Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums Petroliana Value Questions Champion Gasoline "Racecar" Globe

Never been into the gas pumps and whatnot... mainly just old vettes but found a really old Champion Gasoline "Racecar" globe in good/great? condition while helping clear out friends barn. The metal housing has tons of rust but still some of the original red paint. The lenses though (seems to be the most important part?) Are in fantastic shape once the surface grime rinsed off. The problem if I can call it that, is that I Googled these and found a few that Mecum Auctions have sold for astronomical prices. Can that be right? They've sold 3 at different auctions over the last few years for between 5 (single lens) and 11k (both lenses)?!?!?! I also found reference on this website to one that sold for 19k? I am positive that these are originals, thought they were cool, and figured they may be worth a little bit, but never that. Anything more anyone can tell me about them etc.? I'll try to post up some pictures.

Wow! What else did you find???

Some snakes, a lot of nasty old straw, and about 2 40 yard dumpsters full of worthless old junk. I guess I did also get a couple of pieces of old barnwood I'm going to make into a table. Speculation was that the globe's have been there for the better part of 40 or 50 years now? I really have no idea what era these came from beyond the fact the car looks to be a 1920s era indy car? From what little I can find, Champion Oil Company (no idea if it's the same company though) was a 1920s Oklahoma oil business that didn't last long?

Where did the box of globe collars in the background come from?

Same place, they're pretty rusty too, but looked like they went with it?

If you want an accurate appraisal, get ahold of Scott Benjamin at gasglobes.com

Tremendous find by the way! I think you will be pleasantly surprised at the value!

Sounds like you have already some prices. Just don’t flood the market as the guys willing that much for a globe are not everywhere.