1897 Survivor. Is this the Earliest Automotive Oil Can?

Sep/Oct 2021 edition
Issue #18 AutoMobilia Resource Magazine
Story and photography from Dr. Fred Simeone and The Simeone Foundation Museum

In the early days of the motorcar, adding, changing, and discarding motor oil was much more commonplace than it is today. In the event that your automobile needed new oil, you would simply drive up to the nearest petrol station and request a top off from the attendant on duty. That attendant in turn would grab a new tin of oil from their existing inventory, add it to your auto’s engine, and discard that empty tin. Unbeknownst to people back then, these empty tins with seemingly little value then are now considered to be among the most coveted collector’s items for enthusiasts.

​At the time, the standard size of these oil cans was a quart, but they were made available in sizes up to 10 gallons, depending on the particular brand. Since the vast majority of oil cans were discarded, those that remained unopened and in good condition were often the rarest and most desirable to collect.  

Vintage oil cans have, through the years, steadily gained popularity as collector’s items. Their accessibility, combined with their diversity in design, size, and shape, make oil cans one of the more exciting things to collect and talk about in the world of petroliana.

The massive amount of interest in automotive motor oil cans is far more extensive than one might assume. However, if one takes just a minute to pull up a Google search, it is easy to see that there are multiple websites, collector’s groups, and pages dedicated to photographs and discussions of these oil cans. 

It doesn’t matter if they are common or rare – people like to talk about their oil cans, and on topics ranging from the analysis of their overall economic value to what criteria should be included when determining exactly how special each one is. Now, we’re not in the business of oil cans at the Simeone Museum, but it would appear to us, as relative amateurs, that the most significant factors in evaluating oil cans would be in order:
– Their age… the older the better. 
– A compelling image or logo… 
the more interesting the better.
– And their condition… the better… 

One of the better known and highly collectible oil cans is an early Harley-Davidson version, which fetched well over $10,000 in a recent eBay auction. Another relatively early and hard-to-find example can also be found in our collection. It is a 5-gallon Gamages can (left), also from our library, and probably from the late 1920s or early 1930s, features an easily identifiable supercharged racing Bentley.
​

Left: Gamages Motor Oil Can. Front pictured on left, and back pictured on right. Note that each side also has a different image. On one side there is a seaplane air racer flying, and the other side features the image of a racing boat in the water at speed.

This leads to the particular oil can shown here, which we have very recently discovered, and it is now a part of our library’s collection. Based on our research, we think this might be the oldest surviving oil can in the world. We believe this very clear image is that of an 1897 De Dion-Bouton. The clarity is remarkable, especially when you consider this can will most likely be 125 years old next year. The young lady, dressed in what appears to be Victorian garb, only strengthens our belief that our estimation to its age is correct.

On the back are embossed words “Société de Colombes,” which translates loosely to “society of doves,” which is the name of the defunct manufacturer, which we have been unable to locate more information about so far. Below it we find “Exiger le Plomb de Garantie,” or loosely “require the guarantee seal.” Speaking of seals, pay particular notice to the craftsmanship of the secure cap and spout, which add immensely to the overall look and wonderful aesthetic of this historic piece. We can find zero evidence of surviving automotive oil cans from pre-1900, and the earliest ones that we do know about are from 1910 and later. When we consider all of these facts, we think it is safe to assume that this oil can is from 1897 and, given the absence of any other oil cans from the period, would make this the earliest surviving automotive oil can in existence. What do you think?

Dr. Fred Simeone
​The Simeone Foundation Museum

[Editor’s Note: Amazingly, this rarity was found on eBay, of all places!]

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