Motorway Services Online

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Mobil

Mobil
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Introduced:1970
Removed:1987 as an operator
Predecessors:none
Successors:Granada, Ross, BP
Mobil services.
The Mobil logo in 1970.

Forecourt operator Mobil built three motorway services before selling them on. In the early days, motorway services were provided primarily to allow vehicle maintenance and repairs, so a fuel company taking them on made sense, especially for the smaller sites where catering sales would be low.

In the 1980s, Mobil had special permission to provide catering by vending machine only. At Burton, catering was leased to Granada, who had their name advertised on the signs. The forecourts they built during this era used to have distinctive circular canopies, most of which have now been converted to the usual flat roofs.

As time went on, the focus of services shifted and began to require specialised hospitality companies. This, and probably the pressure of the industry, caused Mobil to sell their leases to other operators and forecourt providers.

After Being An Operator

Despite handing back all their MSA leases, the Mobil brand continued to be seen across the UK until the merger with Esso in 1999.

In the late 1980s, many forecourt operators realised they needed to adapt their business strategy to acknowledge the closure of many smaller petrol stations. Mobil decided to compete with the Department of Transport to build service areas at key locations, and where they won, they would then enter into a "joint enterprise" with Granada or Welcome Break. This would see them sell off the majority of the site they had just won planning permission for.

Mobil also looked for opportunities on A-roads, opening an experimental site at Boreham which included a large HGV parking area. While this proved to be useful, the vision was that it would attract a caterer who could then maintain the facilities, and this didn't happen.

Mobil Branding

All Mobil petrol stations, including the motorway ones, included a shop branded 'Mobil Mart', and a prominent logo consisting of a pegasus on a circle.

Mobil's UK operations were merged with BP in 1996, and Mobil branding was reduced. When the Mobil business was acquired by Exxon, BP acquired Mobil's British petrol stations and removed all Mobil branding.

Exxon reintroduced Mobil as a brand of premium quality oil, and they still use it as a fuel retailer outside of Europe. Pace were allowed to sell some Mobil products from 2005, and had their branding on shop signs.

Locations

The following services were owned by Mobil, even if other parts were leased out:

Mobil provided fuel at the following official service areas:

Unbuilt services

The following services were planned by Mobil but never built.