Team-BHP - Cost of classic cars when new? Pics of invoices included

Here are some more invoices shared

A Fargo Freighter one tonne truck dated January 1930. Cost was Rs. 3,800, and the agents were Barker & Hooper (Coachbuilders, India) Ltd.

Cost of classic cars when new? Pics of invoices included-invoice37.jpg

Agents Coronation Motors in Gujarat in 1947 sold a Hillman car to the ruler of Jetpur. The cost was Rs. 12,500, and a discount of Rs. 500 was applied.

Cost of classic cars when new? Pics of invoices included-invoice38.jpg

Agents for Buick in Bombay were Metro Motors. But it seems they also sold Fiat cars, and here in 1947 they supplied a new Fiat car to the ruler of Jetpur, a Fiat 1500 pillarless saloon. The cost was Rs. 12,350, plus transport and other expenses totalling to 12,690-12-0

Cost of classic cars when new? Pics of invoices included-invoice39.jpg

Quote:

Originally Posted by karlosdeville (Post 5463655)

Agents Coronation Motors in Gujarat in 1947 sold a Hillman car to the ruler of Jetpur.
in 1947 they supplied a new Fiat car to the ruler of Jetpur, a Fiat 1500 pillarless saloon. The cost was Rs. 12,350, plus transport and other expenses totalling to 12,690-12-0
Attachment 2394218

Interesting that Jetpur bought two new cars within 10 days of Independence.

Car prices from a December 1963 issue of The Motorist.

Cost of classic cars when new? Pics of invoices included-prices.jpg

The Fiat Super Select sold for Rs. 12,250
Hindustan Ambassador Mark II - Rs. 16,591.29
Standard Herald Mark I - Rs. 13,200
Jeep (CJ3B?) - Rs. 15,200

For bikes, interestingly they only list the 50cc Jawa, for Rs. 1,720.
The Royal Enfield 150cc sold for Rs. 2610.52, and the Bullet for Rs. 4,650.

For scooters, the Lambretta Series 2 sold for Rs. 2710, and the Vespa 150 at the exact same price. A coincidence or printing mistake?

Quote:

Originally Posted by karlosdeville (Post 5505425)

An invoice for a Yamaha RX100, over 30 years old, showing the price in Allahabad as Rs. 33,270. Hope this can be of use for anyone transferring their bike inter state.

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The amount in words shows twenty three thousand. And the number shows 33000.
As per my memory a Kawasaki Bajaj KB 100 used to cost around 16000-17000 in 1988. The Yamaha RX100 cost 20,000-22000 - and the Rajdoot Yamaha 350 cost 27K. I remember this very clearly and specifically checking the prices at Khivraj motors for Kawasaki and Didar Motors for Yamaha in Madras. I even got the brochures and proforma invoices ready at the time. Because I dearly wanted either of these but was not allowed to have a motorbike at College, by my folks.
In 1993 a new KB 100 RTZ was about 30-32K. I got a slightly used one with less than 5000kms on the clock, for Rs 25K.
The RX100 price at that time had crossed 36K.
But one thing I can’t remember or understand is how did the prices all jump up so much in a matter of 4-5 years.

Quote:

Originally Posted by shankar.balan;5505871In 1993 a new KB 100 RTZ was about 30-32K. I got a slightly used one with less than 5000kms on the clock, for Rs 25K.
The RX100 price at that time had crossed 36K.
B[I

ut one thing I can’t remember or understand is how did the prices all jump up so much in a matter of 4-5 years[/i].

The reason for the jump in prices was the devaluation of the rupee, following Liberalisation policy of 1991. The price of Maruti 800 standard car was below a lakh in 1991, but had gone up to around 2 lakhs by 1995.Actually that was the period when Maruti owners could sell their used cars for higher amounts than what they had paid for when they bought it new!!:)

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajay99 (Post 5506173)

Thanks Ajay. I had forgotten that important point.
Yes those dark days of the big frightening IMF Loan and the rupee devaluation. We were still in College in 1991. And parents were still paying the bills. And yet, when some of us started working in 1993 the kind of salaries we were being paid were abysmally low by todays standards.

Quote:

Originally Posted by shankar.balan (Post 5506234)

And yet, when some of us started working in 1993 the kind of salaries we were being paid were abysmally low by todays standards.

Those salaries may seem Low if you compare it one to one. But actually if you consider Purchasing power parity, inflation, present value of INR etc you will realise it was not that low

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajay99 (Post 5506422)

Those salaries may seem Low if you compare it one to one. But actually if you consider Purchasing power parity, inflation, present value of INR etc you will realise it was not that low

This is Only correct in part.
Yes I agree that 7500- 10,000 Rupees in the early mid 1990’s was a good salary. But it still did not enable much by way of savings.
Flying somewhere on holiday for example, was something to be saved for and planned. Simarly a road trip in a car, one usually pooled in with a couple of friends in order to be able to first get access to a car and second to be able to afford the fuel. Credit wasnt easily available those days so the whole bike and car ownership thing was for the well heeled or for those supported nicely by the parents. Getting there on one’s own usually meant going the used car route after putting aside some significant savings.

Anyway I shall keep quiet now on this. This isn’t the right thread for this discussion.