Late Bay New Price in 1979

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Little Nellie, Apr 7, 2020.

  1. Little Nellie

    Little Nellie Supporter

    Hi, looking at the bestie in the garage today and wondered how it’s new price in 1979 might have compared to other cars of the time, and compared to today?
    So I checked out the new 2020 price of a VW California Ocean, this was a whopping £60K! So I assume about double that of a 2020 VW new Gti?

    So wondered if a late bay, when new, would have been double the price then of an already desirable car i.e. the MK1 golf gti?

    If so then well flash!
     
    jivedubbin likes this.
  2. If you can find the list prices, there are calculators online that adjust amounts for inflation.

    Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk
     
    Little Nellie likes this.
  3. Zed

    Zed Gradually getting grumpier

    They have always cost a bundle, it's why so many UK campers are converted from the cheaper delivery vans.
    Also, house prices were so much lower compared to incomes so a camper in 1970 might have been the price of a small house and even by 1979, getting on for it. That made them look very expensive.
    I suspect we're going to find that in real terms the price has gone down substantially.
     
    Little Nellie likes this.
  4. I went to look at an almost new Moonraker at Hayselden's in Rotherham in the early 80's - £7000 if I remember correctly. My house was worth about £15000 then. I should have bought the split I went to see for £800, though I thought that was a bit of a price. I bought a 3 year old Beetle for £1300 in 1979.
     
    areksilverfish, rob.e, Zed and 3 others like this.
  5. Little Nellie

    Little Nellie Supporter

    Wow really interesting! So they were really quite expensive then. I just assumed because of the old design, so dating back to the mid 60s and earlier, compared to a new VW golf at the time, that the may have been comparable.
     
  6. Little Nellie

    Little Nellie Supporter

    So half the price of a house. Nice info! Just trying to get my head around buying a new one then at the time. They will have looked cool even then, but some of the controls, engine, and even panel design must have looked so dated compared to the emerging Hot Hatch scene. VW Golfs, Fiestas etc, and it looks like these would have been massively cheaper. Can’t go camping in one of these of course
     
    Betty the Bay likes this.
  7. Betty the Bay

    Betty the Bay Supporter

    To be fair, I would think that a £15k Rotherham house in the 80's would be worth about £150k now.....have you seen the price of a new VW Ocean camper.....probably still not far half the cost of a house.
    My relatives bought one back in 2018 and paid £60k for a pre-registration one....they however live in Cheltenham, so cheap relative to their £400k home.
     
    Little Nellie likes this.
  8. Zed

    Zed Gradually getting grumpier

    In 79 I could have bought quite a nice terraced in Lincoln for £7k, I remember because at 19 though I didn't want one I was tempted. I was paid £5,200/year as a draughtsman having skipped half my apprenticeship and rented a rubbishy damp 2 bed flat for £60/month. Draughtsman now £25K? same house £100K, camper £60k. Draughtsman's wages aren't looking good!
     
    Purple and Little Nellie like this.
  9. Little Nellie

    Little Nellie Supporter

    Suppose a better comparison is 1979 new bay price vs 1979 new hot hatch...
     
    Betty the Bay likes this.
  10. Price of Mars Bars is the best comparator!
     
    Little Nellie likes this.
  11. That’s what Mick and Marianne told me!
     
  12. Ahhh the Faithful old Mars Bar eh! Work rest and play!
     
    snotty likes this.
  13. It's finger-licking good!
     
    Dicky likes this.
  14. I can’t remember who it is, but one of the regulars has their original bay that they bought new. @Poptop2 ??? Perhaps
     
    Little Nellie likes this.
  15. My nephews on 60k , I was earning a little more:oops:. And yes my brother in law was on more than the price of his house when he bought it back in the seventies . Still got the same house but it’s worth 10 times what he was earning when he retired . His car was worth a tenth of its value when new too :D
     
    Zed likes this.
  16. I believe that is @Bhubesi
     
    scrooge95, paulcalf and rustbucket like this.
  17. Zed

    Zed Gradually getting grumpier

    Not in 1979...
     
  18. Errrrrm no .....I didn’t work for myself then , I worked for the slave driver I made pay when I did and others:D
     
    Zed likes this.
  19. matty

    matty Supporter

    In 1978 a Moonraker would set you back a whopping £5157.38p

    Using the Bank of England calculator that’s £29,811.28 today

    Average house in 1978 was £17,793

    Ford Capri 2.0S 1978 was £4,035
     
  20. Bhubesi

    Bhubesi Supporter

    I purchased my Kombi bus new in 1976, in Nigeria.
    The show room price (including shipping and Nigerian import duty) was the equivalent of £4100.
    I actually paid the equivalent of £2900 after a little trading on the local currency market!
    Tony
     

Share This Page