# Earliest Price of Gasoline You Can Remember **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 31, 2016, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-price-of-gasoline-you-can-remember/744724 "2016-01-31T02:57:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![ThisSpaceForRent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisspaceforrent/32/345_2.png) [@ThisSpaceForRent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisSpaceForRent)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-price-of-gasoline-you-can-remember/744724/41 "2016-01-31T17:55:53Z")
19.9 cents/gal in Wellsburg West Virginia, pre “oil crisis” 1973. I was a paper boy and delivered the paper to the Clark station on Commerce Street. They got in a "Gas War with the station across the street. It was either a Texaco or a Sinclair station. tsfr ---
**Author:** ![Grestarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grestarian/32/3227_2.png) [@Grestarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grestarian)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-price-of-gasoline-you-can-remember/744724/42 "2016-01-31T19:49:10Z")
Before the 1972 gas crisis, I remember my mother driving into a Shell station\* with me and my siblings. She pulled up to the pump, the attendant# asked what she wanted, and she said, “Put a dollar’s worth of Regular in it.” The attendant raised his eyebrows and said, “That much?” My brother looked over and said, “Mom. We’re not that empty.” My sister and I had no idea what all the fuss was about. –G! \*La Mesa, CA; Jackson Drive and Center Street. Still there? # Way back then there were ALWAYS attendants. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-price-of-gasoline-you-can-remember/744724/43 "2016-01-31T19:53:37Z")
Early/mid 90s when it was $0.89 a gallon. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-price-of-gasoline-you-can-remember/744724/44 "2016-01-31T19:57:21Z")
I distinctly remember seeing 69 cents, end of July 1990. The reason that sticks out for me is because it went up to $1.15 on 4 August. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-price-of-gasoline-you-can-remember/744724/45 "2016-01-31T20:57:07Z")
We used to drive from Arlington VA to Danville VA to visit family. Probably once a month. This was 1950-1958. Gas(Esso) in the Washington DC area was always 29.9/gal. We quite often got 19.9/gal as we approached Danville. Gas war. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-price-of-gasoline-you-can-remember/744724/46 "2016-01-31T21:04:32Z")
I want to say around .70. I remember filling my tank, getting a pack of cigarettes and getting change back from a ten. ---
**Author:** ![Newtosite](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/newtosite/32/8623_2.png) [@Newtosite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Newtosite)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-price-of-gasoline-you-can-remember/744724/47 "2016-01-31T21:56:49Z")
In the late 60’s, around 40 cents (for Premium). ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-price-of-gasoline-you-can-remember/744724/48 "2016-01-31T22:08:16Z")
UK prices, we also had a currency change so its not see easy to remember. It was equal to around 32 pence in todays currency in around 1968, and that’s for an imperial gallon. Today it costs 99 pence per litre, which is around £4.50per gallon - which turns out to be $6.41 I don’t know the $ to £ trade rates for 1968, maybe someone can help - remember though that I have changed from our old currency and petrol back then was around 6 shillings ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-price-of-gasoline-you-can-remember/744724/49 "2016-01-31T22:12:34Z")
The first price I can really recall is $1.20 in 1999. I have no idea why I don’t remember any prices from earlier than that - I got my license at the end of 1993 so I’d obviously bought gas dozens of times by that point. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-price-of-gasoline-you-can-remember/744724/50 "2016-01-31T22:44:22Z")
> [@usedtobe](#): > > 19.9 late 50’s OH Yes, I remember the first time it hit 20 cents. My father bitched about it. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-price-of-gasoline-you-can-remember/744724/51 "2016-01-31T23:34:41Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Early/mid 90s when it was $0.89 a gallon. I was surprised to think back and remember that there have been times gas dropped back under a buck. I remember mostly around 1980 when it first broke the dollar mark and none of the pumps at the time could handle it; the displays didn’t go up that far. So for several months you were buying it by the half-gallon until everyone could refit their equipment. ---
**Author:** ![Whatever4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@Whatever4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whatever4)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-price-of-gasoline-you-can-remember/744724/52 "2016-02-01T00:03:39Z")
About the same as the OP. My VW Bug had a 10 gal. tank and cost me $3 and change to fill it. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-price-of-gasoline-you-can-remember/744724/53 "2016-02-01T00:46:46Z")
> [@Whatever4](#): > > About the same as the OP. My VW Bug had a 10 gal. tank and cost me $3 and change to fill it. Well there’s a coincidence. I was sitting in the back seat of VW then. Some kid’s dad was driving us to something, Cub Scout event probably. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-price-of-gasoline-you-can-remember/744724/54 "2016-02-01T00:47:59Z")
When I started driver’s training in So Cal gasoline was generally 29 cents a gallon. Frequently “gas wars” brought it down to 19 cents at local stations. By the time I graduated driver’s training the first Oil Crisis had happened and gas cost $1.25 on the rare days you could get it without waiting in a one hour line. Bummer. Sucks to be young me. At that time the Federal minimum wage was $2.10. So before the crisis a minimum wage worker could buy about 8-10 gallons per hour ignoring taxes. At the highest prices in recent memory a couple years ago the Federal minimum wage bought about 2 gallons per hour. With the recent price cuts gasoline is down to almost 4 gallons per minimum-wage hour. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-price-of-gasoline-you-can-remember/744724/55 "2016-02-01T00:56:13Z")
This would be sometime around 1990 or so, and the price tended to hover a little above $1, with $1.04 up to maybe $1.15 being common. When the price dipped to 97 or 98 cents around 1998 or so, that was considered quite something. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-price-of-gasoline-you-can-remember/744724/56 "2016-02-01T01:05:18Z")
I remember my sister finding gas for 29.9¢/gallon. Probably around 1971. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-price-of-gasoline-you-can-remember/744724/57 "2016-02-01T01:05:39Z")
> [@HeXen](#): > > .89 cents. It was usually around .99 cents in my area when I got my car in mid 90’s. Now that’s _really_ cheap. Mid-1890s, I take it? Or is gas sold by the ounce where you live :)? ---
**Author:** ![HeXen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@HeXen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeXen)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-price-of-gasoline-you-can-remember/744724/58 "2016-02-01T01:15:10Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > Now that’s _really_ cheap. Mid-1890s, I take it? Or is gas sold by the ounce where you live :)? I take it your earliest memories of gas prices is when it was $4 a gallon. Just pay attention in history class and I’m sure you’ll be fine. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-price-of-gasoline-you-can-remember/744724/59 "2016-02-01T01:49:52Z")
> [@HeXen](#): > > I take it your earliest memories of gas prices is when it was $4 a gallon. Just pay attention in history class and I’m sure you’ll be fine. .89 cents is not the same 89 cents ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-price-of-gasoline-you-can-remember/744724/60 "2016-02-01T02:01:18Z")
nm. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-price-of-gasoline-you-can-remember/744724.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-price-of-gasoline-you-can-remember/744724.md?page=4)