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Irish independent petrol brands selling maps

Campus Oil | Mex & Maxol | MS (Munster Simms)

MAXOL

Mex

The Mex name was introduced by Mexican Eagle Petroleum before the First World War and used throughout Britain and Ireland: a 1910s Mex map of the River Thames is shown elsewhere on this website. When Shell took full control of the company in 1921 the Irish assets were omitted from the deal and the Mex operation was sold instead to the McMullen family. They remain in control today, with affiliated operations in both Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic.

1963 Mex map of Ireland

1967 Mex/Maxol Mex map of Ireland

The first road maps were issued by Mex in 1953, but few survive. Ten years later, George Philip & Son produced the map (left) in England showing all Ireland at 8 miles to the inch. It carries the slogan "S-T-R-E-T-C-H your mileage with MEX". By 1967, the cover carried both Mex and Maxol brand names; the switch was made gradually over a period of many years. Despite their small size when folded, these maps are at a larger scale than the most recent Maxol issue.

ca1992 Maxol map of Ireland

Although no Maxol maps are known from the 1970s or 80s, it is likely that some were produced. Relatively recent Maxol maps are essentially stock maps of Ireland pasted into Maxol branded card covers. The first one (left) was printed in Switzerland around 1992 by Recta Foldex of France; it uses typical Recta cartography at 1:500,000. The next comes from 1997 and was produced in England by the Automobile Association at the scale of 1:350,000; its cover shows a Maxol station and the slogan "Stick with Maxol The Irish Company".

1997 Maxol map of Ireland

2000 Maxol map of Ireland

The Maxol map shown here dates from 2000 and was again produced in England, but by yet another cartographer - Collins Bartholomew. This map is at 9 miles to the inch (ca1:570,000) and carries the updated brand identity.

Maxol has become the largest brand in the North in terms of station numbers in recent years, and has expanded in the South by acquiring Ola and surplus Jet stations following the latter's takeover by Statoil. It also owns the Estuary branded chain in SW Ireland.

MS

Munster Simms & Company was a Belfast based independent operating mainly in Northern Ireland, but also in the Republic. It was possibly best known for its Staminol lubricants, although its premium grade petrol with Veloxine was also popular with Irish motorists. In the 1960s it was bought by National Benzole, the semi-autonomous subsidiary of Shell-Mex & BP, and operated independently for a few more years. With National's absorption into BP, the MS stations were gradually rebranded, too, and by the mid 1980s had finally disappeared.

		The first three maps shown here were produced by Geographia Ltd, probably in the late 1950s, and cover Northern Ireland at approx 1:300,000 with a small scale map of the entire island. City plans are included for Belfast, Londonderry, Dublin and Cork, a feature not normally found on oil company maps of Ireland. The top left map is undated and the top right one comes from 1962. Although superficially the same as the Northern Ireland map, MS also produced an all-Ireland version of its 1950s map for use by Munster Simms & Co (Dublin) Ltd. Although the cover does not mention it, the map still contains Northern Ireland at a larger scale, although the placing of the city plans is reversed to place the Southern cities above those in the North. By 1968 MS was using a single design (right) with its later simplified logo. The map is described as being specially prepared for Shell-Mex and BP Ltd by George Philip & Sons Ltd and internally is identical to maps from its larger sister brands. 1968 map courtesy of Richard Horwitz

CAMPUS

Campus Oil was established in Wexford in 1978, and rapidly grew to become one of Ireland's leading independent brands, although it remains strongest in the South-East of the country.

2002 Campus Oil map of Ireland

The only known map from Campus Oil dates from 2002, and was prepared for them by the (British) Automobile Association at the unusually specific scale of 1:689,655 (which fits neither metric nor Imperial measurements). Using a format similar to the QuickMap system (and also used on an Esso map of Ireland), the country is divided into four horizontal bands. Two bands are included on each side the map, which unfolds into a strip 1350mm wide but just 240mm high, and is printed on water-resistant gloss paper. This format also allows for town plans of Dublin and Cork to be included, as well as a double advertising panel about the company. The whole map fits into a clear plastic envelope and was sold for €6.80.

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