Vintage motor oil cans come in many shapes, sizes Cowles Syndicate Inc. This pyramid-shaped tin/lithographed can is hand-soldered. It probably was made before 1940.

The first soft drink aluminum cans were used in 1953. The first aluminum cans for motor oil were made in 1958. The square cardboard quart oil can came into use in the 1960s.

These metalcans were heavy, durable, and even stylish, often sporting bold company logos and bright colors. But over the years, the look and feel of motor oil packaging changed from that retro vibe.

The logo dates back to the 1920s, but the brand was purchased by the Ohio Oil Co. in 1930. Q: I have a New York Mets pennant from the 1969 World Series.

Porsche Classic is helping out, though, by introducing its own brand of motor oil for the demands of the company's vintage, air-cooled engines.

Vintage cans from the best motor oil brands have become collectors items and represent a different time in America, when the call of the open road was loud and strong. But those retro metal cans ...