New car prices in 1978?

muzz67, Jun 10, 11:07pm
Cant seem to find anything on th net,, can someone suggest sites please! Chers!

franc123, Jun 11, 6:55am
Bit of an uphill battle finding that info on the web, the only souce I can think of is the old Identicar books that used to be issued every year, what vehicle(s) prices are you interested in exactly!I can post the list prices for pretty much anything that was officially on the market in NZ between approx 1966-2000.

carstauranga001, Jun 11, 8:10am
I remember my parents buying a new Toyota Corona XT sedan in 1979 for around $9100.

serf407, Jun 11, 8:39am
If you have the time for a trip to the National Library in Welly.

The prices were in the Auto Age etc published by the AA.
http://www.carmagreviews.co.nz/NonCMS/MagFull.aspx!Mag=46

muzz67, Jun 11, 9:09am
Seem to remember seeing a chrysler regal(valiant!) for $16000,, was a vast sum at the time! Thanks for replys,, was actually looking fora 78 Lancer gl and gsl.

woody1946, Jun 11, 9:16am
I bought a new Mitzy Mirage in 1980 and that was $8100 and that included M I R A G Edown the side in big black letters, how cool is that

dr.doolittle, Jun 11, 9:24am
You'd probably get that for it now too.

dr.doolittle, Jun 11, 9:32am
If it had "M I R A G E" down the side I bet it would.

rovercitroen, Jun 11, 9:34am
Grandfather bought a new Mitsi Lancer in 1978. I think it was about $7000.

mazzyz, Jun 11, 9:34am
Dr. D, I think you've had toooo much to drink.

franc123, Jun 11, 9:51am
List price in August '78 for a Mitsi Lancer GL was $6349, a GSL was $7395 :)

rotormotor7, Jun 11, 10:02am
i have a list on NZ prices new from a cut out of the motor world(AA) magazine dec 77/jan 78

only showing lancer gl 1238cc 59.7/80 (KW/bhp) 152/95 (max speed Kph/mph) $6245.

also used 7.3 litres/100km38.6mpg

celeste almost 2K more and sigma gsl (auto)$9249

3tomany, Jun 11, 11:02am
yea isnt it crap the price has changed heaps in 30 years but fuel consumption is about the same even though every new model in the last 30 years has been labeled as way more efficient as the tast lol bloody lol

rotormotor7, Jun 12, 3:13am
ok found an article year unknown.its the lancer gsl with round headlights and black full length racing stripes.(yip its the right shape for that year.)

"lancer gls uses celeste 1.6 engine (68.6Kw)and 5 speed box to attain a distinct sporting advantage over the gl 1238cc"
"80km/h in 8.8 secs max speed 155km/h 8.3l/100km. price $8297"
"todd motors answer to the escort 1.6 and datsun 120y sss"

can take a pic if you want and upload it here and you can maybe zoom in on it!

muzz67, Jun 12, 5:12am
Awesome,, thanks folks! I bought my 78 1600GSL in 82 for $6k at 77oookm, which was a fair bit of dosh for a youngish fella. Seems the original owner didn't loose much on what he paid new compared witha new car buyer nowadays. Was certainly quicker and faster (much more than the quoted 155kph) than mates 79 Escort Sport which pee'd him off heaps! Interesting observation about fuel economy too. Sold it in 1986 at 160oookm, still looking like new for $5k. Wouldn't touch a modern Mitsi with a barge pole, but those RWD cars still really appeal somehow!!

vjregal770, Jun 12, 8:14am
They were really the dark old days of car-buying in NZ. We came from Australia in 1979 and were simply stunned at what cars (and everything else) cost here back then. It was like Russia without the bread queues.

I remember Dad saying he wished he'd bought himself a then-new VB Commodore (he had enough in the bank to pay cash) then bring it over here. He would have made money on it, even after having had to keep it for a minimum of 2 years. Then he'd a have had a decent house deposit. As it was people seemed to think were rich because had 2 Toranas and one them was a SIX CYLINDER!

gunhand, Jun 4, 12:12pm
I had an old but very tidy VB commy years back and it had a dealer window card in it and it said something like 30k from memory, and that was 2nd hand but only a couple of years old though.