30 years ago

[Mash]

A photo in the local paper recently of a filling station in 1979 prompted me to get my calculator out.In 1979 the price of a gallon of petrol was £1.45, today it's around £4.80.On the assumption that your salary in 1979 was £4,000 p.a. that means you could buy 2759 gallons of petrol.Assuming an equivalent salary of £25,000 today you can buy 5208 gallons - nearly twice as much.Thought I'd look at cars too:Fiesta in 1979 = £3,000 = 75% of salaryFiesta in 2009 = £11,000 = 44% of salarySo, on the basis that we've never had it so good, why the hell am I still so skint??!!

[STUNO]

Do not worry !If this was 1979 you would be skint anywayEverything is relative

[Milford Cubicle]

£25k a year!

[warren t claim]

This is a handy little site to compare the value of money in days gone by.

For example £3000 for a Lada in 1983 was a lot of money!

 

http://www.measuringworth.com/ukcompare/

[Richard]

Apparently Mars Bars are a good way to measure relative prices.

[Station]

China and Malaysia markets came along, and became competitive I think.

[HillmanImp]

I read somewhere that the average salary has always been relative to the cost of cars and houses.It has had a couple of blips where it went out of kilter for a couple of years but has always returned to the mean.However the housing market has been fucking shite for years now where even with a reasonable deposit burning a hole in my pocket i cant afford bugger all unless i want to live in a terrace the size of a postage stamp with a paedo out on licence next door, which is a bunch of arse.Dont know about the cost of cars mind as the cars i buy are not exactly top end of the market dont really pay attention to the cost of a new Fiesta as it dont really matter to me.

[Cavcraft]

A year before I left school Mind you as someone else said you'd be skint anyway.

[FredTransit]

It was the year after i left school, I couldn't drive though....

[kelvin2008]

I was still in school, primary in the village. Me and my raleigh chopper.

[wuvvum]

I was too young to either know or care what the price of petrol was...

[whitevanman]

I remember only paying 98p a gallon in 79 and it went up to 108p in 1980-81. then when I worked at the pumps in 82 it was 109p for 2 star and 118p for 5 star........... cant remember the price of diesel

[Mash]

I remember only paying 98p a gallon in 79 and it went up to 108p in 1980-81. then when I worked at the pumps in 82 it was 109p for 2 star and 118p for 5 star........... cant remember the price of diesel

Hmm, definitely said 79 on the pic caption. Maybe they got the wrong year though.

[seth]

Here's a photo I took in '93.

 

 

[hennabm]

OMG - in 79 I was 18 and had gone through the moped stage and my first car was a Triumph Herald Estate - GTK 547F. This was quickly followed by a MkII Cortina 1500 - GTL 529E and then a 1600e - TLO 540G. I then went French and had a 12TL and then a 12TS as well a 1600cc Transit on a P plate.ahhhh - memories.

[Angrydicky]

Here's a photo I took in '93.

 

 

Oh dear, I was only two in '93!

 

Nice A35 and A40 pickup Seth, yours?

[seth]

Nice A35 and A40 pickup Seth, yours?

My A35, a friend's MGB powered Devon PU.

[Andrew353w]

Ah, happy days! 30 years ago I was 19 and working in a local garage in Bideford. Monday to Thursday in the workshop, Fridays off and both Saturday & Sunday on the pumps for the early turn 7am to 3pm. That was one hell of a way to get a great sun tan, tips and (occasionally) a date! Jet petrol at £1.18 A GALLON (not litre!) for 4 star. Attended service too... remember that?