November 25, 2011

Horse 1252 - Pegasus Clipped


Quite recently the Mobil petrol stations around where I live have started disappearing and have been replaced with 7-Elevens. This of itself doesn't really mean a whole lot other than to say that the visual furniture of our cities has changed a little. Gone are the blue and red signs and gone are the winged horses that once pranced across the horizon.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/opinion/eleven-nears-acquisition-of-mobil-service-stations/story-e6frg9io-1225868671876
7-Eleven Australia is close to acquiring the bulk of the Mobil service stations that were originally planned for sale to Caltex.
The deal, first flagged in The Australian earlier this month, will be for less than the $302 million price tag on the 301 service stations that Caltex had agreed to buy before it was blocked by the ACCC.

7-Eleven Australia acquired 295 Mobil service stations in NSW, Qld, SA and Vic, whilst Peregrine Corporation bought 29 of them in SA.

Yes this is a business decision and the stuff that they sell you is bound to be identical, so it's not like you can develop much brand loyalty but I can't help but feel a little sadness in the same way I did when the Golden Fleece petrol stations disappeared.
Very occasionally you still see the odd sign here and there:


Unlike Ampol, Golden Fleece and Redex though, Mobil will continue to exist overseas; in much the same way as Texaco, Eneos, Elf or Total do. It's just that we won't see the red pegasuses (?) pegasii (?) in our cars anymore.

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