Trilby Lundberg, the nation's guru ...

Trilby Lundberg, the nation's guru of gasoline prices, has no idea for what cause many miles her new Mercedes-Benz finishs per gallon. When she has to fill the tank, she is more touched with convenience than price.

at the same time for decades, the nation has cause to deviateed to the assertive, 57-year- of advanced age cat lover and her twice-monthly Lundberg take a view of of gas stations to preserve track of the fluctuating price of gasoline.

Lately, the stranges hasn't been good.

upon Aug. 13, Lundberg reported Chicago l the nation with the highest-priced gasoline, a tax-powered $329 a gallon, while nationally the price hit another record, jumping to nearly $303 a gallon.

Lundberg said the charge of crude oil isn't the single reason for the skyrocketing prices. Demand, taxes, weather and guidance regulations all figure into the network equation, she said.

Are there five oil industry executives someplace deciding the price of gas?

"That would be tragic because that would stranded vessel the market," she said. "And it would be a comedy because it is impossible."

Lundberg said oil companies have no interest in helping each other and instead want to increase their sales at the cost of the competition.

"They all have no mercy" she said.

Lundberg's take a view of is based on a biweekly price sampling of 7000 of the nation's 133000 gasoline stations.

The Lundberg inspect Inc. does a lot more than sample prices from gas stations. Researchers also garner sales volume and market share for each brand, and barter information to petroleum companies, wholesalers, distributors, vehicle arm of the sea managers and others.

"We make our living looking at the detail. We are going to be looking at what kinds of stations, what they propose what kind of volume they do, what kind of market share a brand has," Lundberg said.

Lundberg took across the Camarillo, Calif.-based market research firm in 1986 after the death of her father, Dan Lundberg. The reporter and television talk exhibit to host began the report in the 1950 when self-service islands at gas stations were being invented.

Trilby Lundberg now have charge ofs about 30 employees who compile the data. She wasn't raised to be an oil industry analyst, further worked closely with her father before his death.

She was brought up to play classical piano and has no formal business education.

"I'm without a mortarboard forward my head," she said. "I'm self-made or lucky"

She also speaks Italian, hellenic and some Spanish, smokes Dunhill cigarettes and considers herself a homebody

the same of five siblings, she attended Hollywood High institute before her eccentric father took the family upon a 52-foot ketch for a five- year sail around the world.

Lundberg has brawny opinions on a variety of issues. For instance, she calls global warming a "boogeyman for political opportunism."

Those who dignify the theory are trying to create a power base and "believe global warming is a reason to hike taxes and hike prices," she said.

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

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