1959 Lithographed tin. Ideal Petroleum Co. St Lambert, Quebec. Corvette Motor Oil uses the imagery of the small, fast and lightly armed warships prevalent during World War II. Soon after these steathy ships inspired designers of the now famous Chevrolet sportscar. This bilingual tin, while sharing the same name as the Chevrolet Corvette car, was actually not related to the car, but rather, it was a separate brand that used the "nautical" meaning of the word "corvette". The ship on the tin is a "Flower-class Corvette Warship", a small, maneuverable naval escort vessel used extensively by the Royal Canadian Navy during WWII. The Ideal Petroleum Co. of St. Lambert, Quebec, used this naval imagery to evoke the speed and reliability of these famous, Canadian-built ships. Despite the graphic of a naval ship, the oil was marketed for use in passenger cars and light trucks. The tin was only produced for about a decade before the company was sold, in 1959, to British American Oil, which rebranded service stations and products under its own national corporate identity. Authenticated by The Authentication Company (TAC #501391). All items are guaranteed authentic by Miller & Miller Auctions. All purchases are eligible for free delivery to the Check the Oil Show on June 26, 2026. 13.5" x 8.5" x 5.75"

Size
13.5" x 8.5" x 5.75"

Condition
Grade: 8.5. Excellent colour and gloss. Pinpoint scratches and nicks. Minor staining and abrasion. One side shows an overprint flaw affecting the script and image. Retains original cap.

Medium
CCCC was one of Canada’s early sign manufacturing companies, with business roots tracing back to 1867, a time when two ancestral companies that would eventually form the CCCC were in the early stages of development. The first company was Firstbrook Bros. Ltd., founded in 1867 in Toronto, Ontario, a pioneer in the shipping business, primarily producing wooden shipping boxes. The second company was the A.R. Whittall Can Co. Ltd., founded in 1888 in Montreal, Quebec, a pioneer in early Canadian lithographed tins and tinware. In 1935 the two were purchased by the newly formed CCCC, a move that would make the CCCC a major player in the Canadian packaging industry. By the 1940s the CCCC manufactured tin cans for food products, oil, paint, varnish, lard, beer and drugs. In 1983 the company was sold to CCL Industries Inc., a global packaging pioneer and the world’s largest label maker. (Note: Distinct from the Continental Can Company of America.)