- Home
- Travel & transport
- How much did cars cost in the 70s?
When I was growing up in the 1970s I always wanted a Rolls-Royce Corniche. Back then it cost nearly £32,000. I thought I'd be a millionairebefore I was thirty, so that was no problem. Things didn't turn out quite like that.
The most expensive British car of the 70s was another Roller, the 1979 Rolls-Royce Camargue, which had a list price of £56,756 [in today's money £220,000].
Today's top cars sell for millions of dollars. It is an indicator of the growing divide between the super-rich and the rest of us.
At the other end of the scale, a 1970 Fiat 500D sold for £498 [or £5,500 in today's money]. Cheap cars were also much cheaper than today.
Inflation was a huge problem in the 1970s. At the beginning of the decade a basic Ford Cortina 1300 cost £914. By the end of the decade the Cortina 1300L wasthe cheapest in the range. It cost more than double the price of the 1970's car, at £1,979.
Cars at the top end of the market went up spectacularly. A 1970 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow cost £9,925. In 1979, the Silver Shadow II cost £39,219; a four-fold increase.
In cash terms, used cars held their price in the 1970s. They could go up in value as the purchasing power of money declined.
A 1974 Morgan 4/4 cost £1931, but in 1976 the same car in first class condition was worth £2,300. The famous waiting list kept prices high. More mundane carsheld their value too. A 1973 Morris Marina cost £1090. In 1976 the same car in top condition was worth £1,130. So who says cars aren't a good investment?
Another car which was a good investment was the VW Beetle. Volkswagen introduced the Golf in 1974. The Beetle's days were numbered. In 1976 they were able to chargea premium over the Golf for the Beetle. Older Beetles sold for around their new price, provided the owner maintained them in first class condition.
This table shows a range of well-known cars and their prices in 1976.
| Cost | In today's money | |
|---|---|---|
| Citroen 2CV 6 | £1,364 | £7,200 |
| Lada 1200 saloon | £1,395 | £7,300 |
| Mini 800 saloon | £1,496 | £7,800 |
| Datsun Cherry 100A 2d saloon | £1515 | £7,900 |
| Ford Escort Popular 1000 | £1,599 | £8,400 |
| Reliant Kitten saloon | £1,671 | £8,800 |
| Austin Allegro 1100 | £1,771 | £9,300 |
| Vauxhall Chevette hatchback | £1,934 | £10,100 |
| Ford Cortina 1300 2d saloon | £1,950 | £10,200 |
| Volkswagen Golf | £2,099 | £11,000 |
| Triumph Spitfire 1500 | £2,184 | £11,500 |
| Volkswagen Beetle 1200L | £2,228 | £11,700 |
| Vauxhall Cavalier 1600L 4d | £2,325 | £12,200 |
| Austin Maxi 1750 5d saloon | £2,383 | £12,500 |
| Chrylser Alpine GL 5dr | £2,457 | £12,900 |
| Ford Cortina 2000 Ghia saloon | £3,121 | £16,400 |
| BL Princess 2200HLS | £3,627 | £19,000 |
| BMW 316 2d coupé | £3,679 | £19,300 |
| MGB GT V8 2d coupé | £3,881 | £20,300 |
| Mercedes Benz 200 saloon | £4,475 | £23,500 |
| Lotus Esprit 2d coupé | £7,883 | £41,000 |
| Jaguar XJS | £10,507 | £55,000 |
| Aston Martin V8 saloon | £14,836 | £78,000 |
| Rolls Royce Cornische 2d convertable | £31,998 | £168,000 |
Source:'Motorists new and used car price guide', published December 1976, pages 19-23
Add your comments
Add Comment
Insert Bullet List
Please enter at least one item.
Item:
Item:
Item:
Item:
Item:
Insert Numeric List
Please enter at least one item.
Item:
Item:
Item:
Item:
Item:
Insert Link
Please enter the link of the website
Optionally you can add display text
Insert Email
Please enter the email address
Optionally add any display text
Insert Image
Please enter the link of the image
Insert YouTube Video
Please enter the link of the video
Comments
No comments yet. Be the first!
