U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Vehicle Technologies Program

Fact #219: June 3, 2002
Average Price of a New Car: 1970-2001

Before 1982, import car prices were lower, on average, than domestic car prices. Since that time, the average price of an import car has always been higher than that of a domestic car. The average import car price peaked in 1998 at $31,285 (constant 2000 dollars); the domestic average that same year was only $19,522 (constant 2000 dollars). The average import car price has been declining since 1998.

Average Price of a New Car, 1970-2001(in Constant 2000 Dollars)
Graph: Average Price of a New Car, 1970-2001

Supporting Information

Average Price of a New Car, 1970-2001
  Domestica Import Average
Year current $ constant
2000 $b		 current $ constant
2000 $b		 current $ constant
2000 $b
1970 3,708 16,457 2,648 11,752 3,542 15,720
1971 3,919 16,663 2,769 11,773 3,742 15,910
1972 4,034 16,619 2,994 12,334 3,879 15,980
1973 4,181 16,216 3,344 12,969 4,052 15,715
1974 4,524 15,802 4,206 14,691 4,440 15,508
1975 5,084 16,273 4,384 14,032 4,950 15,844
1976 5,506 16,663 4,923 14,899 5,418 16,397
1977 5,985 17,007 5,072 14,413 5,814 16,521
1978 6,478 17,109 5,934 15,672 6,379 16,848
1979 6,889 16,340 6,704 15,901 6,847 16,240
1980 7,609 15,901 7,482 15,636 7,574 15,828
1981 8,912 16,883 8,896 16,852 8,910 16,879
1982 9,865 17,604 9,957 17,768 9,890 17,648
1983 10,516 18,181 10,868 18,790 10,606 18,337
1984 11,079 18,362 12,336 20,445 11,375 18,853
1985 11,589 18,547 12,853 20,570 11,838 18,945
1986 12,319 19,355 13,670 21,478 12,652 19,878
1987 12,922 19,588 14,470 21,934 13,386 20,291
1988 13,418 19,532 15,221 22,156 13,932 20,280
1989 13,936 19,353 15,510 21,539 14,371 19,957
1990 14,489 19,090 16,640 21,924 15,042 19,818
1991 15,192 19,208 16,327 20,643 15,475 19,565
1992 15,644 19,201 18,593 22,820 16,336 20,050
1993 15,976 19,039 20,261 24,145 16,871 20,105
1994 16,930 19,672 21,989 25,550 17,903 20,802
1995 16,864 19,055 23,202 26,216 17,959 20,292
1996 17,468 19,171 26,205 28,760 18,777 20,608
1997 17,907 19,212 27,722 29,743 19,531 20,955
1998 18,479 19,522 29,614 31,285 20,364 21,513
1999 18,630 19,256 28,931 29,903 20,658 21,352
2000 18,684 18,684 27,767 27,767 20,355 20,355
2001 19,654 19,110 27,477 26,717 21,605 21,007

a Includes transplants.
b Adjusted by the Consumer Price Inflation Index.
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis, National Income and Product Accounts.

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