Those were the days

[69280sl]

I'm not really a hoarder, but I save strange things. Ran across this 1965 invoice for a 15" Nardi wheel for my MG-TF. The price was a princely $36.50.

Gus

[Rolf-Dieter ✝︎]

Those were the days indeed ... Right on ... $19- in 1965 would have gotten us two weeks groceries LOL

[49er]

My 1965 VW with sunroof, European delivery, $1600US. Yep, those were the days for sure. Started my career at North American Aviation as a draftsman working on the Apollo Lunar CMD module, $3.60 an hour. Hard to believe that was almost 50 years ago!

John

[Flyair]

John,
so you had to work about 400 hours (taxes apart) to get one. Wonder what it takes to get say a VW Golf these days based on a similar job?

[Cees Klumper]

My 1965 VW with sunroof, European delivery, $1260US. Yep, those were the days for sure. Started my career at North American Aviation as a draftsman working on the Apollo Lunar CMD module, $3.60 an hour. Hard to believe that was almost 50 years ago!

John

Reminds me of my hourly wage as a graduate assistant in the accounting dept of Florida Atlantic University: $4.10 an hour. That was in 1983, twenty years later.

[Rolf-Dieter ✝︎]

John, my first ever new car was a VW Beatle 1961 I recall the sales price was slightly over $3,000- my salary as a junior mechanical draftsman at that time was about the same for the year.

Stan, I think a fellow in the same job today might be able to purchase the new Beatle plus the car may include a bike rack and a bike

Yes those were the days ....

Changing the subject ... We are 5 hours from the Final ... World Cup ... I pick Germany by 2 goals to win there 4th World Cup today (crossing fingers)

BTW ... Congratulations to all Hollanders ... Well done ... !!! .... I was hopping for  final between Holland and Germany, oh well perhaps next time.

[49er]

 Yes Stan, I had odd jobs and it took a while to save up for that car (and my trip to Europe where I picked it up).  I got the job at NAA when I came home from that trip and worked for that company, which became Rockwell International and finally merged with Boeing before retiring in 2000.

John

[bogeyman]

My first new Bug was a '69.
$1900 out the door including chrome "Porsche" wheels...

[Rolf-Dieter ✝︎]

Rick, goes to show you prices in Canada verses the USA have always been higher, my  red 1961 was just around 3k including taxes and delivery.

[Bonnyboy]

Talking about bugs...I just had to add.     My first Bug was a 1973 model year won at a poker game in 1989.  Value was equivalent of about $25.00 as it had stopped running and was left abandoned on the street.    I put a used battery on a cart with some tools and took a bus to go pick it up.  Brought it home, cleaned it up and gave it to my cousin.  I filled the rockers with spray foam, bit of fibreglass cloth and spraypaint and she used it for 8 months until she forgot to put the oil cap back on and she cooked the engine.  I brought it home and offered it for sale cheap - $300.  A guy showed up on the bus with a replacement engine - put it in in my landlady's driveway and drove it home. 

Bugs definately cheaper in Canada.

[Jonny B]

Per Google, $36.50 in 1965 translates to $273 in 2014.

[KevinC]

My frugal dad was still the first in the neighborhood to own a "second car". My mom drove the family Impala but my dad drove a new bug for $1,999.

[49er]

 After seeing some of these prices maybe my memory wasn't so bad after all. I am going back to my original number of$1600 for my '65 bug. I know I have the original invoice somewhere but haven't a clue where it is.

John

[Rolf-Dieter ✝︎]

I have a found memory with my VW Bug, moving from. 1 1/2 Room Apartment in 1962 to a 3 1/2 Room Apartment I used my VW for some of the stuff ... After taking the seats out (except the drivers seat of course). When I moved my TV I had it on the passenger side, stopping at a traffic light the lady looking toward me in her car next to me stated to laugh. I had a vase with flowers in my lap, when I put them on top of the TV she laughed so grad that she missed the green light as I pulled away ~grin~   

[KevinC]

After seeing some of these prices maybe my memory wasn't so bad after all. I am going back to my original number of$1600 for my '65 bug. I know I have the original invoice somewhere but haven't a clue where it is.

John

Here's the back up John....Its from 1961...

[Flyair]

It looks like a good way to own a Pagoda is that the previous car had to be a VW...

In my case it was  VW Scirocco II GTX 1984 model (bought in 1986). Great car and huge fun 

[Garry]

Does a Kombi count, I still own this one

[49er]

Does a Kombi count, I still own this one

It sure does! I always wanted one but the Bug won out:-)

John

[49er]

 OK, after a bit of rummaging around in the Garage, I found the box that contained all my souvenirs of that great Europe Road Trip back in 1965 when I was the ripe "old" age of 20. Lots of great memories for sure. In that box i did find the paperwork on my VW bug. I was close pretty close on the price (memory not so bad after all) but the actual number including shipment to the LA dock was $1689.10. In the box was a letter from the Volkswagen representative in Paris (where I picked up the car) to my Mother assuring her that I picked up the car and that "He is, no doubt, so involved in the "traveling experience" that he simply neglected to write home as he planned". Uh Oh.  I made up for that by sending home dozens of postcards for the remainder of the trip. They are in the box too.

John

[Flyair]

I have a strange feeling that we owe a lot to the VW marque. Just wonder who gave the initial stimulus for this car maker, which gave us so many good souvenirs and sentimental thoughts

[Rolf-Dieter ✝︎]

Stan,

Originally it was to be named "KDF Wagen (Kraft Durch Freude Wagen), as far as I know Ferdinand porsche designed the car. Later I think it was in 1936 some idiot German (most if not all of us know who he was and most of us don't want to talk about him), insisted it be known as VW "Volkswagen" I prefer what it is being advertised in English today as "Das Auto"

I got mine since it was all I could afford at the time I recall I paid it off with a pile of interest in about 3 years ... All I could do as a poor immigrant to this great country of ours at the time. I drove that car for 5 years before I switched to a American car. Somehow I wish I would have kept it longer.

[wjsvb]

In 1965 I was driving a '58 VW sunroof (BTW, model 113) and stopped by the VW dealer who had just traded a '58 220S 4dr, blue with red leather, asking $300.  Needless to say it became mine, the first of a string of Benzes, mostly tatty but always fun!

[Jordan]

John, what ever happened to your bug (sell it?) and what colour was it?

In '65 I was only a passenger in a VW.  My dad's first 3 cars were vw bugs.

[49er]

John, what ever happened to your bug (sell it?) and what colour was it?

The car had a little over 12000 miles on it when I shipped it home from Antwerp in  July '65. I kept the car until April 1967 (putting another 20000 miles on the odometer) and sold it for more then I paid for it new:-). I hated to part with it and the car was in immaculate condition but my 250SL was on the boat and delivery was to be in May.  In the early 70s I was driving north on Pacific Coast Highway in Hermosa Beach CA and I saw my car again. The fenders were off and it had been converted into a dune buggy:-( My original license plate was on still on the car so that was the only way I could realize it was my old Bug. Panama Beige was the color.

John

[Flyair]

R-D
Just kidding, at least one could say that Vx Bug was - after Ford T - a truly global and democratic car. His sponsor definitely wanted to be global but certainly not democratic