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You bring up a good point, Steve. I have kids in their 30's and
40's and they ask the same questions about inflation vs "options". It
is difficult for them to realize that in the 1950's, lower cost Chevy's like the
Biscayne came with NO armrests! Almost everything was an
option. On some low cost brands, middle and high price range options, like
automatic transmissions, were not even offered. Fortunately, Chrysler
products included as standard equipment such things as electric wipers on even
the lowest cost Plymouth. They were not even available on a Cadillac at
any cost! Other cars used vacuum operated wipers, that STOPPED working if
you accelerated too hard. A "luxury" option was a vacuum reserve
tank. On of the worst experiences of my life was having to drive my
friends "beautifully designed" 58 Chevy, loaded with such luxury options as
air suspension, across the continental divide. It was nearly impossible to
drive uphill! The wipers would stop! Take foot off the gas and they
would go like hell but you would not! We could go on and on with
this, but it would take volumes. Simply put, choosing Ford, GM, or
Chrysler in those days involved more than frills, it was an engineering decision
about basic design. And at an average wage of two bucks an hour those 36
monthly payments got bigger and bigger as you added the options.
Ken 82 Imp, 91 TC
Eileen is at the transmission shop having
her rebuilt transmission installed and then off to get an alignment and new
exhaust for our trip to Chattanooga at the end of the month. It will be
the first time in the five years that I have owned the car that it will go
backwards without turning off the car and pushing and the first time it will
stay where I put it without putting a chock under the tire. I've never
even heard the car run with a complete exhaust system with no holes.
Needless to say I am quite excited. It almost feels like I'm getting a
new car!
I was sitting here tonight in my
exctiement figuring out what she cost originally and what that equals in
todays dollars. A few things really suprised me!
Dual A/C $4955.06 (when
adjusted for inflation)
Power swivel seats $1444.52
Radio $1078.20
The excess of the Imperials is so amazing
to me. In a time when people didn't have air conditioning in their homes
or offices my Imperial had TWO air conditioners. Imagine spending $1500
for a seat that made it easier for the lady to get out of the car in her tight
skirt. And a grand for a magical foot controlled signal seeking
radio! Not only did these cars look like they were ready for space
travel but to the average person from my part of the world they must have
seemed like they came from space with all the magical whizz bang do
dads. I would like to hear from some of our members who were around when
these cars were available new that could tell me if these things were really
as magical then as they seem to me now.
Oh well. Sorry for rambling...
My Imperial has basically been in storage for three years now waiting for me
to get some money to do something with it and I'm just so excited at the
thought of having her back on the road again that I'm a little
giddy.
Steve B.
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