In 1970 gasoline was 100Y per liter in Japan and the exchange rate was 360Y/$. I ran out of gas in Yokosuka and pushed a jeep a couple of blocks to a filling station. It occurred to me that I could have filled my old Valiant up at home for less than the cost of 1 gallon there.
I am an Arizonian but I spent some time in West Bend (a bit down the road from you). I worked in Milwaukee and we did have several employees drive from Appleton to the Dealer on Silver Springs Rd. (Concourse Motors)but these guys were all motorcycle riders. WI is a very beautiful place to live and in 2000-2001 there was so many employment opportunities. Wasn’t there is big magazine printing company out by you that had a big fire? lots of locals lost jobs and started to burn all that gas to get into Milwaukee? I remember on Sept 11 we had incredible gas lines (in West Bend) but really no reason for them. .29 sticks in my mind for So Cal gas prices in the 60’s. Keep your eyes open while watching older movies and you may spy a gas stations pricing sign.
Good point; when I was in college, a case of 24 beers, a full quart of very good whiskey, and a tankful of gas for my 1948 Chevy was all the same price; $3.00, give or take a few cents.
Now, the tank of gas is $35-$40, the 24 Bud Lites are $16, and the quart of whiskey is $20 here.
I’m a young one so the lowest I remember is .79 for leaded in the mid 80’s 
But it was still less than a buck when I started driving… I remember thinking that gas would be a buck a gallon forever…good times!
Were were you living? That price is well below the national average of $1.69 for regular in 2000.
As for 2001, the national average didn’t break $2/gallon until 2004.
So, with 1 yen being worth 1/360th of a dollar, 1 liter would cost 28 cents; 4 liters, a little over a gallon, would cost $1.12 so you’re say that in 1970 you could fill up your Valiant in the U.S. for less than a $1.12?
I can remember buying 100 octane for $0.25 per gallon, but nothing for ten cents.
Cokes were 7 cents from the vending machine then they went up to a dime and 3 more cents if you kept the bottle.
A doctor visit was less than 20 dollars.
Haircuts were a buck at the barber shop.
A candy bar was a nickle and Tootsie Rolls were a penny each.
My first motorcycle was $499 brand new and I had to finance it.
Yes, gas was .29 a gallon and still a lot of people car pooled. That’s a lot of money when people were making about $5,000/year.
For me it was the late 1970’s but living in Kuwait. Gasoline was much cheaper than bottled water.
What’s the point of your question (I assume it’s a question)?
On average, the price of gasoline was higher in 2004 than it has ever been before; however, when adjusted for inflation (constant dollars), gasoline cost more in 1981 than it did until recently.
Average Annual Gasoline Pump Price, 1919?2004
Year (current $/gal) (constant 2005 $/gal)
1919 0.25 2.84
1920 0.30 2.87
1921 0.26 2.83
1922 0.25 2.90
1923 0.22 2.48
1924 0.21 2.36
1925 0.22 2.44
1926 0.23 2.54
1981 1.38 2.92
2004 1.85 1.89
I recall 24.9 cents a gal. during “gas wars” between the stations in town, and that was full service! But that was before I was old enough to drive. The Ethanol people used to sponsor 10c promotions from time to time (only for a couple hours)but haven’t seen those in years either!
Agree; it’s al about earning power! These prices are, of course out of reach of many developing world conmsumers. That’s why many countries (Saudi Arabia, Indonisia, Venezuela, Nigeris, etc,) subsidize gas to keep riots from breaking out.
No; I can recall mid-20s/gallon. That being said, no one in my family is allowed to complain about gasoline prices until they match the prices in Europe (which is part of the reason they have much better public transit and better roads, at least in Germany, France and the UK.
Kevin
Never saw it that low. 0.25 is about the lowest I ever saw it…And the year I returned from Nam…prices skyrocketed…