On December 1, 1913, the World's First Drive-In Gas Station opened on "Automobile Row" at the intersection of Baum Boulevard and St. Clair Street in the East Liberty section of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Filling a car with gasoline was very different 100 years ago. A driver had to hop off the seat, the gas tank was underneath - it needed gravity's help to reach the carburetor because the fuel pump wouldn't be invented for another 15 years. Check the fuel level with a dipstick, since there was no fuel gauge. And someone needed to start cranking the gas because it wasn't going to pump itself.
Only 30 gallons of gasoline, costing 27 cents a gallon, were sold on opening day, Dec 1, 1913. The station also provided free crankcase service, air, water, tires & tubes. This impressed the early drivers of the $400 Model T so much that sales jumped to over 350 gallons several days after the opening.
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