See Homepage.

This page: A glimpse into the price of motor oils and other products during the 1920s.

Viscos oils and greases, 1927.

This leaflet for "VISCOS" brand motor oils, greases and related products, was issued in July 1927. The supplier in this instance was M. Thomas, of 11 Princess Square in Plymouth. This address had been used by a variety of businesses in earlier days, but evidently by the 1920s it would be vintage-era motorists that would be frequenting the premises, to buy consumables needed to keep their car(s) in fine fettle.

Evidently, Viscos oils were one of the main sellers at M. Thomas' emporium. Below are example prices for just some of the products they held in stock, supplied in one-gallon barrels.

Red Ford Motor Oil (2s 1d - two shillings and one-pence)

Ford Ton Truck (2s 3d)

White Ford Oil (2s 6d)

Extra Heavy (3s 3d)

Marine Motor Cylinder Oil - Heavy (2s 11d)

Diesel & Semi-Diesel Engine Cylinder Oil - Light (2s 7d)

Tractor Oil No.1 Light (2s 7d)

Gas Engine Oil No.1 for up to 15hp (2s 5d)

Gas Engine Oil No.2 for 15/45hp (2s 7d)

Gas Engine Oil No.3 for 45hp upwards (2s 11d)

Steam Cylinder Oil No.1 (2s 8d)

Greases too could be purchased, including Yellow Machinery Grease (27/6 per barrel), Black Tram Grease (20/-) and White Cart Grease (22/6). Carbide was also available, to power acetylene gas lamps as fitted to early cars, motorcycles and bicycles. According to the Practical Motorist's Encyclopaedia, circa 1934, acetylene is

"... a colourless hydrocarbon gas, poisonous, and of characteristic odour. It was at one time employed for car lighting and is now occasionally used as a dope for enriching alcohol fuels."

Drivers' tyre requirements could also be accommodated, as solid and pneumatic tyres, plus the all-important inner tubes, were also offered.

I've yet to find any more information on Viscos-brand oils in particular, but if any does emerge I'll add it in here. The collecting of items relating to fuel and oil suppliers from byegone days, is covered in this article.

Return to the Motoring Collectables section.

Custom Search

Old Classic Car (C) R. Jones 2023. Content not to be reproduced elsewhere.

Website by ableweb.