Rental car companies are under scrutiny for gas price gouging, USA Today did a story last week

A USA TODAY survey of auto rental gas prices at 13 big airports on April 25 found Hertz was charging $9.29 a gallon at all 13. Dollar and Thrifty were charging $8.99 a gallon at two.

At $9.29 a gallon, Hertz customers renting a Ford Club Wagon, which has a 35-gallon fuel tank, would owe Hertz $325.15 for gas if they returned the wagon with a nearly empty tank and hadn't prepaid for the gas.

Renters who pay ahead of time for a tank of gas from Hertz or another car rental company, though, may find the per-gallon price cheaper than at many local gas stations.

Of 102 prepay prices charged by the eight big car rental companies at 13 airports on April 25, 54 were cheaper than the average price at local gas stations that day. Forty-three prices charged for prepay gasoline were higher, USA TODAY's analysis of rental company prices and the AAA auto club's gas-station data found.

Most or all rental companies' prepay prices were less than the average at local gas stations

Though renters who prepay may pay less per gallon than at local gas stations, it's questionable whether they save money by doing so.

Prepayment is for a full tank of gas and can benefit renters who return vehicles with a nearly empty gas tank. But many renters who pay ahead return vehicles with a substantial amount of gas in the tank and are not credited for it.
http://travel.usatoday.com/news/story/2011/05/Rental-car-gas-prices-hit-more-than-9-a-gallon/46778642/1

In February of this year I checked the price of gas at a couple rental car companies here in San Diego: http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2011/02/rental-car-fuel-charges-as-of-last-week.html

Gas prices around the globe, March 2011

chart from http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/market-news/gas-prices-world-high-low-country-pain-pump/19895547/?icid=maing-grid7main5dl3sec1_lnk252904

via AIRINC http://www.air-inc.com

Rental car fuel charges as of last week, before gas prices jumped

National...........$5.01 a gallon
Avis..................$7.99
Hertz................$8.29

This is what you will be charged if they have to top off the tank, if you opt not to prepay them, and don't fill the car before returning it.

I'd love to go see these gas stations with fighter planes and bombers

Above and below are the same place, six miles south of Portland Oregon

the above is in Everett Washington

From http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=428585&page=920

Spitzler's Auto Supply with curbside gas pumps

From Shorpy

1920 Penn Oil fuel station with " Lightning Motor Fuel " !.. I want me some of that!

from Shorpy

1920 method of obtaining gas in Brazil was a department store

The photo above is from 1920, highlighting the "torpedo" a Ford TT.

The coolest thing in this image is the writing on the wall of the warehouse: Custodian of gasoline "Motano"-Standard Oil of Brazil.

So this was the sale of "Gazolina" in the early days! Well before the gasoline pumps, fuel was sold in department stores in brass!
http://antigosverdeamarelo.blogspot.com/2010/01/jacarei-curiosidades.html

Oil and fuel pumps at the big 3 swap meet

What was the real octane of the high test / high octane of the late 1960's? Here's Sunoco's data

From Sun Oil Company, J Ziegler, Sales Promotion 1966
For the cool advertisements of Sunoco, some more new ones just added: http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2009/05/sunoco-260-advertising-makes-me-wonder.html

Now this is the right way to get people into your gas station!

Wishire Boulevard pump station in 1938
Via: http://42ndblackwatch1881.wordpress.com/

Sunoco 260 advertising.. . makes me wonder why anyone would feel it necessary to advertise gasoline

A different kind of ad for Sunoco was the jacket: http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2006/11/sunoco-260-race-gas-at-gas-station.html

A couple cool old ads

Ever wonder why some gas stations charge more than others in the same city?

The above is at the 805 and Adams...

The above is in Pacific Beach, and is 14 cents more... well, I guess in that sectioned off area of San Diego, there aren't a lot of gas stations, and they must realize few people will drive very far to get cheaper gas

So is anyone going to let these guys in on the news that they are 2 blocks away from gas that's 77 cents a gallon cheaper? And that just 15 minutes away from gas that's 91 cents a gallon cheaper?

By driving 2 blocks, 10 gallons is nearly 8 dollars of savings. Why would anyone waste their money at Chevron?

Sunoco 260, race gas at a gas station pump. Those were the days

The great Beer keg controversy

Jackass.