Flying A Gasoline

FLYING A gasoline was sold by associated dealers of Tidewater Oil Company on the west coast before and after World War II. In the early 1900’s a group of well operators formed the Associated Oil Company to transport oil out of their fields. The pipeline ended at the company’s refinery in Martinez, California. In a few years Associated products were distributed all over the west coast and Hawaii. In 1936 Associated joined Tidewater Oil, makers of Tydol and Veedol, to form the Tidewater Associated Oil Company, a nationwide firm. Associated’s trademark, flying wings attached to a letter “A” for Assoicated, became the new company’s national marketing emblem. While Tidewater Associated was becoming one of the country’s major oil companies, J. Paul Getty bought stock over about 20 years until by 1951 he controlled the company. In 1966 Phillips 66 bought out the west coast stations, and the east coast became Getty Oil stations, bringing an end to the Flying A brand by 1970.