Shell 400 was the aviation gasoline built for exactly one purpose: keeping the era's fastest, highest-flying aircraft from knocking. Shell's aviation department, run by MIT-trained test pilot Jimmy Doolittle starting in the 1930s, pushed hard for higher-octane fuels most of the industry considered too expensive to bother with.
Printed on a soft, broken-in cotton twill cap with deliberate distressing built in from day one. Unstructured, low-profile construction with a curved visor, self-fabric hideaway strap, and metal D-ring for an adjustable fit. Each hat carries slight natural variation in distress and color, so no two wear in exactly the same way. Spot clean with warm water and dish soap; a soft-bristled brush handles the stubborn spots.
Doolittle's argument won out. By 1938, Shell was producing over 60% of America's 100-octane aviation fuel, and that supply became the U.S. Air Force's standard heading into World War II — a fuel line born from one pilot's stubborn insistence that faster was worth the cost.
The perfect gift for aviation enthusiasts, classic plane and car collectors, petroliana collectors branching into aviation history, garage and man-cave decorators, and pilots.
The Faded Label Co. — keeping the golden age of American roadside art alive, one product at a time.
