Wow, for $830 bucks you get a brand new car back in the days. They'll be saying something similar 70 years from now.
Another way to look at it. The median household/family annual income in 1945 (the year I can find data on) was a whopping $2379.
So that car was almost 35% (34.88%) of a household's income.
In 2022 median household income was $76330. That same percent gives you $26623 to spend on a car.
It's not the fanciest thing in the world but you can get a new Versa stick shift starting at $16390, that compared to the Pontiac in 1941 will be a million times more reliable, safer, easier to drive, easier to park, and more efficient. Plus it's a 4-door. Not too mention AC, better radio, handsfree calling, etc.
The main area where that comparison falls apart is that these days most households need 2 cars.
taking america by storm in 41, 42, 43, 44, 45... lots of the automotive industrial base was making tanks by the end of the year and the styles didn't update much of anything until after the war.
