Nostalgia! Fuel Prices

[DutchmenSport]

Was watching the television show, "Father Knows Best" from Prime Video. It aired from 1954-1960.

The episode I watch was when the son, "Bud" gets a job working in a local gas station.

At the end of the show, there is a scene where you can see the posted fuel price. It was 25 9/10 cents. Episode 181 (Season 6, Episode 10 aired December 7, 1959).

Such memories!

 

[mlh]

Yep I remember playing 24 cents for gas and Diesel was cheaper. I was working for $1.35 and 46 years ago I built my home for $20,000.
Lynwood

 

[AZ Traveler]

$.16 a gallon when I started driving.

 

[Mikendebbie]

Lowest I ever paid was in when I was 16, Longview, Texas, Summer 1971...18 cent-a-gallon for reg'ler. They were having a gas war on Highway 80. The normal price was 22 cents a gallon. It cost me $3 to fill my beat-up 1960 black Chevy C10 truck - 3 on the tree, no radio. My first car - Dad bought it for me for $300.

 

[mlh]

Lowest I ever paid was in when I was 16, Longview, Texas, Summer 1971...18 cent-a-gallon for reg'ler. They were having a gas war on Highway 80. The normal price was 22 cents a gallon. It cost me $3 to fill my beat-up 1960 black Chevy C10 truck - 3 on the tree, no radio. My first car - Dad bought it for me for $300.

My first car was a 58 Pontiac. It got totaled then my brother and I bought a 61 Pontiac Bonneville bubble top for $1300. It was a tripower 3 on the tree 3 duces 348 HP. A very unusual car. Who would buy a luxury car with a straight drive and 3 the barrels. I just saw 61 Catalina sell for $175,000 but it was a super duty so I don’t know what mine would be worth buy it wouldn’t be near that.
Lynwood

 

[Cat320]

Diesel was always always cheaper....until I bought my first diesel powered vehicle!

 

[BB_TX]

Gas was around 24-26 cents when I was a teenager occasionally dropping into the teens when the dealers had a “gas war”. Rarely could afford more than a dollar at a time. But that got 4 gallons or more and would last several days with care and sharing the driving when cruising the drag.

 

[RMcNeal]

I can remember as a kid collecting glass bottles thrown out on the road to get gas (and cigarette) money. Not anymore.

 

[twindman]

In 1973 we lived in Iowa City. Gas was around 25 cents I think. Moved to Texas right where gas is produced. You would think it would be cheaper - nope. Maybe 30 cents or so. I heard that the companies sell it out of state to get more money out of it, so local prices went up! ????

Anyway for us oldies, remember the gas embargo or whatever it was. Shortage of imports, etc. Plenty of gas AND food in Iowa, but in Texas, could only buy gas on even/odd days of your license number. Long lines. If you got to the grocery store (Texas) after it was open a couple of hours, there was NO BEEF!!!!

Moved back to Iowa in 74 and plenty of gas and beef, but gas was around 50 cents. A 100% increase in one year!
Oh, like someone else mentioned - I bought my first diesel in 2006 and diesel was much cheaper than gas. Within 2 years it was higher and just recently here in AZ it is a few cents cheaper again. HOWEVER, gas prices just jumped 50 cents in one week! WHAT GIVES????

 

[pdgx]

23.5¢ is the cheapest I bought at. But because I drove a ‘pickup’ truck from the start, I got a 5¢/gal discount, so it was 18.5¢/.

Can you imagine a 22% discount today ?

Yes, and diesel was considered junk fuel, so it was even cheaper. Definitely getting ’d now.

 

[Lee-C-JAY]

I can remember an even 20 cents per gallon for gasoline. Of course back then one could buy a brand new ½ ton truck off the lot for under $3k - IF one could afford the purchase. The very first raise I ever received was due to a minimum wage increase..... Thankfully I was working a minimum of 60 hours a week.

 

[fatcatzzz]

Yep I paid 18 cents, and that was in CALIFORNIA!!! Boy how things have changed.

 

[Jay & Bobbie]

Dad used to give me a quarter and the gallon ( metal) can. I would walk to the local gas station, get 20 cent of fuel, go next door to the grocery and get a nickle candy bar. I don't remember there being a sales tax then. All was good.

 

[madeforeachother]

I worked as a gas station attendant in 1965 at a Shell station and people would ask for a fill-up or by the gallon. One elderly woman was a staple at the station and would ask for 10 gallons. $.28 cents a gallon! She would give me 3 one dollar bills and told me to keep the change of $.20 cents as a tip. I think of that lady and my “ tip” to this day and giggle how things have changed in my lifetime.

 

[Gonefishing1]

I remember working at a Mobil station 1969-1971. We would have gas wars with the Clark station gas down to 13 cents. My boss would say we will be 1 cent lower if the Clark station goes to 1 cent dam I will give it away lol. Remember one day the city police came and made him raise the price. Cars were backed up down the I 75 freeway. Those were some days.

 

[jimborokz]

When I got out of the Army in 1969, I ran a Gulf station for a brief period and we were charging 32.9 for regular.
I also bought a used 67 Shelby GT500 for $2000...Sure wish I still had that car

 

[BB_TX]

….
I also bought a used 67 Shelby GT500 for $2000...Sure wish I still had that car

Like this?
.
https://revologycars.com/car/1967-shelby-gt500/

 

[Cindy and Ray's Grand Tour]

I just ran the CPI inflation calculator and 26 cents in 1959 was $2.79 in September 2024. I just paid $2.76 yesterday near Charleston, SC. So gas is costing the same now with all the years of inflation. Its about $3 here in north florida though.

 

[Mikendebbie]

I was at Bucee’s in Temple TX this weekend and their new LONG car wash is open. The gas pump message said “Get 20 cents off per gallon with an Ultimate Wash for $16”…so what the heck - let’s try it out. I also have the Bucees special credit card where you get 5% off all things Bucee’s. My final gas price was $1.279 !!! I just tied my all time low price of $0.18/gal I mentioned in post #4 above (using an inflation adjuster for 1972 prices).

By the way - the car wash was unlike any car wash I have been thru. It was a color light show and it smelled good inside the car (which was a first for a car wash!!) and the Jeep looks great.

 

[jimborokz]

Like this?
.
https://revologycars.com/car/1967-shelby-gt500/

Exactly, only mine was a light blue. What a fun car that was.