can anyone remember the year when a gallon of gas was under 10 cent a gallon.
Nope . . lowest I can remember is 3 gallons for a buck . . early 70s, before I started to drive so it didn’t matter much to me. Rocketman
The lowest price that I can recall is 24.9 cents per gallon, in the late '50s.
My best guess is that someone would have to be older than…let’s say…75 years of age in order to remember gas selling for 10 cents per gallon.
Edited to add:
According to WikiAnswers, gasoline sold for 10 cents per gallon in 1950. However, I don’t know how accurate that information actually is.
When I started pumping gas in 1968, the price was around 32 cents/gallon.
Every time it would rise a penny, the newspapers would publish it as a big front page article the day before the increase. Our gas station was always very busy the day before the price rose that one cent. Customers would complain about the increase.
When I first started driving, there was a local price war for a while, and I do remember filling up for 24.9/gallon.
I can remember 12.7? But that was after my employee discount.I remember $.29/gallon gas and I also remember earning $1.60/hour to pay for it. It hurt to hand the cashier a five dollar bill to fill up my tank.
When adjusted for inflation, gas is about the same price that it was in the '50s.
http://www.inflationdata.com/inflation/images/charts/Oil/Gasoline_inflation_chart.htm
I Remember 18 Cents (Normal Price / $.30) For Good Gulf, During A “Gas Price War.” Less Than 2 Bucks To Fill My Empty Beetle, A Windshield Cleaning, And A FREE Drinking Glass !
What happened to gas price wars to generate business through competition ? My nearest town, 20 miles away, has several gas stations. When one changes prices, all the stations immediately match the prices. You can count on all gas stations in the town to have the same prices. Ticks people off.
This same town docks gasoline freighters to fill tanks at a gasoline distribution yard that fills tanker trucks for this town and others. However, the gas prices in town are always higher than surrounding areas that the tanker trucks drive to. Make sense ?
CSA
I’m not that old. The cheapest I can remember it was back in 1970 when regular was 30 cents a gallon and premium was 33.
While out in the TX panhandle one weekend there was a small gas war going on and I filled up my car on premium (Plymouth Roadrunner) at 23 cents a gallon.
Yes, it was 9 cents in Venezuela not that long ago. In Saudi Arabia it was equally cheap; I remember in 1982 I was there and took a tour with group of businesmen. The bus was being gassed up and the total was $11 for 150 liters or so. The lowest I can remember at home was 28 cents.
However, the gas prices in town are always higher than surrounding areas that the tanker trucks drive to. Make sense ?
Makes sense to me. Running a business tends to be more expensive in a town (the land is generally more expensive, and there are often extra taxes) so a gas station needs to charge more to offset the additional overhead.
I remember 16.9 during the gas wars of the early 60s. When I was a child in the 40s it was 25 cents in our small town.
I remember in the late 50’s, gas wars would have Merit gas 5 gals. for $1. Typical price was 24.9 cents/gal. I don’t ever remember 10 cents/gal.
The normal price for regular gas when I began driving in 1962 was 19.9c. There were occasional price wars between the major brands back then and I have paid 10c during those.
I recall gas around $0.29 when I was about 13. I was miffed when I had to pay $0.50 or so just a few years later when I got my license.
I’m 25, so when I started driving in '01 gas was in the neighborhood of $.75 per gallon, and when it got over a dollar people would complain. My first truck had a 30 gallon fuel tank and there were times I could fill it up for twenty bucks. I also remember when the terrorist attacks of 9/11 happened and in the midst of all the panic, the gas stations were gouging people by selling gasoline for the then-seemingly-sky-high price of $2 per gallon. Sort of makes you wish they would start gouging us again with some of that $2 per gallon gas.
I remember 20.9 or 21.9 cents for a short time in Appleton, WI during 1970 or 1971.
I drove an Opel Kadett L wagon and even at typical prices closer to 30 cents, it was usually under $3 whenever I filled up. One spring break I drove to Louisiana on less than $10, after writing a check in my WI college town to fill the tank and buy an extra quart of oil.
Seraph, By “Surrounding Areas”, I Mean Stations In Neighboring Towns And All The Gasoline Dealers In Between, Too.
CSA
Yep. Back in 52 I was going thru Memphis when I ran into a gas war. Gas was selling for 9.9 cents a gal and extra jugs were 50 cents each I filled up an old Nash and bought 3 jugs for less than 3 bucks. Have never seen it that low again.
Lee
It’s amazing what happens when a commodity moves from surplus to shortage…During this same time period, late 50’s, early 60’s, a drive-in movie was a buck a carload…The minimum wage was $1/hour…You could buy a new house for $9999.00…The first Plymouth Road-Runners, 383 four barrel four speeds sold new for $1995.00. Drum brakes, no seat belts…The Good Old Days…Beep-Beep!
And yes, gasoline has ALWAYS been sold with a price sign, the only mass-marketed product sold that way, making it a VERY poor business to get into…
The cheapest gas I can remember is $0.72 per gallon.
The gas here is now $3.50/gallon, but I think that is a bargain. That will move a 3,000 pound car 30 miles. Could you imagine pushing your 3,000 pound car 30 miles? If you did, you would pay that $3.50 per gallon and be thankful for the privilege.