Mobil 350 by Andy Warhol is a screenprint from his 1985 Ads portfolio, published by Ronald Feldman. The print features the familiar Mobilgas Pegasus logo, reimagined through Warhol’s Pop Art lens. The scarlet Pegasus, outlined in gold and set against a vivid cobalt background, appears to leap forward with commercial vitality. The metallic gloss and precise contours recall the smooth finish of polished chrome, echoing both the aesthetics of midcentury advertising and the allure of the American automobile.
Warhol’s Mobilgas: A Pop Icon of Industry
At first glance, the piece resembles a brand-new roadside sign, shining beneath fluorescent light. Mobil 350 feels familiar—almost ordinary. Think again. Warhol deliberately stays close to the classic Mobilgas shield to test how little alteration a brand can take and still feel new. The hand-traced gold lines, slight surface irregularities, and saturated color push the logo from everyday signage into Pop spectacle.
Context matters. The blueprint for Warhol’s print reaches back to the oil company’s 1930s Mobilgas design. Eventually, they rebranded to Mobil Oil Corporation and, later, ExxonMobil. By choosing an earlier badge, Warhol folds nostalgia into critique. He links the romance of the open road to the branding that powered it. Meanwhile, the bold Pegasus turns industrial fuel into a myth of speed and freedom.
Compared to the more glamorous subjects in the Ads portfolio—such as Chanel perfume or Apple computers—Mobil 350 stands out for its humility. Rather than celebrating luxury goods, Warhol elevates the mundane ritual of refueling into an object of visual fascination. The image’s simplicity and repetition highlight Warhol’s ability to find beauty in commerce itself, proving that even a gas station visit can embody Pop Art’s glossy realism.
Mobil 350 in Warhol’s Larger Body of Work
The Ads series reflects Warhol’s enduring interest in advertising as both art and ideology. With Mobil 350, he looks back to the early decades of modern consumerism, referencing the oil company’s 1930s Mobilgas design. The vintage origins of the logo lend the print a nostalgic edge, connecting postwar prosperity to the branding that fueled it. Moreover, Warhol’s reinterpretation hints at America’s dependence on industry, energy, and visual persuasion.
As with his early commercial illustrations, Warhol approaches Ads with irony and respect in equal measure. Each image—whether Rebel Without a Cause, Van Heusen (Ronald Reagan), or Volkswagen—explores how advertising not only sells products but also constructs cultural memory. Mobil 350 supports Warhol’s famous remark, “Being good in business is the best kind of art,” suggesting that modern life’s most enduring symbols might just be the ones printed on billboards.
Ads also includes Paramount, Life Savers,Blackgama (Judy Garland), andThe New Spirit (Donald Duck).
Photo credit: Mobilgas Vintage Logo, 1932–1939. Courtesy of Phillips.
