New and Updated pages on the European petrol map site

New and improved pages on the
European Petrol Road Map Web Site - 2001

Updates from 2001

Not all pages may still exist, but it is intended that most hyperlinks will still work.

Overview of Netherlands Maps
The oldest known Dutch petrol company maps date from the early 1930s. Since then all major companies have issued maps, although they are perhaps a little less common than those from neighbouring countries. This new summary page shows 22 maps and atlases dating from 1931 to 2000, of which 8 are new to this site. (Updated 24 December 2001)

Marathon in Italy
The American independent company Marathon briefly owned chains in Italy and Germany. Although a map from the Italian arm has been shown on this site for a couple of years, I have now produced a completely new scan showing it with greater clarity. (Updated 22 December 2001)

An earlier Aquila atlas
Aquila was a large independent Italian refiner based in Trieste. The site now includes a 1956 atlas, and its history has been expanded. (Updated 22 December 2001)

Cargas - LPG
Cargas has always been Belgium's largest distributor of autogas (LPG). It issued a map in June 1982 showing the 150 or so locations where it could be obtained. I have also corrected some errors in the history of the brands involved in the LPG market. (Updated 9 December 2001)

Three more maps from Luxembourg
One of the pleasures in writing this website is that I can make a statement (eg. "Only one oil company map of Luxembourg is known") and confidently expect to be proved wrong! I am therefore pleased to be able to quadruple this number with the help of Michel Breugelmans and Richard Horwitz by showing additional maps from Shell, Esso and Chevron. Now I wonder if anyone has a map from Liechtenstein? (Updated 4 December 2001)

Veedol's early 1930s Atlas of Germany
Veedol issued a small format cloth bound road atlas of Germany around 1934 with maps by L Ravenstein of Frankfurt am Main. (Updated 1 December 2001)

The 1953 Esso map from the Netherlands
I have now added the 1953 Esso map from the Netherlands, which was the first in the standard General Drafting Co style. (Updated 30 November 2001)

GD: Gebrüder Didillon
GD was another small Uniti member based in the German city of Wuppertal. In 1953 they sold a Falk-plan atlas produced to a standard design for Uniti members that is now illustrated here. (Updated 29 November 2001)

A map from Luxembourg
The country overview for Luxembourg is very short, as nearly all maps of the Grand Duchy have been joined with one of Belgium. However, there was a 1998 Shell Tankomat brochure that can (just about) be called a map, and it is now shown on this website, together with a brief summary of the Luxembourg retail petrol sector. (Updated 27 November 2001)

A Fanal map from the 1980s
Fanal had over 1000 outlets in the late 1970s, but little more than a decade later had been phsed out in favour of BP. A Fanal map from 1981 is now shown, the first to use the later name without the Stinnes prefix. (Updated 25 November 2001)

Esso maps from Germany
The Esso maps from Germany page has been rewritten, with all images rescanned to a higher quality. The number of maps shown has been increased from 19 to 41, taking advantage of better image compression and higher transfer times than when this page was first posted nearly 3 years ago. (Updated 24 November 2001)

1950s Esso maps from Benelux and Switzerland
The page showing 1950s and early 1960s maps from Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland has been totally rewritten, with all images rescanned to a higher quality. Four maps are shown on this page for the first time. (Updated 20 November 2001)

The earliest British Total map
Total entered the UK petrol market in the early 1960s. Perhaps surprisingly, they produced a map as soon as 1964, covering the country on a single sheet by George Philip. (Updated 19 November 2001)

Trip through Italy - to the 1960 Rome Olympics
A map is sometimes advertised on auction sites as being an Esso advertising map for the Rome Olympics (or of Italy), showing an Esso sign above a drawing of a filling station and the words "Everywhere in Italy". This is not a map issued by Esso; it is from a brochure entitled Trip through Italy listing the main ways of travelling in the country to the Rome Olympics, and published the ENIT, the Italian State Tourist Board. (Updated 15 November 2001)

DEA and Rheinpreussen maps
Four more maps have been added from the DEA group, including two from Rheinpreussen. (There are now 5 Rheinpreussen maps shown on this site, but I have none in my own collection - if anyone has a spare one, then please let me know with an e-mail!) The earlier DEA map is a city plan of Frankfurt, and the later one a transitional image also including the Texaco logo, in a manner similar to the way joint Regent-Texaco maps were issued in Britain in the same year of 1968. (Updated 14 November 2001)

Another Adler map
A sectional map of South-West Germany from Amoco's Adler subsidiary has been added to the site. (Updated 11 November 2001)

More maps from Seca
Continuing the Belgian theme, four more maps have been added to the Seca page, dating from 1976, 1978, 1986 and 2001. (Updated 10 November 2001)

A Purfina map of Western Europe
In 1955 Purfina apparently sponsored a French version of a pictorial map of Western Europe produced by VAB (the Vlaamse Automobilisten-bond). This has been added to the Belgian page as it was only available in that country. (Updated 10 November 2001)

Overview of Belgium
A page for Belgium continues the country overview sections. This shows images from some 30 maps dating from the early 1930s right up to date, including 10 from maps not previously displayed on this website. (Updated 28 October 2001)

An Austrian Agip map of Italy
Austrian petrol companies have continued to support map programmes well into the 1990s. Although only having 175 outlets in Austria in 1993, Agip sold that year a specially branded version of a Freytag-Berndt map of Italy. (Updated 26 October 2001)

The 1939 Leuna map
In common with other German companies, Leuna had to modify the cover design of its maps to show the incorporation of Austria and Czechoslovakia into Germany after the 1938 annexations. (Updated 21 October 2001)

Non-Uniti German Independents from the 1930s - Kraftstoff and Wiol
In the 1930s many independent German companies joined Uniti, a trade association that defended their interests against the major companies and also arranged for maps to be produced for its members. However some other non-Uniti independents also sold maps, and an example has been added from Berlin-based Kraftstoff, which sold Varol and Varin petrols. The Wiol map has been to this page, with a scanned image of its interior has been added to the site, as it is now fairly certain that Wiol was outside Uniti. (Updated 18 October 2001)

Turbotank
Independent German companies have issued few branded maps since the 1970s oil crisis. One exception is Bremen-based Turbotank, which has published an "Autoatlas" inside a stock company cover. (Updated 18 October 2001)

The first 2002 map on this site
During October 2001, Total are giving away an A5 road atlas to UK customers spending at least £20 on fuel and paying by Mastercard. The specially prepared Collins atlas contains around 50 pages of maps at 9 inches to the mile. (Updated 11 October 2001)

Another Kenning map
Another Kenning map of Britain, dating from 1973, has been added to the site. (Updated 7 October 2001)

Carbugaz
Carbugaz is the brand of LPG (Liquid Petroleum Gas) used by Elf at its French service stations. Reflecting the growing popularity of the fuel, it issued a map marking Carbugaz locations in 1999. (Updated 7 October 2001)

A map from Intermarché
Of the French supermarket chains, Intermarché has the largest network of own-branded service stations. Until recently no branded maps were known from the company, but a 1999-2000 Bison Futé issue has now been seen. (Updated 6 October 2001)

Street atlases from Octa+
Octa+ is the largest Belgian independent petrol distributor. Since acquiring Burmah's operations in early 2000, it has re-issued the set of four street atlases formerly produced for Burmah under its own covers. (Updated 6 October 2001)

Gulf maps with US style covers
In the early & mid-1960s Gulf's Belgian subsidiary sold maps that used covers which were essentially the same as were used by its US parent company on domestic titles. Two examples have been added covering Western Europe and Belgium itself. (Updated 22 September 2001)

More touring service issues of Yugoslavia
Several companies produced maps of Yugoslavia from the 1960s onwards as it became an increasingly popular holiday destination, even though they were unable to sell fuel there. A 1966 example has been added from Caltex, together with what must be the last ever oil company map of the country, sold to me by a Danish Q8 filling station as late as August 2001. (Updated 21 September 2001)

The last Q8 map from Sweden
The last Q8 map from Sweden appears to have been a high quality booklet of maps, issued in 1998. Afterwards, the company merged its operations with OK under the new name OKQ8. (Updated 18 September 2001)

A Mex map from Ireland
After many years, I have finally found a Mex map from Ireland. Mex split from the UK operation are the time of partition, when the latter became part of Shell. Mex survived as a brand in Ireland into the 1980s, but has now been superseded by Maxol. (Updated 16 September 2001)

Recent maps from Hydro, HydroTexaco and Uno-X
As the first step towards adding more Scandinavian maps, I have added two more examples from Hydro in Sweden, one from Uno-X in the same country and the latest version of the map booklet used by HydroTexaco and Uno-X in Denmark. I have also taken the opportunity to re-scan the older Hydro group images to improve their appearance and have transferred all Swedish Uno-X maps to the same page, to keep them together. (Updated 15 September 2001)

Two more 1960s Trading maps
Two more 1960s Trading maps of Benelux have been added to the Burmah page, at the same time as removing the Uno-X maps from that page. These both have cartography by the relatively uncommon name of Mantnieks Brussels. (Updated 15 September 2001)

More Shell 30s maps from Germany
More 1930s Shell maps continue to appear from Germany. I have been sent scans of what is probably an earlier sectional map design, featuring a child and a petrol pump (zapfstelle) from the early 1930s, and a special Diesel map from the other end of the decade. (Updated 6 August 2001)

Bibliography
One of the features of this web site is its brief histories of each of the companies for which maps are displayed. I am sometimes asked where I get the information from, and how reliable it is. I hope that all the facts are accurate, and I try and check any uncorroborated ones. However, I have now added a short bibliography to the acknowledgements page to reveal some of my sources. (Updated 2 August 2001)

Independent Garage Chains
Although most of the maps on this site were issued by petrol or oil companies for use at their own branded service stations, there have always been independent chains of (mainly service) garages. Many of these operated petrol forecourts from the 1930s through to the 70s or 80s, and a very few also had their own road maps. Examples have been added from Kenning, Stewart & Arden and Swanmore garage. (Updated 29 July 2001)

There are now over 1,000 map images on this web site!

Minol and Intertank (East Germany)
After many months promising it, I have finally marshalled together enough images for a page devoted to Minol, the monopoly supplier in East Germany after the war until the early 1990s. Also included is an Intertank map, used by its hard currency stations on the autobahns. (Updated 28 & 30 July 2001)

The earliest Pratt's atlases
The earliest Pratt's atlases had red covers, and from 1905 carried an advert for Pratt's Perfection Spirit, as opposed to Pratt's Perfection Motor Spirit. An enamel sign is shown outside a shop marked [C]YCLE STORES. (Updated 20 July 2001)

More atlases from Azur
The French company Azur issued location booklets including a small sectional atlas from at least 1955-63. During this period there were a number of format changes, and this page has been extended and updated to include more examples, including a part of the one of the maps prepared by Roger Graindorge. (Updated 19 July 2001)

AGIP maps and atlases
I have upgraded all the older AGIP map images, and added an extra one from a 1954 atlas, the oldest known map from the company. (Updated 16 July 2001)

MOL, the Hungarian Oil and Gas Company
MOL has been one of the most successful of the privatised East European oil companies, with operations in Hungary and several neighbouring countries. Two maps and two road atlases from Hungary and Romania are on display. (Updated 6 July 2001)

Migrol (Migros) in the mid-1970s
Migros (Migrol) issued a smaller map of Switzerland in the mid 1970s as well as their long-running set of 4 sheets. (Updated 1 July 2001)

A TotalFina map
For a short period between the merger with Petrofina and the Elf takeover, it appeared as if the TOTALFINA name might be used as a replacement brand. A map from Belgium produced in this period bearing the new name has been added. (Updated 1 July 2001)

A Belgian Esso issue from 2000
In common with many other Belgian brands, Esso has issued a simple small format map for use by their card holders. (Updated 1 July 2001)

A major update to the main Mobil page
As part of the on-going upgrade of older images, I have rewritten the Mobil page and added 5 completely new images of maps from France, Greece and Cyprus. (Updated 30 June 2001)

A later Aral touring map
The scenic cover Aral maps appear to have been issued throughout the 1960s, but by 1972 most has been replaced by a new simpler cover design. (Updated 23 June 2001)
I have also added a few more links.

Burmah maps
Although I have not found any new Burmah maps, I have rescanned nine of the oldest images on this site to provide clearer pictures. I have also added a 1994 Tour Guide (that contains lots of trip maps) and the Trading logo shown on the inside cover of the Belgian atlas, and made a few minor updates to the history of the company. (Updated 16 June 2001)

Another pre-War German independent: Hudolin
Hudolin was the name used by Bremer Chemische Fabrik, another member of Uniti. It issued the standard late 1930s map book from its base in Chemnitz. The brand name comes from the Bremen suburb of Hude, where the firm was originally established around 1860. (Updated 14 June 2001)

Westfalen
Westfalen is a German independent brand established in the 1920s. Although a map from its Rückwarth acquisition has been on the site for some months, I have only just received a scan of a map from Westfalen itself. (Updated 13 June 2001)

Recent maps from Romania
In the mid-1990s Romania liberalised its downstream petrol industry. Since then road maps have been issued by Agip, MOL, Shell and Petrom, and examples from the first three are shown on the Romania country page. (Updated 10 June 2001)

A earlier Fina atlas
To complement the recent Fina road atlas of Britain, I have added one from the 1950s, showing (in reverse) the older Fina logo only used in Britain and Canada. (Updated 10 June 2001)

The last pre-war Texaco design?
Texaco was not used as a brand name in Europe between the end of the Second World War and 1967, with Caltex being used instead. One of the last Texaco maps to be issued before the war was a 1939 issue from Belgium. (Updated 25 May 2001)

A recent Fina atlas
As promised, I have rescanned several of the Fina images, and have also added a mid 1990s softback road atlas of Britain. (Updated 19 May 2001)

Links und Rechts der Autobahn booklets from BV-Aral
Around 1952, BV-Aral ran a set of four large format booklets, entitled Links und Rechts der Autobahn. Each booklet consisted of between 7 and 12 pages of attractive strip maps with numerous scenic illustrations. (Updated 18 May 2001)

Two API maps from the early 1960s
API is an Italian brand that has remained independent for nearly 70 years. Two maps by Vallardi have been added to the site; one is in the format of a small softback atlas and the other a sectional sheet map. (Updated 10 May 2001)

Système U: not quite a petrol map
Système U is a French supermarket grouping that has a number of own-brand filling stations. I have added a Système U map to the site, but it comes from the Breton resort of La Trinité sur Mer, where the Système U store did not actually sell petrol. (Updated 5 May 2001)

Fina in Belgium and Socal Purfina in Switzerland
A 1958 Socal Purfina map of Switzerland has been discovered and is now shown on the site. I have also added two 1990s Fina maps from Belgium and started the process of rescanning some of the older images. (Updated 3 May 2001)

Another Standard phrasebook
Another phrasebook from pre-war Germany has been added to the Esso touring aids page. This one shows an open tourer passing through a customs post, and has its title in English as well as German.
I have also added summaries of two more months' Letters from Europe on the page about Check the Oil! Magazine. (Updated 29 April 2001)

Gulf maps
I have re-scanned almost all the Gulf images, and added three new ones, as well as updating the history. The most unusual new image is of a late 1950s Benelux map that carries a rarely used transitional logo, and has the same unusual folding system by Falkplan as the Viscobil atlas added last week. (Updated 27 April 2001)

Mobil Italian maps
Mobil had a large chain of filling stations in Italy until the early 1990s when they were sold to Q8. Two styles of map, from 1958 and 1964, have been added to the main Mobil page as there were previously no Italian examples. (Updated 24 April 2001)

Another Viscobil "atlas"
Viscobil continued to issue its "atlases" (in reality dissected road maps, using a Falk-patent method) after its purchase by DEA. I have added a 1964 example to the German lubricants page, and also added more information about the pre-war Veedol maps, including a scan of their promotional pictures of the airships Graf Zeppelin and Hindenburg. (Updated 19 April 2001)

An overview of maps from Germany
This major new page looks at petrol company road maps issued in Germany since 1922. There are 22 new map images (and several others have been re-scanned specially for this page). (Updated 19 April 2001)

A Total (Rumwolf) map from Kärnten
TOTAL was represented in Southern Austria through Franz Rumwolf of Klagenfurt, which issued a map in 1969 showing its filling station locations. (Updated 14 April 2001)

A Nafta Harbour Plan
The Belgian Nafta operation as based in Antwerp, and in 1970 it issued a plan of the harbour showing the main port facilities. (Updated 13 April 2001)

Esso touring aids
The section on Esso touring aids has been expanded to include an additional phrase book and two German Reise Brevier (travel briefings) from the 1950s and 60s; all the older images have been re-scanned to a higher quality, but without increasing file sizes. A 1930s Wander-Winke from Standard in Germany has also been included on the page. (Updated 13 April 2001)

More about the 1938 Nitag map
A 1938 Nitag map cover has been shown on this site for some while; I have now added more detail about this map including a scan of inside pages showing the interesting mix of town plans, sketches and advertising. I have also updated the corporate history and documented the link with Euco. (Updated 8 April 2001)

An early Olex brochure for Bavaria
Olex produced a well-illustrated brochure (booklet) guide to Bavaria in the 1930s, possibly before they were wholly acquired by BP. This is now shown, including some of the adverts inside it. (Updated 5 April 2001)

Fake & reproduction road maps
As far as I am aware, all the maps shown on this website are genuine, except for two....
One is the Error '404' map that appears if you ask for a non-existent web page - it seems appropriate somehow to show you a non-existent map instead. The other was prepared as an April Fools' Day exercise, as I felt that there ought to have been a scenic Esso map of Zermatt, with a beautiful Alpine cover.... Seriously, though, this page considers how we can be sure maps shown on the web are genuine. (Updated 1 April 2001)

Search Tips
Most web users may feel that they know how to search for information, but each search engine has its own specialities. This site uses an excellent search engine from Atomz.com, and allows you to search in just the map titles by using the alt: field. This new page also explains how best to search for names with accents, umlauts or tildes... (Updated 1 April 2001)

Three more pre-War German independent names
More maps are being found from pre-War German independents, usually part of Uniti. Maps have been added from Albert Renné (Arenol), Hüsmert, Ross u.Co. (Wiol) and Alfred Espig & Co. (Updated 31 March 2001)

Five more recent Shell maps
Shell continues to issue maps with the main purpose of locating their stations for holders of EuroShell cards in several countries. Examples have now been added from Belgium, Hungary, Italy, Spain & Switzerland. (Updated 31 March 2001)

A second Stinnes Fanal map
A second - and slightly more recent - Stinnes Fanal map has been added to the site. (Updated 31 March 2001)

Scenic Esso maps from 1950s Britain
The first two series of Esso road maps of Britain are widely considered to have the finest cover designs, so all the different covers are now shown on a new page. (Updated 26 March 2001)

Gasolin and Nitag
Two extra maps have been added to the Gasolin page, both dating from the early 1950s. One is an unsually graphic Gasolin sectional cover, and the other a plain map by Nitag covering the whole of West Germany. (Updated 23 March 2001)

Jigsaw Puzzle
For some light relief, there is now a drag & drop jigsaw puzzle on the site. There are only 15 pieces of variable sizes, and it should load quite easily on most dial-up connections, providing IE5+ (or Netscape 4+) is being used as the browser. The image to be revealed is of some scenic Esso maps of Germany. (Updated 23 March 2001)

A British Q8 Road Atlas
An image of the 1998 hardback road atlas, issued by Q8 as an on-pack lubricant promotion, has now been added to the site. (Updated 18 March 2001)

200 Shell Group maps on this site!
There are now over 200 images of Shell (and subsidiary company) maps on this site. The latest additions are:

The front cover of the 1926 Shell-Stellin map of Germany

A 1930 map booklet from Italy

1930s Shell weather and lake cruising maps from Shell in Germany (and a number of the other images on the same page have been swapped)

A 1957 Shell map of Europe on the main brands page

(Updated 17 March 2001)

Maps from 3 more lubricant companies
Yacco has been selling oil in France for over 80 years, but does not appear to have issued a map until 1998. This is now included on the lubricants page, which has been split into pages for France and Germany. As well as Veedol, two more "V" brands are now shown on the German page: Viscobil and Vostaline. (Updated 11 March 2001)

Early adverts from British maps
Until now, the adverts page excluded any maps from Britain. This has been corrected with four early adverts, ranging from one dated 1910 from the Belgian-owned importer P.G.R. to a 1930 compass rose from Pratts. Two other Pratt's adverts are also shown, including one from a Michelin sectional map of the British Isles. (Updated 5 March 2001)

Two more maps of Europe on the brands page
The Total map of 8 capitals of Europe on the brands page has been switched for another one, and a Caltex Europa has been added to this page, too. (Updated 5 March 2001)

A Dutch Esso navigation map
Esso has periodically issued navigation maps of the Netherlands showing its bunkering locations. An example from 1960 has been added to the Esso waterways map page, and the older images have been re-scanned to a better standard. (Updated 3 March 2001)

A 1956 Guide Azur
The French company Azur issued "Guides" in the 1950s that included fold-out maps and lists of service stations selling their fuel. A 1956 example has been added to the Azur page. (Updated 5 March 2001)

More detail on Aral maps
I have added more detail on Aral's sectional maps, including an example of the first series from 1935, and have also added a mid-1950s BV map of Hannover, representing the less common city maps produced for the company. (Updated 3 March 2001)

More 1950s Caltex maps
A couple of 1950s Caltex maps have been added, including one that appears to be an overprint of a standard Michelin map. (Updated 27 February 2001)

An Elf Credit Card map
Elf introduced a credit card into France in 1967 and issued the map shown here to identify locations accepting the new card. (Updated 27 February 2001)

Euromarché
Euromarché were a relatively early operator of true hypermarkets. In 1976 they issued a specially customised Michelin map marking just a couple of dozen locations, most of which sold petrol. (Updated 24 February 2001)

Deltin
The list of smaller German companies known to have issued maps continues to grow. Deltin had around 500 branded filling stations at their peak, and a map issued by them in the early 1950s has now been added to the page of OMV, which acquired the company in the late 1990s. (Updated 24 February 2001)

Rückwarth
Rückwarth was one of the larger West German independent petrol distributors, supplying around 250 outlets in the early 1960s when it issued the road map shown on this new page. (Updated 10 February 2001)

Dating (US) Gulf maps before 1927
A recent enquiry I made showed that although it is possible to date early American Gulf maps accurately, there was no web page explaining how to do so. One has now been added to this site, even though it strays a little from the main focus on European maps. (Updated 10 February 2001)

An earlier Statoil map
An earlier Statoil map has been added, drawn to the traditional Danish scale of 1:510,000. (Updated 5 February 2001)

Italian maps from the past 15 years with EGM cartography
Although Italian firms have not consistently issued maps over the past 15 years or so, there have been occasional issues. I have added two with cartography by EuroGeoGrafiche Mencattini (EGM) of Arozzo - a late 1987 strip map booklet with loose leaf maps for AGIP, and a conventional folding map from 1993 for API. (Updated 4 February 2001)

The missing Amoco UK series
I have known for some while that there was a fourth Amoco series of Britain dating from the early 1980s. Richard Horwitz has now kindly sent me a scan of a map from this series. (Updated 29 January 2001)

A Swedish OK map in German
Swedish petrol companies occasionally issued maps in German (or more rarely English) to help attract foreign tourists. A 1985 OK map for German tourists, co-produced by OK and the Swedish Post Office has been added to the site. (Updated 28 January 2001)

An LPG map booklet from Primagaz
Primagaz, part of the Dutch SHV group, has the largest network of LPG fuelling points in France, under the brands of VIFF (Primagaz), Gepel (Butagaz) and other major petrol names. They have recently produced a map booklet locating their sites. (Updated 28 January 2001)

Din-X of Sweden
Din-X is currently Sweden's largest independent brand of petrol, and like a number of other Scandinavian names, it produces a map booklet listing its filling stations. Updated 28 January 2001)

A Stinnes Fanal map using an unusual folding system
Stinnes Fanal was based in NW Germany and bought in maps from Falk-plan, using an unusual (and expensive) folding system. The example shown from around 1960 is the first Fanal map on this site. (Updated 27 January 2001)

Two more 1930s maps from Uniti companies
More recent finds have extended the number of pre-war maps from members of Uniti, the German association for independent petrol companies. A map has been added for Leipzig-based Brennstoff AG, and a second atlas format map for Lübeck's Boie. Both these additional maps follow a similar design to ones used by other Uniti member companies. (Updated 27 January 2001)

An Elan map from Austria...
Elan was the main brand used by the OMV group from the 1970s to the mid-1990s, although their maps are not that common. A second example is now shown on the OMV-Elan page, dating from 1973. (Updated 27 January 2001)

... and one from Genol
Staying with Austria, Genol is one of the country's largest independent brands, and is part-owned by OMV. It has issued maps as recently as the late 1990s as in the one added to the Austrian independents page. (Updated 27 January 2001)

An Igol map
Among the many smaller lubricant specialists, Igol stands out by virtue of its devolved, regional ownership pattern. This has not prevented an Igol map of France being issued though and an example is shown from the late 1980s. At the same time, to keep the page sizes down a little, I have split UK lubricant manufacturers off to a page of their own. (Updated 20 January 2001)

Maps from ERG
ERG is a large Italian independent established in 1938. It acquired two chains of service stations in the 1980s, and an example of a map from that period is shown here. (Updated 20 January 2001)

A mid-1930s Standard phrase book
This German Standard Sprachführer fur Kraftfahrer (phrase book) is a new addition to the page looking at touring aids from Esso. (Updated 14 January 2001)

The 1926 Guide "BP" to Paris and its environs
A few weeks back I added the cover image of this 400 page guide to the site. As it is the earliest known oil company item containing maps from both BP and France, I have added an extended page looking in more detail at this fascinating guide. (Updated 13 January 2001)

PECO and DSO maps from Romania and Bulgaria
I'm delighted to say that my enquiry about Peco maps from Romania was answered by Michal Okonek, who sent me a scan of one. But he went one better than that, by also sending a scan of a map from DSO, the former Bulgarian monopoly brand. These have both been added to the Romania and Bulgaria page. (Updated 5 January 2001)

A pre-war Shell map from Italy
The first pre-war petrol company map from Italy has been added to the site. This is a small format map booklet from Shell, dated 1938. (Updated 4 January 2001)

An Aquila atlas
A spiral bound Aquila atlas of Italy has now been added to the page for this Italian predecessor of Total. (Updated 3 January 2001)

A second RBP map
A second, slightly younger, RBP map has now been found, and this has been added to the page for Belgian independents from the 1950s. (Updated 3 January 2001)

Road Maps of Yugoslavia
This new country shows both domestic maps (from Petrol Ljubljana) and issues from international oil companies, even though the latter were excluded from the Yugoslav market. As a result of creating this page, I have focussed the Petrol Ljubljana page onto that single company and have expanded its history. (Updated 3 January 2001)