According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for new vehicles were 575.95% higher in 2016 versus 1938 (a $5,759,520,112.91 difference in value).
Between 1938 and 2016: Vehicles experienced an average inflation rate of 2.48% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, vehicles costing $1,000,000,000 in the year 1938 would cost $6,759,520,112.91 in 2016 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.70% 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 1938-2016 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 $1,000,000,000 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 | $1,000,000,000.00 | 4.81% |
1939 | $977,064,220.18 | -2.29% |
1940 | $981,651,376.15 | 0.47% |
1941 | $1,055,045,871.56 | 7.48% |
1942 | $1,055,045,871.56 | 0.00% ** |
1943 | $1,055,045,871.56 | 0.00% ** |
1944 | $1,055,045,871.56 | 0.00% ** |
1945 | $1,055,045,871.56 | 0.00% ** |
1946 | $1,055,045,871.56 | 0.00% ** |
1947 | $1,582,568,807.34 | 50.00% |
1948 | $1,723,853,211.01 | 8.93% |
1949 | $1,880,733,944.95 | 9.10% |
1950 | $1,890,825,688.07 | 0.54% |
1951 | $1,988,990,825.69 | 5.19% |
1952 | $2,153,211,009.17 | 8.26% |
1953 | $2,167,607,621.74 | 0.67% |
1954 | $2,133,380,381.09 | -1.58% |
1955 | $2,058,574,453.07 | -3.51% |
1956 | $2,116,443,189.84 | 2.81% |
1957 | $2,226,887,791.11 | 5.22% |
1958 | $2,298,517,995.77 | 3.22% |
1959 | $2,396,612,561.75 | 4.27% |
1960 | $2,365,561,044.46 | -1.30% |
1961 | $2,365,208,186.31 | -0.01% |
1962 | $2,356,033,874.38 | -0.39% |
1963 | $2,341,919,548.34 | -0.60% |
1964 | $2,335,215,243.47 | -0.29% |
1965 | $2,284,050,811.57 | -2.19% |
1966 | $2,242,766,407.90 | -1.81% |
1967 | $2,263,585,038.81 | 0.93% |
1968 | $2,325,335,215.24 | 2.73% |
1969 | $2,363,091,037.40 | 1.62% |
1970 | $2,437,191,249.12 | 3.14% |
1971 | $2,535,638,673.25 | 4.04% |
1972 | $2,513,408,609.74 | -0.88% |
1973 | $2,514,114,326.04 | 0.03% |
1974 | $2,659,844,742.41 | 5.80% |
1975 | $2,889,202,540.58 | 8.62% |
1976 | $3,071,983,062.81 | 6.33% |
1977 | $3,235,003,528.58 | 5.31% |
1978 | $3,481,651,376.15 | 7.62% |
1979 | $3,757,939,308.40 | 7.94% |
1980 | $4,058,221,594.92 | 7.99% |
1981 | $4,305,928,016.94 | 6.10% |
1982 | $4,471,418,489.77 | 3.84% |
1983 | $4,581,510,232.89 | 2.46% |
1984 | $4,707,833,450.95 | 2.76% |
1985 | $4,864,855,328.16 | 3.34% |
1986 | $5,073,394,495.41 | 4.29% |
1987 | $5,247,000,705.72 | 3.42% |
1988 | $5,344,742,413.55 | 1.86% |
1989 | $5,466,125,617.50 | 2.27% |
1990 | $5,568,807,339.45 | 1.88% |
1991 | $5,779,110,797.46 | 3.78% |
1992 | $5,926,958,362.74 | 2.56% |
1993 | $6,088,920,254.06 | 2.73% |
1994 | $6,311,220,889.20 | 3.65% |
1995 | $6,465,772,759.35 | 2.45% |
1996 | $6,590,331,686.66 | 1.93% |
1997 | $6,617,148,906.14 | 0.41% |
1998 | $6,579,745,942.13 | -0.57% |
1999 | $6,553,281,580.80 | -0.40% |
2000 | $6,548,341,566.69 | -0.08% |
2001 | $6,518,701,482.00 | -0.45% |
2002 | $6,422,018,348.62 | -1.48% |
2003 | $6,323,570,924.49 | -1.53% |
2004 | $6,287,226,534.93 | -0.57% |
2005 | $6,326,040,931.55 | 0.62% |
2006 | $6,311,220,889.20 | -0.23% |
2007 | $6,250,201,129.15 | -0.97% |
2008 | $6,155,673,959.07 | -1.51% |
2009 | $6,221,256,175.02 | 1.07% |
2010 | $6,330,525,758.65 | 1.76% |
2011 | $6,508,412,138.32 | 2.81% |
2012 | $6,616,150,317.57 | 1.66% |
2013 | $6,687,307,692.31 | 1.08% |
2014 | $6,709,855,328.16 | 0.34% |
2015 | $6,749,311,926.61 | 0.59% |
2016 | $6,759,520,112.91 | 0.15% |
2017 | $6,742,762,879.32 | -0.25% |
2018 | $6,710,398,729.71 | -0.48% |
2019 | $6,735,504,587.16 | 0.37% |
2020 | $6,770,652,787.58 | 0.52% |
2021 | $7,166,990,119.97 | 5.85% |
2022 | $7,911,933,662.67 | 10.39% |
2023 | $8,206,365,561.04 | 3.72% |
2024 | $8,187,064,220.18 | -0.24%* |
* 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 |
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 | 178.478 |