Vehicles priced at $1 in 1941 $1 in 1942

Vehicles Inflation Calculator

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Prices for Vehicles, 1941-1942 ($1)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for new vehicles were similar in 1942 versus 1941 (a $0 difference in value).

Between 1941 and 1942: Vehicles experienced an average inflation rate of 0% per year. In other words, vehicles costing $1 in the year 1941 would cost $1 in 1942 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 10.92% during this same period, inflation for vehicles was significantly lower.

In the year 1941: Pricing changed by 7.48%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for vehicles during the 1941-1942 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1941 (5.11%), inflation for vehicles was higher.

Price Inflation for New vehicles since 1935

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1947 (50%), 2022 (10.39%), and 1949 (9.10%).

View price changes for other categories
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Buying power of $1.00 since 1941

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Vehicles, over time, for $1 beginning in 1941. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

YearUSD ValueInflation Rate
1941$1.007.48%
1942$1.000.00% **
1943$1.000.00% **
1944$1.000.00% **
1945$1.000.00% **
1946$1.000.00% **
1947$1.5050.00%
1948$1.638.93%
1949$1.789.10%
1950$1.790.54%
1951$1.895.19%
1952$2.048.26%
1953$2.050.67%
1954$2.02-1.58%
1955$1.95-3.51%
1956$2.012.81%
1957$2.115.22%
1958$2.183.22%
1959$2.274.27%
1960$2.24-1.30%
1961$2.24-0.01%
1962$2.23-0.39%
1963$2.22-0.60%
1964$2.21-0.29%
1965$2.16-2.19%
1966$2.13-1.81%
1967$2.150.93%
1968$2.202.73%
1969$2.241.62%
1970$2.313.14%
1971$2.404.04%
1972$2.38-0.88%
1973$2.380.03%
1974$2.525.80%
1975$2.748.62%
1976$2.916.33%
1977$3.075.31%
1978$3.307.62%
1979$3.567.94%
1980$3.857.99%
1981$4.086.10%
1982$4.243.84%
1983$4.342.46%
1984$4.462.76%
1985$4.613.34%
1986$4.814.29%
1987$4.973.42%
1988$5.071.86%
1989$5.182.27%
1990$5.281.88%
1991$5.483.78%
1992$5.622.56%
1993$5.772.73%
1994$5.983.65%
1995$6.132.45%
1996$6.251.93%
1997$6.270.41%
1998$6.24-0.57%
1999$6.21-0.40%
2000$6.21-0.08%
2001$6.18-0.45%
2002$6.09-1.48%
2003$5.99-1.53%
2004$5.96-0.57%
2005$6.000.62%
2006$5.98-0.23%
2007$5.92-0.97%
2008$5.83-1.51%
2009$5.901.07%
2010$6.001.76%
2011$6.172.81%
2012$6.271.66%
2013$6.341.08%
2014$6.360.34%
2015$6.400.59%
2016$6.410.15%
2017$6.39-0.25%
2018$6.36-0.48%
2019$6.380.37%
2020$6.420.52%
2021$6.795.85%
2022$7.5010.39%
2023$7.783.72%
2024$7.76-0.17%*

* 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:

Year193519361937193819391940194119421943194419451946194719481949195019511952195319541955195619571958195919601961196219631964196519661967196819691970197119721973197419751976197719781979198019811982198319841985198619871988198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
CPI20.30020.40020.80021.80021.30021.40023.00023.00023.00023.00023.00023.00034.50037.58041.00041.22043.36046.94047.25446.50844.87746.13848.54650.10852.24651.56951.56251.36251.05450.90849.79248.89249.34650.69251.51553.13155.27754.79254.80857.98562.98566.96970.52375.90081.92388.46993.86997.47799.877102.631106.054110.600114.385116.515119.162121.400125.985129.208132.738137.585140.954143.669144.254143.438142.862142.754142.108140.000137.854137.062137.908137.585136.254134.194135.623138.005141.883144.232145.783146.275147.135147.358146.992146.287146.834147.600156.240172.480178.899178.594

Adjust vehicles prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 1942 / CPI in 1941 * 1941 USD value = 1942 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for New vehicles was 23.000 in the year 1941 and 23.000 in 1942:

23.000 / 23.000 * $1 = $1

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $1 in 1941 has the same "purchasing power" as $1 in 1942 (in the CPI category of New vehicles).


Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the Consumer Price Index for New vehicles in 1935. In addition to vehicles, the index produces monthly data on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a variety of goods and services.

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