The Gas Lighting Improvement Co Ltd - GLICO was formed in 1888 and had premises at 7 Bishopgate, London EC. Their main business was the importation, refining and distribution of Motor Spirit, Benzine, Benzole and associated products.
Circa 1910
Their first major brand of motor spirit for cars and motorcycles was Carburine which appeared on the market in the very early 1900's.
They had two grades both of which was sold in dark blue 2 gallon petrol cans with labels on the end panels. Another brand was GLICO and this was sold in yellow cans with a yellow label on the end panels.
See advert 2 which is dated 1917.
By 1919 Benzole had been produced as a by-product of the Great War and was being sold by an organisation called the National Benzole Association, Glico marketed this in black cans with red labels, the brand was called Glico National Benzole but this was later changed in the early 1920's to Glico Motor Benzole.
See advert 3 dated 1919. By this date the company's headquarters were now at Salisbury House, London Wall, London EC, and by 1921 GLICO Ltd was to be found at Alexandra House, Queen Square, London WC1.
By the early 1920's Glico was selling its Motor Spirit
1920's
products in embossed 2 gallon cans and examples can be found for Carburine Motor Spirit, Glico Motor Benzole, Glico Motor Spirit and plain Glico.
The company also had an affiliate company called Glico - Newton Ltd who produced a range of Motor Oils.
The 1920's was a time of great innovation for the combustion engine when development was being driven by the search for performance and speed. But this era was also a time of fierce competition, prices were being driven downwards by a worldwide glut of oil and only the strongest companies could survive. So in 1931 GLICO Petroleum Ltd enter into a merger with the Redline Motor Spirit Co Ltd, and Redline - Glico Ltd was borne. advert 4 below, dated 1931, is a copy of a letter addressed to all garages and commercial consumers.
