappeared.

The process for actually pumping fuel was a bit involved, so the Chronicle helpfully explained the procedure: “Select a pump and press its red signal button, which alerts the central kiosk operator. After their visual check, the light will change to an amber colour, followed by a green “go ahead” flickering light.”

 I don't believe for a moment that David's photo' is from the U.K. and do not recogonise the currency as Sterling, however it might be somewhere in the commonwealth, if the U.K. had already gone over to self service.  The Brits do not have the Americans' reputation for service - though, as ever, being in France I'd accept any service!

I know that in 1982, here in the States, while in high school, my gas was pumped by an attendant, but self-serve was available. I didn't pump my own gas until late '82, early '83.

Charles and Chris, while I posted this, I have really no idea of the provenance. I thought it was newer than the cars shown but looking again at that young women, she has a Jane Birkin 70s look about her.

Those gasoline prices are a puzzle.

Posted by: @chris

...something is not quite correct here:

- In the mid to late '70's gas was neither $1.30 nor .13 cents per gallon.

- Where there self-serve pumps in the mid 1970's? 

- The earliest I can recall seeing self-serve pumps was about 1980, and I didn't start pumping my own gas until about 1982-83.

Answers?  Anyone?

In '72 I worked at a self-service station in Westminster, CA which is just a few miles S/W of Disney in Anaheim.

Prices were, as I recall, .29 .31 .33 a gallon and on wknds prices increased by .02. 

Steve 

Well gas prices did increase a lot in '74 - '75. That's the Summer I bought my Trans-Am and sold it within a year because its gas bill per month was more than my $60 car payment. 

And I'm sure that's the back end of a Charger with its mandated 5mph rear bumper.

@100ford2003 Right, that Charger is a Brougham SE 1973 or 1974, but gas can't be "$1.30"  nor "13.6 cents."    Since you actually worked at a self-serve station in the early 1970's.... I guess they were around.  Who knew?

According to one history of gas prices there was a surge in 1981 to 1.31 national average.  

Posted by: @chris

@100ford2003 Right, that Charger is a Brougham SE 1973 or 1974, but gas can't be "$1.30"  nor "13.6 cents."    Since you actually worked at a self-serve station in the early 1970's.... I guess they were around.  Who knew?

I’m not certain that the pictured Charger is an SE Brougham - there’s just not enough shown to draw that conclusion…it most definitely is a ‘73/‘74…I owned a “73 Charger SE Brougham & without seeing the formal roofline…well…you know…this was mine:

I think Frank Reed is correct.  A website, Titlemax, which might be what Frank was referencing, lists average gas prices in the U.S. year by year starting in '29. It does show a jump in gas prices in '81 with the average price being 1.31.  It shows significant price increases in '79, '80 and '81 at the time that significant historical events occurred which likely would raise gas prices world wide. Iranian Revolution, Soviet-Afghan War, Iran Iraq War occurred in the late '70s or early '80s.  As Frank suggested this picture was likely taken around '81 when gas prices were at their peak in that era.  According to the website average gas prices in the U.S. didn't exceed that 1.31 until 2000 when it was 1.51. Link attached for reference.

https://www.titlemax.com/discovery-center/planes-trains-and-automobiles/average-gas-prices-through-history/

@terryslekar I'm no Charger expert but I didn't think non-Brougham 1973-74 SE models had that thin "C-shaped"  chrome body trim that "outlines"  the rear bumper as seen in that pic. Then of course, one can see whitewalls and what appears to be pinstriping.

As for gas prices, despite NOT remembering any spikes, historical records/data ALL note a substantial price jump in 1979 to about $1.25 and climbing to about $1.40 in 1981, then decreasing incrementally until about 1989.

Therefore, it's safe to assume  David's pic was taken c.1980-81.

Getting back to the location of the gas filler, my 1973 Oldsmobile Cutlass had the filler behind the license plate. My current 1963 Thunderbird has the filler in the back bumper and my, also current , 1955 Imperial has the filler on the top of the right rear fender just behind the stand up taillight.