5/-, 25p, per gallon, only leaded then, no unleaded, in the early 60s. I remember my then girlfriend and I were going to Wales in my old banger, her father sent me to his local garage and told me to fill up on his account.
In 1968 I think 6/3d per gallon. According to The Historic Price calculator inflation that is 108p/litre at todays prices. Wages in those days were much lower in real terms so you are very much better off today.
£1000 per year was a reasonable wage then,( I was on £800 as a civil servant), that's only£16000 in todays money.
When I passed in 1970 I earned £550/year as an office junior, and petrol was bobbing up and down between 6/6 and 7/-, a gallon (about 7p/litre), and for that it would propel my old Ford Popular about 25 miles and spew brain-rotting lead over passers by. Today I get 50 mpg+ and hopefully aren't poisoning people too much.
I remember my dad telling me that there were plans to introduce petrol rationing in 1974 due to OPEC price fixing He said that it was serious because ration books had been printed. Can some of the less young drivers remember this time and was it as dramatic as my dad made it out to be? Way he told the story it sounded like the country was days away to running out of fuel and grinding to a halt and ever since then the price of petrol has been a big deal.
Yep, etirely true. As the supplies started to run out, garages introduced their own rationing of 4 gallons per customer, ahead of the ration cards being issued. Motorists started "panic refuelling" to avoid running out, filling up as soon as they could squeeze another few pints in the tank. As a result huge queues formed.
Interestingly, we went on holiday to Ireland at that time, and there they came up with a much more elegant solution. Irish garages imposed a minimum ration of 4 gallons per customer. You could put in as little as you liked, but you still had to pay for at least 4 gallons. Result, no panic buying and no queues!
I can remember in 1972 a GALLON of petrol costing 34 or 35 pence.
Oh god, those were the days!!
I am not going to dig it up now but this question came up a year or two ago (when fuel prices where higher than now) and even then it turned out that relative to average incomes fuel was more expensive back in the 60s -70s.
I am not going to dig it up now but this question came up a year or two ago (when fuel prices where higher than now) and even then it turned out that relative to average incomes fuel was more expensive back in the 60s -70s.
Trying to find out the date that due to the Suez Crisis the government imposed an extra 1/- per gallon (5p) surcharge to cover the extra distance tankers had to travel, it was supposed to be temporary, but it stayed....
Trying to find out the date that due to the Suez Crisis the government imposed an extra 1/- per gallon (5p) surcharge to cover the extra distance tankers had to travel, it was supposed to be temporary, but it stayed....
It is also a big factor that cars are now far more economical. The cost of a mile of motoring in a 60s/70s gas guzzler just does not compare with the same cost in a modern car.
Slight dampener on it but shows you how taxed to death we are here in the UK.
As we celebrate petrol falling to £1 a litre (£4.50 a gallon) Americans are celebrating as the average price over there falls to just $2.18 a gallon which at today's exhange rate is £1.43 a gallon or 31p a litre.
Don't forget that the Americans use an undersized gallon, which would put the price around the 40p/litre mark.
Yep, etirely true. As the supplies started to run out, garages introduced their own rationing of 4 gallons per customer, ahead of the ration cards being issued. Motorists started "panic refuelling" to avoid running out, filling up as soon as they could squeeze another few pints in the tank. As a result huge queues formed.
Interestingly, we went on holiday to Ireland at that time, and there they came up with a much more elegant solution. Irish garages imposed a minimum ration of 4 gallons per customer. You could put in as little as you liked, but you still had to pay for at least 4 gallons. Result, no panic buying and no queues!
Thanks for that! Just love the Irish solution to panic buying:D
Not a clue, I can't remember that far back! I passed in January 1985 and I think it was still sold in gallons and you had to choose 2* or 4* (or diesel but few had diesel cars).
ETA: According to this site, it was 42.8p per litre, which was £1.95 per gallon.
1981 - 160p 4 star per GALLON (approx 35p per litre)
I passed the following year ('82) and can remember 4-star being 30-something pence per litre.
Also remember petrol stations having gallon/litre conversion tables either on the pumps or in the kiosk.
Comments
When I passed in 1970 I earned £550/year as an office junior, and petrol was bobbing up and down between 6/6 and 7/-, a gallon (about 7p/litre), and for that it would propel my old Ford Popular about 25 miles and spew brain-rotting lead over passers by. Today I get 50 mpg+ and hopefully aren't poisoning people too much.
Good times?
I passed my test in 1975.
Yep, etirely true. As the supplies started to run out, garages introduced their own rationing of 4 gallons per customer, ahead of the ration cards being issued. Motorists started "panic refuelling" to avoid running out, filling up as soon as they could squeeze another few pints in the tank. As a result huge queues formed.
Interestingly, we went on holiday to Ireland at that time, and there they came up with a much more elegant solution. Irish garages imposed a minimum ration of 4 gallons per customer. You could put in as little as you liked, but you still had to pay for at least 4 gallons. Result, no panic buying and no queues!
I am not going to dig it up now but this question came up a year or two ago (when fuel prices where higher than now) and even then it turned out that relative to average incomes fuel was more expensive back in the 60s -70s.
Trying to find out the date that due to the Suez Crisis the government imposed an extra 1/- per gallon (5p) surcharge to cover the extra distance tankers had to travel, it was supposed to be temporary, but it stayed....
It is also a big factor that cars are now far more economical. The cost of a mile of motoring in a 60s/70s gas guzzler just does not compare with the same cost in a modern car.
Don't forget that the Americans use an undersized gallon, which would put the price around the 40p/litre mark.
Thanks for that! Just love the Irish solution to panic buying:D
ETA: According to this site, it was 42.8p per litre, which was £1.95 per gallon.
5 p a litre?
Also remember petrol stations having gallon/litre conversion tables either on the pumps or in the kiosk.
I also remember sometime around 1979 when it shockingly reached £1 per gallon !!!
Amazing how suddenly it has crashed from nearly double as Tories are after re-election.
Wow Tories are blamed for many things but having control over the barrel price of oil is a new one.