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According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for new vehicles were 573.55% higher in 2019 versus 1938 (a $487,517.89 difference in value).
Between 1938 and 2019: Vehicles experienced an average inflation rate of 2.38% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, vehicles costing $85,000 in the year 1938 would cost $572,517.89 in 2019 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.64% during this same period, inflation for vehicles was lower.
In the year 1938: Pricing changed by 4.81%, which is above the average yearly change for vehicles during the 1938-2019 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1938 (-2.03%), inflation for vehicles was much higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Vehicles, over time, for $85,000 beginning in 1938. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1938 | $85,000.00 | 4.81% |
| 1939 | $83,050.46 | -2.29% |
| 1940 | $83,440.37 | 0.47% |
| 1941 | $89,678.90 | 7.48% |
| 1942 | $89,678.90 | 0.00% ** |
| 1943 | $89,678.90 | 0.00% ** |
| 1944 | $89,678.90 | 0.00% ** |
| 1945 | $89,678.90 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $89,678.90 | 0.00% ** |
| 1947 | $134,518.35 | 50.00% |
| 1948 | $146,527.52 | 8.93% |
| 1949 | $159,862.39 | 9.10% |
| 1950 | $160,720.18 | 0.54% |
| 1951 | $169,064.22 | 5.19% |
| 1952 | $183,022.94 | 8.26% |
| 1953 | $184,246.65 | 0.67% |
| 1954 | $181,337.33 | -1.58% |
| 1955 | $174,978.83 | -3.51% |
| 1956 | $179,897.67 | 2.81% |
| 1957 | $189,285.46 | 5.22% |
| 1958 | $195,374.03 | 3.22% |
| 1959 | $203,712.07 | 4.27% |
| 1960 | $201,072.69 | -1.30% |
| 1961 | $201,042.70 | -0.01% |
| 1962 | $200,262.88 | -0.39% |
| 1963 | $199,063.16 | -0.60% |
| 1964 | $198,493.30 | -0.29% |
| 1965 | $194,144.32 | -2.19% |
| 1966 | $190,635.14 | -1.81% |
| 1967 | $192,404.73 | 0.93% |
| 1968 | $197,653.49 | 2.73% |
| 1969 | $200,862.74 | 1.62% |
| 1970 | $207,161.26 | 3.14% |
| 1971 | $215,529.29 | 4.04% |
| 1972 | $213,639.73 | -0.88% |
| 1973 | $213,699.72 | 0.03% |
| 1974 | $226,086.80 | 5.80% |
| 1975 | $245,582.22 | 8.62% |
| 1976 | $261,118.56 | 6.33% |
| 1977 | $274,975.30 | 5.31% |
| 1978 | $295,940.37 | 7.62% |
| 1979 | $319,424.84 | 7.94% |
| 1980 | $344,948.84 | 7.99% |
| 1981 | $366,003.88 | 6.10% |
| 1982 | $380,070.57 | 3.84% |
| 1983 | $389,428.37 | 2.46% |
| 1984 | $400,165.84 | 2.76% |
| 1985 | $413,512.70 | 3.34% |
| 1986 | $431,238.53 | 4.29% |
| 1987 | $445,995.06 | 3.42% |
| 1988 | $454,303.11 | 1.86% |
| 1989 | $464,620.68 | 2.27% |
| 1990 | $473,348.62 | 1.88% |
| 1991 | $491,224.42 | 3.78% |
| 1992 | $503,791.46 | 2.56% |
| 1993 | $517,558.22 | 2.73% |
| 1994 | $536,453.78 | 3.65% |
| 1995 | $549,590.68 | 2.45% |
| 1996 | $560,178.19 | 1.93% |
| 1997 | $562,457.66 | 0.41% |
| 1998 | $559,278.41 | -0.57% |
| 1999 | $557,028.93 | -0.40% |
| 2000 | $556,609.03 | -0.08% |
| 2001 | $554,089.63 | -0.45% |
| 2002 | $545,871.56 | -1.48% |
| 2003 | $537,503.53 | -1.53% |
| 2004 | $534,414.26 | -0.57% |
| 2005 | $537,713.48 | 0.62% |
| 2006 | $536,453.78 | -0.23% |
| 2007 | $531,267.10 | -0.97% |
| 2008 | $523,232.29 | -1.51% |
| 2009 | $528,806.77 | 1.07% |
| 2010 | $538,094.69 | 1.76% |
| 2011 | $553,215.03 | 2.81% |
| 2012 | $562,372.78 | 1.66% |
| 2013 | $568,421.15 | 1.08% |
| 2014 | $570,337.70 | 0.34% |
| 2015 | $573,691.51 | 0.59% |
| 2016 | $574,559.21 | 0.15% |
| 2017 | $573,134.84 | -0.25% |
| 2018 | $570,383.89 | -0.48% |
| 2019 | $572,517.89 | 0.37% |
| 2020 | $575,505.49 | 0.52% |
| 2021 | $609,194.16 | 5.85% |
| 2022 | $672,514.36 | 10.39% |
| 2023 | $697,541.07 | 3.72% |
| 2024 | $693,594.30 | -0.57% |
| 2025 | $695,391.24 | 0.26%* |
* 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 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 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 |
| CPI | 20.300 | 20.400 | 20.800 | 21.800 | 21.300 | 21.400 | 23.000 | 23.000 | 23.000 | 23.000 | 23.000 | 23.000 | 34.500 | 37.580 | 41.000 | 41.220 | 43.360 | 46.940 | 47.254 | 46.508 | 44.877 | 46.138 | 48.546 | 50.108 | 52.246 | 51.569 | 51.562 | 51.362 | 51.054 | 50.908 | 49.792 | 48.892 | 49.346 | 50.692 | 51.515 | 53.131 | 55.277 | 54.792 | 54.808 | 57.985 | 62.985 | 66.969 | 70.523 | 75.900 | 81.923 | 88.469 | 93.869 | 97.477 | 99.877 | 102.631 | 106.054 | 110.600 | 114.385 | 116.515 | 119.162 | 121.400 | 125.985 | 129.208 | 132.738 | 137.585 | 140.954 | 143.669 | 144.254 | 143.438 | 142.862 | 142.754 | 142.108 | 140.000 | 137.854 | 137.062 | 137.908 | 137.585 | 136.254 | 134.194 | 135.623 | 138.005 | 141.883 | 144.232 | 145.783 | 146.275 | 147.135 | 147.358 | 146.992 | 146.287 | 146.834 | 147.600 | 156.240 | 172.480 | 178.899 | 177.887 | 178.347 |