209 expensive cars - editorialpinups

In 2010 I wrote for editorialpinups.com “The Four Things We Don’t pay cash for”.  Cars and transportation was one of the four things.

New cars have been purchased for years using time payments either credit or leasing. But it struck back in 2006 when traveling through Tennessee and I saw a sign at a transmission shop offering payment plans for fixing your transmission.

For years I have had cars and have had transmission work done but never needed to consider taking a loan to fix the transmission.  I once bought a car with a blown transmission for $50, got a transmission from a junk yard for $200, and had my regular mechanic put it in for another $150 and away I went. So when I saw the sign my jaw dropped.  Where had I been?

Illinois under the JB Pritzker governorship is threatening to raise the tolls, has implemented automatic gas tax increases, and charges sales tax on top of the gas tax.  Gasoline is getting higher, but the price flexes.

But car prices are now higher than what I paid for my third house.  A three year loan was normal even through my college years in the late 1970’s.  The four year loan started creeping I during the 1980’s. Loans kept getting longer and longer.  Now there are car loans for up to seven years.

Previously I wrote how when Roosevelt raised the length of mortgages to 30 years that house prices just went up and up.  Were we to expect car prices to go up even less?

I am not against safety.  In fact I admire the safety items that Preston Tucker included as standard in his cars at a price that cars were going for at the time.  Of course the entrenched car makers did not like this and effectively put Tucker out of business.

Eventually some of the safety features became standard on all cars.  Seat belts are one of the features. But when seat belts became required features on cars, the price of the car went up. Every government safety requirement adds to the cost.  Is it not possible to take a risk if you wish?

Another item is gas mileage. Per search.brave.com the 1962 Rambler American averaged 28 to 32 mpg in normal driving and could reach 38.9 mpg tests, and reaching 51.28 mpg in specialized economy trials. That is 1962! The Ford Pinto averaged 14 to 25 in 1973.  The 1971-1974 Chevy Vega averaged between 20 and 25 mpg. The 1970 Plymouth Duster and Valiant averaged 11 – 17 mpg. 1970 era Dodge small cars 15 to 20 mpg.  The 1970’s era AMC gremlin averaged 18-19 mpg while the pacer averaged 16 – 26 mpg.  It seems we have gone backwards.  The same with the GEO metro.  In 1989 General Motors came up with this car as the followup to Chevy Sprint.  The metro got 53 and 59 MPG originally before the government changed how they measured.  I owned a 1989 Geo Metro and constantly got 55 MPG.  But the highway speed limits were only 55 MPH.

Looking at the numbers we have gone backwards.  This was not caused by catalytic converters that coming out of the Clean Air Act of 1970 and were implemented in 1975.  Detroit was just plain stupid and greedy.  They showed no improvement.

Detroit will say it was because of the consumer’s desire for power and muscle cars along with allegedly cheap gas.  Gas prices averaged in the United States was approximately $0.29 to $0.32.  When adjusted for inflation, this nominal cost is equivalent to roughly $3.00 to $3.36 in 2025/2026 dollars, depending on the specific inflation index used. In 1970 the average price of a gallon of gasoline in the United States was approximately $0.33 to $0.36, $0.36 in 1970 is equivalent to roughly $2.96 to $3.00 in 2026 dollars, adjusted for inflation.

When the Arab oil crisis started, the prices jumped from $0.39 in 1973 to $0.53 in 1974, representing an increase of over 35%. When adjusted for inflation to 2026 dollars, this amount is equivalent to approximately $3.72 to $3.80.

Technology comes into play with automobiles.  Some technology is good and some is just there.  But technology costs.  An AM FM radio with CD player and Bluetooth works for most.  But some of the sound units they put in many cars cost upwards of $1500 or so.

Simple cars seem to not exist.  Multiple air bags.  Are they necessary?

The auto makers have always tried to out do each other with features.  They do a good job at convincing people they need the features.

Combine that with government requirements and the thought people no longer want affordable cars and you have a deadly combination.  To have affordable transportation there are some major mind sets that need to be adjusted.  First, 7 year loans?, Back this back.  Next, how about more basic transportation with less frills?  And last, government, back off with the over regulation.  Be reasonable.  And screw the mandate on electric vehicles.  There are just not enough natural resources at this point and there will be some other technologies that will beat out the electric car.

At this point, I will stick to my 2000 insight and my 1985 Astro van! They are paid for, I can still get parts, the Insight gets 50 to 60 mpg, and the Astro van gets up to 25 MPG.  Both better than what can be found today!