New Vehicles Inflation by Year, 1947

New Vehicles Inflation Calculator

Prices for New Vehicles, 1947-2026 ($20,000)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for new vehicles are 424.69% higher in 2026 versus 1947 (a $84,938.87 difference in value).

Between 1947 and 2026, New vehicles experienced an average inflation rate of 2.12% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, new vehicles costing $20,000 in the year 1947 would cost $104,938.87 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.47% during this same period, inflation for new vehicles was lower.

Price Inflation for New vehicles since 1947

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Years with the largest changes in pricing: 2022 (10.39%), 1949 (10.26%), and 1952 (9.08%).

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Buying power of $20,000.00 since 1947

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for New vehicles, over time, for $20,000 beginning in 1947. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

Year	USD Value	Inflation Rate
1947	$20,000.00	-
1948	$21,649.59	8.25%
1949	$23,870.18	10.26%
1950	$24,133.72	1.10%
1951	$25,041.48	3.76%
1952	$27,315.76	9.08%
1953	$27,672.04	1.30%
1954	$27,237.68	-1.57%
1955	$26,281.11	-3.51%
1956	$27,022.94	2.82%
1957	$28,428.50	5.20%
1958	$29,346.02	3.23%
1959	$30,595.41	4.26%
1960	$30,200.10	-1.29%
1961	$30,195.22	-0.02%
1962	$30,078.09	-0.39%
1963	$29,897.51	-0.60%
1964	$29,814.54	-0.28%
1965	$29,160.57	-2.19%
1966	$28,633.48	-1.81%
1967	$28,901.90	0.94%
1968	$29,687.65	2.72%
1969	$30,170.82	1.63%
1970	$31,117.62	3.14%
1971	$32,371.89	4.03%
1972	$32,088.82	-0.87%
1973	$32,098.58	0.03%
1974	$33,958.03	5.79%
1975	$36,886.29	8.62%
1976	$39,219.13	6.32%
1977	$41,303.07	5.31%
1978	$44,450.95	7.62%
1979	$47,979.50	7.94%
1980	$51,810.64	7.98%
1981	$54,973.16	6.10%
1982	$57,086.38	3.84%
1983	$58,491.95	2.46%
1984	$60,107.37	2.76%
1985	$62,108.35	3.33%
1986	$64,773.06	4.29%
1987	$66,988.78	3.42%
1988	$68,238.16	1.87%
1989	$69,785.26	2.27%
1990	$71,098.10	1.88%
1991	$73,782.33	3.78%
1992	$75,671.06	2.56%
1993	$77,740.36	2.73%
1994	$80,575.89	3.65%
1995	$82,547.58	2.45%
1996	$84,138.60	1.93%
1997	$84,480.23	0.41%
1998	$84,006.83	-0.56%
1999	$83,665.20	-0.41%
2000	$83,601.76	-0.08%
2001	$83,225.96	-0.45%
2002	$81,991.22	-1.48%
2003	$80,732.06	-1.54%
2004	$80,268.42	-0.57%
2005	$80,766.23	0.62%
2006	$80,575.89	-0.24%
2007	$79,797.61	-0.97%
2008	$78,590.73	-1.51%
2009	$79,428.06	1.07%
2010	$80,823.13	1.76%
2011	$83,094.24	2.81%
2012	$84,469.74	1.66%
2013	$85,378.23	1.08%
2014	$85,666.08	0.34%
2015	$86,169.84	0.59%
2016	$86,300.15	0.15%
2017	$86,086.24	-0.25%
2018	$85,673.01	-0.48%
2019	$85,993.56	0.37%
2020	$86,442.31	0.52%
2021	$91,502.44	5.85%
2022	$101,013.27	10.39%
2023	$104,772.33	3.72%
2024	$104,179.50	-0.57%
2025	$104,516.79	0.32%
2026	$104,938.87	0.40%*

* Not final. See inflation summary for latest details.
** Extended periods of 0% inflation usually indicate incomplete underlying data. This can manifest as a sharp increase in inflation later on.

Raw Consumer Price Index data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for New vehicles:

Year	1947	1948	1949	1950	1951	1952	1953	1954	1955	1956	1957	1958	1959	1960	1961	1962	1963	1964	1965	1966	1967	1968	1969	1970	1971	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025	2026
CPI	34.150	36.967	40.758	41.208	42.758	46.642	47.250	46.508	44.875	46.142	48.542	50.108	52.242	51.567	51.558	51.358	51.050	50.908	49.792	48.892	49.350	50.692	51.517	53.133	55.275	54.792	54.808	57.983	62.983	66.967	70.525	75.900	81.925	88.467	93.867	97.475	99.875	102.633	106.050	110.600	114.383	116.517	119.158	121.400	125.983	129.208	132.742	137.583	140.950	143.667	144.250	143.442	142.858	142.750	142.108	140.000	137.850	137.058	137.908	137.583	136.254	134.194	135.623	138.006	141.883	144.232	145.783	146.275	147.135	147.357	146.992	146.287	146.834	147.600	156.240	172.480	178.899	177.886	178.462	179.183

Adjust new vehicles prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2026 / CPI in 1947* 1947 USD value = 2026 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for New vehicles was 34.150 in the year 1947 and 179.183 in 2026:

179.183 / 34.150* $20,000 = $104,938.87

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $20,000 in 1947 has the same "purchasing power" as $104,938.87 in 2026 (in the CPI category of New vehicles).

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the Consumer Price Index for New vehicles in 1947. In addition to new vehicles, the index produces monthly data on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a variety of goods and services.