A Far Too Brief History of Gasoline?

The History of Gasoline. When the first cars were developed, there was no clear-cut answer as to what would be the fuel source, and multiple options were tried.
At the time, 'gasoline' was an unwanted by-product of refining kerosene, but slowly gained acceptance.
Those early gasolines, they didn't even know what to measure to determine it's "goodness", and with an estimated 40 octane kept engines with low compression.
The octane scale was developed, lead was added, and compression ratios shot up.
Today gas is waining, and the market once more looked like those early days with multiple fuel sources vying for supremecy.

Be sure to follow the Page on Facebook!

[bigun]

As a high school student, we had a former Texaco Chemist as our science teacher. On a class trip to the refinery, I got to see Texaco's variable compression single-cylinder engine. The engine cylinder had a threaded outer portion so they could increase or decrease compression levels by moving the cylinder assembly up or down. That let them test the ability of fuel blends to resist knocking. I saw that test engine again where it was in storage at Southern Illinois University back in the 80s.

[alstruck]

I don't know where you find the time to do these short history series videos, but I love the content and your presentation. Keep up the good work my friend.

[ljfire]

love this series, always teaching me something thank you 🙏🏽

[rogerdc]

Fantastic information. Learned a lot.
Thank you

[davidgrisez]

Since I was born in 1951 I remember the era of leaded gasoline. The gasoline pumps had a label on them that read "For Use as a Motor Fuel only contains Lead Tetraethyl". The first car I owned was a 1977 Datsun B210 which had a catalytic converter and required unleaded gasoline. Today in addition to aviation gasoline there are racing gasolines that contain lead. Tetraethyl lead is a great octane booster, but it is highly toxic.

[nickphillips]

Great presentation with interesting information. Thanks, Jon

[ENCAGED]

Thank you, I enjoyed this quick history lesson

[billyjoejimbob]

Great information!. As a retired car nut, I work part-time giving tours at Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan... founded by Henry Ford in 1928. The tours are conducted using genuine vintage Model Ts, driven an estimated 8, 000 miles each annually. We also demonstrate operation of a replica of Ford's first single cylinder gasoline engine prototype dating from 1893. Then 30 years old, Ford was working as the Chief Engineer of Thomas Edison's Electric generating Station in Detroit. So Ford was WELL acquainted with the opereration and maintenance requirements of steam power plants. He understood very well that the oil industry of the day was losing its major market, kerosene for lighting, to electricity, and was anxious to develop new markets for its output. He also understood that the energy density of gasoline was unrivaled, but its volatility demanded contained (internal combustion) to harness that energy. Ford and his rivals jumped on the opportunity to power their new horseless carriages with a potent fuel that was readily available. Gasoline's transition from unwanted waste to number one revenue source was rapid!

[jagmarc]

In the UK owners of Historical Vehicles can still obtain Red 4 Star gasoline in selected filling stations. There is one in Dunstable in Bedfordshire

[paulettechatman]

people do not realize gas was a later option like gas stoves, electric was before gas. We just converting back to cheaper less fuels popultion

[iternityhuman]

Wow gr8 research packed with fuel history very well done!

[drewcrews]

Good stuff I remember my dad pulling into a full serve gas station in the old Thunderbird when I was a kid and saying "fill 'er up with Eythel. We would all joke about who is this Ethel woman dad was talking about with mom while they were pumping the gas and checking the oil and cleaning the windshield. I never really knew what Eythel meant until now. You summed up a pretty complex subject in a 16 minute video. With plenty of video clips and pics to illustrate it. Keep 'em coming.

[andrewgee]

The Coleman pressurized camping lanterns were designed to run on gasoline. The 1920s version of gasoline. As the formula of gasoline changed over time it no longer was optimal for burning in lanterns. So they started selling what is called Coleman gas or white gas which was essentially the original formula for gasoline.

[jocelynhurtubise]

Very interesting well research video, it is also important to mentioned and I dont know much on the subject that Nazi try to create synthetic oil and Gazoline at the end of WWII

[EB]

So why was ethanol abandoned as an octane booster other than cost? seeing as we use alot of ethanol in fuel mixtures today, what were the limiting factors in the thomas midgley days for using it? was it simply the patent factor?

[paulsansonetti]

5:24. Other products?
That means asphalt/bunker fuel right ?

[sgrant]

Ref: who calls gasoline what....my grandfather, 1904-1989 always called all gasoline "ethyl", a variety you noted in ur vid.

[christopherlastname]

Steam cars are reliabl the problem is you can't jump in and drive off you have to heat the boiler up ice cars start and go !

[mrgurulittle]

I noticed how EVs didn’t sell because they had short rang and took long to recharge. Still the same today.😂