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Chicago Tribune
a day ago
- Automotive
- Chicago Tribune
Rand McNally maps helped travelers find their way
Now is the time of year when families start thinking about a summer vacation. In the pre-internet era, that meant getting out the creased, dog-eared maps from the car's glove compartment. Spread across a kitchen table, the maps fueled dreams of cross-country travel, unburdened by the reality of endless hours in an overstuffed vehicle. Those vacation planners are indebted to Rand McNally. The Chicago area-based publisher pioneered road maps that were distributed at gas stations, beginning with Gulf Oil, in 1920. From time to time, the company had stores stocked with maps, atlases and guide books Road maps were a logical extension of Rand McNally's business plan. It had published railroad maps since 1872. Still, it had to learn a new trick to produce road maps. It isn't difficult to match a railroad map to a railroad. Its freight and passenger cars carry the line's logo. Stations and freight depots bear its name. But America's early highways weren't lined with numbered signs. So how would a motorist know where they were by following a wiggly line on a map? John Brink, a Rand McNally cartographer, came up with a solution: Creating symbols for highways that were printed on the road maps and also put on signs attached to electrical and telephone poles along those roads. He won $100 in a contest the company ran for employees to develop new map products. The company advertised Brink's creation with the slogan 'Follow the Blazed Trail,' Janice Petterchak reported in 'Mapping A Life's Journey, The Legacy of Andrew McNally III.' The original cardboard signs were damaged by the weather. Others were pilfered by vandals, prompting a revised method: Painting the telegraph poles and advertising: 'Follow the Painted Poles.' If a map user got on a highway to their destination, the painted poles kept them headed the right way. But towns might have several highways, so a map user could choose the wrong one. Because of that, another system of road identification was created by H. Sargent Michaels. His 'Photographic Automobile Maps' provided pictures of intersections and turning points along a route. Rand McNally purchased the rights to it and in 1909 issued 'The Rand McNally Photo-Auto Guides.' 'My mother and father took a busman's honeymoon to Milwaukee,' Andrew McNally III, the company's leader from 1948 to 1974, told the Tribune in 1982. 'They took pictures of every turnoff from here to there. So came the Chicago-to-Milwaukee guide.' A newspaper clipping in the family's scrapbook continued the story: 'He also took pictures of puzzling intersections, and when his company — Rand McNally & Co. — printed the road map resulting from his trip, white arrows in the pictures the honeymooners had taken showed which route to follow.' Around 1917, numbers were substituted for symbols and painted poles, eventually leading to the numbering of all major roads in the United States. Andrew III's great-grandfather was Andrew McNally, an apprentice from Ireland hired in the late 1850s by William H. Rand who had a small print shop on Lake Street. At first, they did printing for the Chicago Tribune. But with an increasing number of railroad lines coming to Chicago, the partners decided to concentrate on the railroad industry. The Tribune predicted, 'It cannot but at once attain a wide circulation.' But on Oct. 8, 1871, their building was destroyed by the Great Chicago Fire. McNally had the foresight, according to company lore, to bury two of their printing machines in the sand at Lake Michigan. When the fire ended, the company was able to resume business with the salvaged equipment and within a short time were printing 100,000 tickets a day. In 1872, their first map appeared in the company's 'Railroad Guide.' Theirs was the first American company to produce maps from wax engravings — a method McNally learned in Ireland. Instead of creating new plates for updates, they could patch existing plates, dramatically reducing production costs. Shortly, they added a touch of class by including verses by poet Robert Browning in the timetables of the Chicago and Alton Railroad. They also inspired another artist. Helen Beck did a striptease act at Chicago's 1933 World's Fair. Cecil B. De Mille, the famed Hollywood director, said she needed a catchier name. Spotting a Rand McNally map on her agent's wall, the stage name 'Sally Rand' was chosen. The company's influence went well beyond helping vacationers navigate the nation's roads. Charles Lindbergh, the first pilot to fly solo over the Atlantic Ocean, used Rand McNally railroad maps to navigate when flying over land. During World War II, a boatload of refugees fled Japanese-occupied Java and made it to Australia by charting the thousands of miles of their escape with a Rand McNally Pocket Atlas. As the company prospered, Andrew III, whose father Andrew McNally II ran the company from 1933 to 1948, came of age thinking nothing of taking off for faraway places. During his freshman year at North Shore Country Day School in Winnetka, he visited an uncle in England. Subsequently he and a chum returned there. They had an audience with the prime minister and the prince of Wales. The lord mayor of London hosted a luncheon where they met authors and artists interested in British-American relations, according to Petterchak's book. During World War II, Andrew III volunteered, and, after a quickie officer's training course was commissioned a lieutenant in the Army Map Service. He was mildly surprised we won 'with maps primarily based on outdated British cartography,' he told a reporter. Andrew III succeeded his father as Rand McNally's president in 1948. The company expanded greatly during his tenure at the top. Upon taking over, he decided to move the headquarters from their cramped building at Clark and Harrison streets to a spacious campus in Skokie. It became the largest mapmaker in the United States, printing tickets for airlines and publishing books, atlases and globes and even later expanded into storefronts. The McNallys had majority control of the company and didn't have to answer to stockholders with different ideas. Ward, the company's founder, died in 1890, having been in ill health and selling his share of the business to the McNallys, and they never made a public stock offering. In 1994, Andrew III said, tongue in cheek, that 'the reason the business stays in the family, is that we never got rich enough to neglect it.' But printed maps were becoming a thing of the past as computers became prevalent, and Andrew III's successors didn't share his reservations about selling the company piecemeal. In 1997, the family divested itself of the business. Its corporate offices in Skokie were sold in 2008 to Ida Crown Jewish Academy.
Khaleej Times
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Khaleej Times
Gulf Oil Middle East wins ‘Product of the year 2025' award
Gulf Oil Middle East celebrates a landmark achievement as two of its premium products Gulf Ultrasynth GDI 5W-30 and Gulf Superfleet Supreme 15W-40 were voted winners of the 'Product of the Year 2025' awards. 'Product of the Year' is the world's largest consumer-voted award for product innovation. The selection of winners is based on a transparent voting process by the consumers and an evaluation by the expert committee, comprised of industry professionals, to assess that the products meet the set criteria of innovation. This recognition not only strengthens Gulf's position as one of the leading lubricant providers in the region but also reinforces its dedication to anticipating the needs of modern engines and fleets in today's fast-evolving automotive landscape. Rajesh Venkat, general manager of Gulf Oil Middle East, said: 'We are honoured to receive these awards, which validate our ongoing commitment to developing cutting-edge lubrication technology. Gulf Ultrasynth GDI 5W-30 and Gulf Superfleet Supreme 15W-40 represent our promise to deliver exceptional protection, efficiency, and reliability to drivers and fleet operators worldwide.' Winning the 'Product of the Year' awards is a testament to our dedication to delivering world-class lubrication solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers. It reflects the trust and confidence that consumers and industry experts have placed in Gulf Oil Middle East's ability to enhance engine longevity, fuel efficiency, and overall vehicle performance. We remain committed to pushing the boundaries of innovation to ensure superior engine protection and performance," he added. Gulf Ultrasynth GDI 5W-30, a premium engine oil, has been designed to provide unparalleled protection by ensuring that oil molecules coat critical engine components. This advanced formulation significantly reduces friction and guards against wear in all driving conditions. Whether navigating urban roads or tackling long highway journeys, Gulf Ultrasynth GDI 5W-30 guarantees a smooth driving experience and complete peace of mind. Infused with clean-flow technology, the high-performance Gulf Superfleet Supreme 15W-40 contains powerful antioxidants that delay oil oxidation while keeping soot particles suspended, preventing harmful sludge build-up. This ensures engines run cleaner for longer, maintaining peak performance and durability over extended periods.
Business Standard
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- Business Standard
Gulf Oil records PAT of Rs 91 crore in Q4; EBITDA margin increases to 13.60%
Gulf Oil Lubricants India has reported 7.24% rise in standalone net profit to Rs 91.62 crore on a 7.30% increase in revenue from operations to Rs 915.08 crore in Q4 FY25 as compared with Q4 FY24. EBITDA improved by 8.20% to Rs 124.47 crore in the fourth quarter from Rs 115.04 crore recorded in the same period last year. EBITDA margin rose by 11 basis points year-over-year (YoY) to 13.60% in Q4 FY25. Profit before tax in Q4 FY25 stood at Rs 123.43 crore, up by 8.1% from Rs 114.20 crore in Q4 FY24. For FY25, Gulf Oil has registered a standalone net profit of Rs 362.25 crore (up 17.58% YoY) and revenue from operations of Rs 3,554.36 crore (up 8.23% YoY). Gulf Oil stated that it has maintained strong growth momentum, recording quarterly volume growth 2x the industry rate, driven by broad-based gains particularly double-digit growth in personal mobility and strong growth in Motorcycle Oils segment within it. The company increased the distribution network to over 90,000 touchpoints pan India. Ravi Chawla, Managing Director & CEO, Gulf Oil Lubricants India, said: Fiscal year 202425 concluded on a momentous note, with revenues surpassing the Rs 3,500 crore mark. As outlined at the start of the year, we increased our market share across all key segments and delivered volume growth at twice the industry rate. These results were supported by focused strategic efforts to strengthen our market penetration, expand our product portfolio across B2B, B2C, and OEM segments, and grow our customer bases. Our EV charger subsidiary, Tirex, closed the year on a strong note, reflecting our continued efforts to strengthen the EV segment in line with our future vision. Gulf Oil Lubricants India (GOLIL) is part of the transnational conglomerate Hinduja Group. GOLIL sells its lubricants products under the Gulf brand with sales largely to the automotive sector along with industrial users. The scrip fell 1.83% to currently trade at Rs 1180.50 on the BSE.
News18
18-05-2025
- Business
- News18
With Rs 33.68 Lakh Crore Fortune, Gopichand Hinduja Is UK's Richest Again; Know The Tycoon
Last Updated: Under his leadership, the Group acquired Gulf Oil in 1984 and three years later took over Ashok Leyland. Gopi Hinduja and his family topped the Sunday Times Rich List 2025 with a net worth of 35.304 billion British pounds (Rs 33,67,948.64 crore), beating the second holder, David and Simon Reuben and family, with a margin of 8.42 billion British pounds (Rs 8,042 crore). Gopi Hinduja and his family hold the crown of Britain's wealthiest despite a drop in net worth by 1.89 British pounds. Gopichand Hinduja is a key figure in the influential Hinduja family, which manages the multinational conglomerate, the Hinduja Group. This diverse enterprise spans industries such as trucks, lubricants, banking, and cable television. Who Is Gopichand Hinduja? Gopichand ascended to the role of chairman in May 2023 following the death of his older brother, Srichand Hinduja. The family has significant real estate holdings in London, including the Raffles London hotel, situated in the historic Old War Office building in Whitehall. A 1959 graduate of Jai Hind College, Mumbai, he received an honorary Doctorate of Law from the University of Westminster and an Honorary Doctorate of Economics from Richmond College, London, according to the group's website. Gopichand resides in London, while his younger brother Prakash lives in Monaco, and their youngest sibling, Ashok, manages their interests in India from Mumbai. First Published: May 18, 2025, 15:21 IST
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Enter to Win a $250K Superformance GT40 MKI in Iconic Gulf Racing Livery
Read the full story on Modern Car Collector Automotive enthusiasts have a rare chance to bring home a legend. A meticulously crafted , valued at $250,000, is up for grabs in an exclusive sweepstakes sponsored by Downforce Motorsports—giving one lucky winner the keys to an iconic piece of motorsport history. Win here. Built as an authentic continuation model of the 1969 Le Mans-winning No. 6 GT40, this modern recreation mirrors the specifications of the original in both spirit and engineering. The GT40 famously conquered Porsche's dominance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, piloted by racing greats Jacky Ickx and Jackie Oliver. Chassis 1075, carrying the backing of Gulf Oil, went on to become one of the most revered race cars in the world. This Superformance example features the legendary Gulf Oil livery—a brilliant blue and orange color scheme accented by orange wheels, Gulf roundels, and vintage racing decals. Not just for show, the vehicle is powered by a 427 cubic-inch Windsor-based stroker V8 with Weber carburetors and silver powder-coated headers, offering a visceral driving experience that honors its race-bred lineage. Inside, the GT40 is outfitted with period-correct details including a Moto-Lita steering wheel, Smith gauges, and Alcantara racing seats with silver rivets. A Gurney bubble, originally developed to accommodate taller drivers like Dan Gurney, adds to the authenticity. Modern engineering elements such as Bilstein coil-over shocks, independent suspension, and vented Wilwood disc brakes make this GT40 both track-capable and street-legal, while amenities like air conditioning and a heater add comfort to its performance pedigree. Adding to its historical significance, the car also honors Pittsburgh's role in GT40 history, as Gulf Oil—formerly headquartered in the city—was instrumental in funding the original race program through its partnership with JW Automotive. For collectors and fans of motorsport's golden era, this giveaway offers more than just a car—it's a chance to own a rolling tribute to one of racing's most iconic moments. Enter here. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter
