Prewar Studebaker Prices nosediving!

[BobPalma]

(Well, at least according to the February 17, 1936 Edition of The N.A.D.A. Official Used Car Guide) :



In the above listings, the Average Sales Price may be understood to be the average Retail sales price of the subject used car as of the book's publication date.

The Average Value may be understood to be the Wholesale value of the car among fellow dealers.



Happy New Year. BP

[Studebaker Wheel]

Looks like you could expect to pay $96 for a '29 President roadster. Pretty outrageous!

[8E45E]

Hmm....

$78 for this:


Or $90 for this:



I'll gladly give you $150 for BOTH as a package deal, and take them off your hands!!

Craig

[BobPalma]

Looks like you could expect to pay $96 for a '29 President roadster. Pretty outrageous!

Agreed, Dick; inflation was simply out of control! BP

[raprice]

Bob, You really got us there. Although these are '36 prices, they're still an eye opener.
Rog

[PackardV8]

Yes, closed car body design was improving and changing so rapidly in the mid-to-late '30s that the earlier open cars rapidly depreciated in value.

jack vines

[sals54]

Hmm....

$78 for this:


Or $90 for this:



I'll gladly give you $150 for BOTH as a package deal, and take them off your hands!!

Craig

Great.... I'll take 30 of each model. When can I expect delivery??

[8E45E]

Great.... I'll take 30 of each model. When can I expect delivery??

Talk to Palma Motors on that one!!

Craig

[studeclunker]

yeah, well in '36 they were just old cars. I mean, can anyone here tell me the pine to own a Saturn or a Tarus?

Such a disappointing thread. Here I thought there were going to be some real deals on the pre-war cars out there...

[56H-Y6]

Hi Bob

For really shocking revelations in Depression Era depreciation, check the sections for recently defunct luxury makes such as Stutz, Franklin, Marmon, Peerless, Locomobile, Cord L-29, Stearns-Knight......magnificent cars at give-away prices. Even multi-cylinder models of Cadillac, Packard, Auburn, Lincoln, Pierce-Arrow, etc. still in production, unbelievable now.

Steve

[8E45E]

For really shocking revelations in Depression Era depreciation, check the sections for recently defunct luxury makes such as Stutz, Franklin, Marmon, Peerless, Locomobile, Cord L-29, Stearns-Knight......magnificent cars at give-away prices.

It would be interesting to see one from exactly a year earlier when Studebaker was still in receivership, and compare the 1930 prices in this one with the 1929 prices in the 1935 edition. Maybe prices actually went UP when Studebaker was back on the road to financial recovery.

Craig

[Gunslinger]

How many of those magnificent cars were sacrificed for WWII scrap drives? A good cause, but still sad. Just something else to hold against Hitler, Mussolini and the Imperial Japanese.

[BobPalma]

Hi Bob

For really shocking revelations in Depression Era depreciation, check the sections for recently defunct luxury makes such as Stutz, Franklin, Marmon, Peerless, Locomobile, Cord L-29, Stearns-Knight......magnificent cars at give-away prices. Even multi-cylinder models of Cadillac, Packard, Auburn, Lincoln, Pierce-Arrow, etc. still in production, unbelievable now.

Steve

For the most part, Steve, if a car wasn't in production in 1935 or thereabouts, it isn't listed in this book. For example, there are no entries for Stutz, Peerless, Locomobile, or Stearns-Knight, among those you cite.

There are listings for Marmon, Franklin, and Cord. Here's the Cord page:



Not much there, of course, but it supports your theory, for sure. BP

[BobPalma]

It would be interesting to see one from exactly a year earlier when Studebaker was still in receivership, and compare the 1930 prices in this one with the 1929 prices in the 1935 edition. Maybe prices actually went UP when Studebaker was back on the road to financial recovery. Craig

True, Craig, but this is the only book of this nature I got in a box of old literature I bought at a swap meet years ago. BP

[8E45E]

Here's the Cord page:

Then, like now, car prices have always been higher in Canada. Compare the Canadian 1936 list (F.O.B.) prices for comparable Cords.



Craig