science · 02 February 1923 · 101 years ago
In 1923, the first sale* was made of anti-knock gasoline containing a tetra-ethyl lead compound. First sold at Willard Talbott's service station on S. Main Street in Dayton, Ohio, the fuel was called Ethyl (after its new additive, tetraethyl lead) and colored a distinctive red. This new formulation of ethyl gasoline was the the result of seven years of testing at least 33,000 compounds as additives to influence the combustion rate of the fuel. Previously, on hard acceleration, an engine sometimes made knocking, popping or crackling sounds. Knocking sapped power and could damage the engine. The suitability of tetra-ethyl lead, made from alcohol and lead, was the discovery of Thomas Midgely, Jr., of the General Motors Research Laboratories, located in Dayton. Decades later, the toxicity of the lead present in automobile emissions was recognized, and leaded gasoline is no longer sold.
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