I have often wondered what gas prices were in different areas of the country over the years. My dad used to tell me in the '60s he could fill the car up with gas, take a date to the movies, then go out for a meal on $2. I find it difficult to believe, given today's prices. The only "low" gas price I can remember vividly was in the late '90s. A gallon was around 75 cents, here in the South. I know a lot of members of PriusChat are much older than I am, so I was wondering what gas prices really were way back when.
I remember that back in about 1955 Tulsa's first self service station had gas for 18 cents per gallon. I was already 21 years old by then. I used to fill up my 1954 Plymouth Belvedere there.
I only remember the good ole' days of $0.99 gas in the mid 90's when Jurassic Park came out and America's suv love-affair followed.
$0.85 a gallon. Cruising in my 76 Cadillac in 98-99? I remember it really Hovered around $0.89 for that year or so.
+1 In 1971, when I was 14, I could fill up my Honda Scrambler's 1.5 gal tank for $0.25 during the $0.18 per gallon gas wars not far from OKC. Typically, the Deep Rock station had the best price. Lots of small cool gas companies now long gone. Just a few years later on a family vacation, I remember Dad being very upset from having to pay $0.68 per gallon out in east Colorado.
29.9 cents per gallon for full serve in the late 60's to early 70's. Full serve was check your oil and fluids and wash your windshield while filling up. Plus they gave you S&H green stamps that you could save to get free merchandise. But like bisco said, during summers I was working electrical construction for $5 per hour and thought I was rich
Fall of 2011 in the South I paid $.97 or $.98 for a gallon to fill up a small car, it cost $10 to fill the tank, $11 if running on fumes. I remember when it hit $2 and people were paying attention and getting upset over it a little and I even used to calculate what my gas cost. Hilarious. Now anything less than $3 is cheap. All happened quite quickly indeed.
I do remember my Dad getting a Tigers Tail from Esso (now Exxon) and a Red Ball to stick on your Antenna (from Atlantic Red Ball Gasoline). This was probably back in the 60's. These crappy gifts were a Big Promotion back then.
I remember that while I was living in Alma, WI, during '77-'79, that I was paying right around 50 cents per gallon. Small town, the little gas station was probably a bit "high buck".
Do You Remember - Gas Wars? I remember my Da saying "Son, you just keep filling up that hot rod and throwing away $5 every tank full... why the hell do you need a Dodge Charger boy... and that motorcycle is gonna be the death of you." 72 was a good year for me...
I don't remember .29 in 1975. I was in Northwest Ohio at the time working at a car dealership (Toyota, Honda, Pontiac). Wasn't the oil embargo cranking up about that time? My cheapest fuel price memory is .25-.35 cents in the mid-60's. I think. Hey, the problem here with me is that I'm not allowed coffee breaks because they can't afford to retrain me!
Wisconsin, 67 - 70, as a kid I used to mow lawns for "Big Bucks". Dads mower, and 25 cents would get me a gallon, and a Coke! Life was different back then!