Spiffing issues up for simply $87.
Whereas $87 might not look like a lot, it went a great distance again in 1978. Take this advert for the Dodge D100 pickup truck. The truck depicted boasts a base value simply over $4000, and given its humble entry-level nature, appears to be like fairly spiffy, all issues take into account.
However there are two issues that basically give this primary Dodge a little bit of aptitude. First, there’s the yellow paint job, and second, there’s the white-sidewall tires and brilliant wheel covers. And for a truck that’s, at $4147, completely bereft of some other choices or options, it appears to be like fairly good. Now, we don’t know if the striped seat upholstery comes customary as properly, however we prefer it.
But it surely’s the white-wall tires and “deluxe” hub caps that basically elevate the look of this budget-friendly workhorse, and per the small textual content within the advert, they contribute $87 to the underside line. We’d say the tires and wheel covers are cash properly spent. It is a nice-looking truck.
The advert doesn’t go into a lot element in regards to the truck technically, however we will ensure that this bottom-line Dodge is powered by Chrysler’s ubiquitous Slant Six engine mated to a 3-speed handbook transmission.
What this truck didn’t include was air con, a dome gentle, or radio—after all such luxuries had been obtainable, for a value. And about that value: $4147 is about $16,000 in 2025 {dollars}, which seems like an unimaginable discount to us. The least costly new Ram pickup now lists for simply over $40,000, however is laden with know-how and gear not even obtainable in 1978. Nonetheless, 40 massive seems like so much.
Talking of coloration, we’re a little bit confused by the Hearth-department stuff on this advert. The truck is white, and the man’s jackets are grey. The place’s the purple? Solely the canine appears to be of applicable livery.
Whereas our major takeaway from this advert is that pickup vans have gotten costly, we’re additionally impressed by how far $87 used to go. To learn extra Favourite Automobile Advertisements, click on right here.
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1978 Dodge D100 Photos
Click on beneath for enlarged photographs
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