Sinclair Opaline Motor Oil Sign: Vintage Neon Collectible Petroliana – NS2558

History Of The Sinclair Dino Logo

New York State Route 17 Sinclair Station. Doug Kerr from Upstate New York, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sinclair Oil is an American petroleum company that was founded in 1916 in Wyoming. The Sinclair dinosaur logo is one of the most recognizable logos in American history. The logo was first introduced in the 1930’s by the Sinclair Oil Corporation, a major oil company based in the United States. The Sinclair dinosaur logo has undergone several changes over the years, but it remains a beloved symbol of the company's history and legacy.

The story of the Sinclair dinosaur logo begins in 1916, when the Sinclair Oil Corporation was founded. At the time, the company did not have a logo or a recognizable brand identity. However, that all changed in the 1930’s, when the company hired an artist named Dino De Laurentiis to create a new logo. De Laurentiis was an Italian artist who had recently immigrated to the United States. He was known for his ability to create memorable characters and logos, and he was the perfect person to design a new logo for Sinclair. De Laurentiis began working on the logo, and after several drafts, he came up with the now-famous image of a green Brontosaurus (later corrected as Apatosaurus) with the company name written in bold, red letters. The Sinclair dinosaur logo was an instant success. It was unlike anything else in the oil industry, and it quickly became synonymous with the Sinclair brand. The logo was used in all of the company's advertising, and it helped to establish Sinclair as one of the leading oil companies in the United States.

Modern Sinclair Dino Logo.

Over the years, the Sinclair dinosaur logo underwent several changes. In the 1950’s, the company updated the logo to make it more modern and streamlined. The Brontosaurus was given a more realistic appearance, and the font used for the company name was updated as well. In the 1960’s, the Sinclair dinosaur logo was updated again, this time to reflect the company's interest in space exploration. The Brontosaurus was given a rocket on its back, and the company name was updated with a more futuristic font.

Despite these changes, the Sinclair dinosaur logo remained a beloved symbol of the company's history and legacy. It continued to be used in the company's advertising and marketing campaigns, and it was even featured in movies and television shows. In the 1970s, however, the Sinclair dinosaur logo began to disappear from the company's advertising. The oil crisis of the 1970s had a major impact on the oil industry, and many companies, including Sinclair, were forced to cut back on their advertising budgets. As a result, the Sinclair dinosaur logo was no longer as visible as it had been in previous years. Despite this decline in visibility, the Sinclair dinosaur logo remained a beloved symbol of the company's history and legacy. It continued to be used on the company's products, and it was still recognized by people all over the world.

Sinclair Neon Signs History

The Sinclair Oil company is known for its distinctive green dinosaur mascot, as well as its use of neon signs to advertise its products. Sinclair's first neon sign was created in the 1920’s, and it quickly became a popular way to advertise the company's gas stations and other products. The signs were made by hand, with glass tubes bent into specific shapes and filled with neon gas. (This same process is used by ArtFactory.com on not only Sinclair items, but every vintage neon sign that we restore features hand blown and bent glass tubes, filled with neon gas, using the same processes that were used in the early-Twentieth Century). By the 1950’s, Sinclair had become one of the largest neon sign manufacturers in the world. 

Sinclair Service Station (Ridgeland, South Carolina). National Register of Historic Places listings in Jasper County, South Carolina.

The company's signs were found at gas stations and other locations across the United States, and they became an iconic part of American culture. Sinclair's neon signs were designed to be eye-catching and memorable, with bold colors and distinctive shapes that made them stand out from other signs. The company's most famous sign was the "Sinclair Dino," which featured a green dinosaur standing on its hind legs and holding a gas pump. This sign was first introduced in 1930, and it quickly became a beloved symbol of the company. 

Despite the rise of LED and digital signs in recent years, Sinclair continues to use neon signs as part of its advertising strategy. The company's neon signs are still made by hand, using the same techniques that were used in the early days of neon sign production. Today, Sinclair's neon signs are considered collectors' items, and they can be found in museums, and private collections around the world. The fact that these signs continue to be in made, more than a century after the first Sinclair neon sign was produced, is a testament to the company's long history and to the enduring appeal of neon signs as a form of advertising.