Just curious... how did the first auto buyers fuel their cars? I dont imagine there was a BP on every street corner. How did these two industries come together?
Edit: Looks like gas came first. Thanks guys for the info!
When crude oil is refined, various component products with different molecular structures and flash points can be extracted. In the 19th century, kerosene was the most important and gasoline was a byproduct sometimes used by unscrupulous merchants to cut (increase the volume of) kerosene used for lanterns. There's a fascinating theory that the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 might trace its origins to such an unscrupulous product sale, causing Mrs. O'Leary's lantern to explode in her barn. It's not the most likely explanation, but it's one that fits the culture of 19th century Chicago.
At any rate, both kerosene and gasoline were available through hardware merchants, grocers, feed stores, and the like. But widespread auto use dramatically changed the picture. Gasoline consumption was 25 percent of the petroleum market in 1909—and 85 percent a decade later. Specialized pumps quickly came to be preferred for safety, and specialized marketers with specialized retail outlets followed quickly. The demand for gasoline spurred the invention of cracking technology, so that crude oil would yield more gasoline and less asphalt and other heavy products.
There's a little about this in John Jakle and Keith Sculle's 1994 book The Gas Station in America, p. 50. Here's a timeline that, while not exactly scholarly, seems trustworthy.
Petroleum was first used for lamps. Whale oil was replaced by petroleum lamps (actually kerosene lamps), which themselves were later replaced by electric lamps.
Modern kerosene lamps were invented in 1853, and since kerosene is made from petroleum, petroleum would have been used before car engines were there.
Now, that is not gasoline, exactly, but at the very least, the inventor of engine would have had access to petroleum.
The first people to operate what might be considered gas stations where actually pharmacies in Germany who ran it as a side business. The first recorded instance was in 1888 in Wiesloch (Germany). This is where Bertha Benz refilled his automobile on its maiden voyage.
Purpose built filling stations started appearing in 1905 (1st) in St. Louis. The second was established in 1907. Things really only took off once the Model T was introduced in 1908 and cars went from being rich mans toys to middle class tools.