According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for new vehicles are 373.55% higher in 2024 versus 1948 (a $74,710.70 difference in value).
Between 1948 and 2024: Vehicles experienced an average inflation rate of 2.07% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, vehicles costing $20,000 in the year 1948 would cost $94,710.70 in 2024 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.44% during this same period, inflation for vehicles was lower.
In the year 1948: Pricing changed by 8.93%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for vehicles during the 1948-2024 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1948 (7.72%), inflation for vehicles was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Vehicles, over time, for $20,000 beginning in 1948. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1948 | $20,000.00 | 8.93% |
| 1949 | $21,820.12 | 9.10% |
| 1950 | $21,937.20 | 0.54% |
| 1951 | $23,076.10 | 5.19% |
| 1952 | $24,981.37 | 8.26% |
| 1953 | $25,148.40 | 0.67% |
| 1954 | $24,751.30 | -1.58% |
| 1955 | $23,883.41 | -3.51% |
| 1956 | $24,554.80 | 2.81% |
| 1957 | $25,836.16 | 5.22% |
| 1958 | $26,667.21 | 3.22% |
| 1959 | $27,805.30 | 4.27% |
| 1960 | $27,445.04 | -1.30% |
| 1961 | $27,440.95 | -0.01% |
| 1962 | $27,334.51 | -0.39% |
| 1963 | $27,170.75 | -0.60% |
| 1964 | $27,092.97 | -0.29% |
| 1965 | $26,499.37 | -2.19% |
| 1966 | $26,020.39 | -1.81% |
| 1967 | $26,261.92 | 0.93% |
| 1968 | $26,978.34 | 2.73% |
| 1969 | $27,416.38 | 1.62% |
| 1970 | $28,276.09 | 3.14% |
| 1971 | $29,418.27 | 4.04% |
| 1972 | $29,160.36 | -0.88% |
| 1973 | $29,168.54 | 0.03% |
| 1974 | $30,859.30 | 5.80% |
| 1975 | $33,520.28 | 8.62% |
| 1976 | $35,640.89 | 6.33% |
| 1977 | $37,532.24 | 5.31% |
| 1978 | $40,393.83 | 7.62% |
| 1979 | $43,599.30 | 7.94% |
| 1980 | $47,083.15 | 7.99% |
| 1981 | $49,957.01 | 6.10% |
| 1982 | $51,877.02 | 3.84% |
| 1983 | $53,154.30 | 2.46% |
| 1984 | $54,619.89 | 2.76% |
| 1985 | $56,441.64 | 3.34% |
| 1986 | $58,861.10 | 4.29% |
| 1987 | $60,875.26 | 3.42% |
| 1988 | $62,009.25 | 1.86% |
| 1989 | $63,417.53 | 2.27% |
| 1990 | $64,608.83 | 1.88% |
| 1991 | $67,048.76 | 3.78% |
| 1992 | $68,764.07 | 2.56% |
| 1993 | $70,643.14 | 2.73% |
| 1994 | $73,222.25 | 3.65% |
| 1995 | $75,015.35 | 2.45% |
| 1996 | $76,460.47 | 1.93% |
| 1997 | $76,771.61 | 0.41% |
| 1998 | $76,337.66 | -0.57% |
| 1999 | $76,030.62 | -0.40% |
| 2000 | $75,973.31 | -0.08% |
| 2001 | $75,629.43 | -0.45% |
| 2002 | $74,507.72 | -1.48% |
| 2003 | $73,365.54 | -1.53% |
| 2004 | $72,943.87 | -0.57% |
| 2005 | $73,394.19 | 0.62% |
| 2006 | $73,222.25 | -0.23% |
| 2007 | $72,514.31 | -0.97% |
| 2008 | $71,417.61 | -1.51% |
| 2009 | $72,178.49 | 1.07% |
| 2010 | $73,446.23 | 1.76% |
| 2011 | $75,510.05 | 2.81% |
| 2012 | $76,760.02 | 1.66% |
| 2013 | $77,585.58 | 1.08% |
| 2014 | $77,847.18 | 0.34% |
| 2015 | $78,304.95 | 0.59% |
| 2016 | $78,423.38 | 0.15% |
| 2017 | $78,228.97 | -0.25% |
| 2018 | $77,853.48 | -0.48% |
| 2019 | $78,144.76 | 0.37% |
| 2020 | $78,552.54 | 0.52% |
| 2021 | $83,150.82 | 5.85% |
| 2022 | $91,793.59 | 10.39% |
| 2023 | $95,209.56 | 3.72% |
| 2024 | $94,710.70 | -0.52%* |
* 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 | 177.961 |