A lovely piece of vibrant, English automobilia - this 'Cleveland Discol - Alcohol for Engine Power' enamel sign can be dated to the 1930s and the developing use of the automobile. Cleveland Petroleum Products Co was formed in 1920 and was registered for the storage and distribution of petroleum fuels. In 1938 the Anglo-American Oil Co. acquired a major interest in Cleveland Products and by 1951 they were incorporated into Esso Petroleum Co. 

 

Cleveland Discol was an alcohol based automobile fuel (petrol / gasoline) and was a popular brand of British petrol between the 1930s and 1960s. It was marketed as a 'superior petrol' due to its potent blend of distilled alcohol (ethanol) and refined petrol. As well as Cleveland Discol, the other related brand was Cleveland Benzole Mixture - a blend of a coal-tar product and petrol... A fascinating insight into a time the internal combustion engine, and the liquids that fuelled it, were still developing.

 

This date for the production of this particular sign can be pinpointed to the 1930s. Specially it would've been after 1934, when Distillers Co. granted permission to use their trademark 'Discol' on Cleveland's advertising but before the Anglo-American Oil Company Ltd took a major shareholding in Cleveland in 1838 as the 'small-print' on this sign makes no mention of them. By 1958 the takeover by Esso Petroleum Co Ltd was fully complete, the brand name Cleveland was kept by Esso and Cleveland continued to trade under its name through its network of garages until the early 1970s. At this point Esso dissolved the name completely and all former Cleveland garage forecourt decor was replaced by the Esso trademark/identity.

 

Measuring in at an impressive 1.22m (4ft) wide, this enamel sign with it's striking petrol pump globe graphics and punchy colours makes for a real statement piece as well as being a bit of a rarity. Condition wise, it's certainly lived a life - there are patches of enamel loss across the sign as well as some crazing to the enamel, most notably around the centre. The edges have a convex bevel that adds to the rigidity of the piece, but this raised surface has lost the majority of it's enamel and the corners have lost their shape. Despite the damage the sign remains legible and still has fantastic impact. The upper, original mounting holes remain good, strong and functional. In my opinion the sign's condition adds to, rather than detracts from, it's condition. 

 

The sign measures 122cm (4ft) wide x 76cm high x 0.8cm deep.