I did a little searching and found in 1970 the average income was about $3,900 and in 2014 is is about $50,500. A typical base pickup sold for $2,229 in 1970. This was a regular cab 4x2, crank windows, no AC & a stick. The base price for a current F150 is $25,500. This truck will have power windows, AC and Auto. In 1970 the base truck was about 60% of your pay, in 2015 it is about 50%. Today you get a better truck for a lower percentage of your pay.

The income numbers were taken from the census bureau web site, the 2015 F150 price was taken from Ford's web site and the 1970 pickup price was from oldrides.com.

 

Wow. My seat of the pants estimate wasn't far off

 

Just for S's & G's I used the awesome link provided for us above and entered the MSRP of my truck in 2011 which was $37K. In 2015 dollars, the price would be $39,253, a 6.1% increase.

I earn pretty darned good money being a military retiree and and a letter carrier for the USPS and my pay has increased about 4.5% since 2011. The auto industry is outpacing my income for the very same truck.

There are tons of US workers that don't have it as good as me and don't get automatic pay increases and occasional COLA's.

So to hide the true facts of inflation we take an average wage from say 40 years ago, compare it to today which is about $50K. Then we compare a truck sold back then which was the best option possible at that time and we compare those numbers to a stripped down truck by today's standards. It's not a fair comparison though the car builders would have us believe otherwise. You can't compare the typical offering of the early 70's to a bottom of the line truck today.

Am I looking at this all wrong?

Sorry guys, I'm very sensitive to all of this. I deliver mail to people who work two jobs to earn less than I do in just my Postal pay. And on the same route, I have customers who get a new car on a whim and they can afford it.

I remember when I didn't have it so good as I do today and I'm sorry again guys, but $40K is a hell of a lot of money.

 

Ha, I try to talk people into basic trucks. I'm not the one that makes the "requirements" list. I drive a Fiesta S hatch for daily driving. I live in Pa and think 4x4 is a lux. $40k is alot of money, but it's $10k less than the one post sited, and I'm talking full sticker. You take off the rebates and dealership discounts, both higher than most SUVs and cars at the same point in the model cycle and you're not doing too bad.

 

This has some information on 69 tucks. Looks like a F100 started at $2083.00, for AC add $270.
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All I'm saying is the price of a truck in the past really isn't that different than one today. Today we can get a way nicer Truck with a lot more options which just makes them seem more expensive. Even a base truck today is nicer than an upgraded model from as recent as the late 90s.

Wages always go up & down. Right now they happen to be down and it sucks. Eventually they will go back up. Until then both me and my wife will have to work.

 

You are correct and thank you for not calling me a jerk or a cheap SOB. My statement is more of a self defense mechanism than anything. I'm not as sticker shocked as I am concerned.

When I was shopping for truck in 2011, I was ready to pull the trigger on an F-150 KR. Purty truck, my bride gave the thumbs up and then I had a moment of reckoning and thought better of it. As much as I wanted and can afford the goodies it just didn't seem right to me. It's just a truck, it'll break, get dinged, lose value, etc.

Of course doesn't want us to feel that way. They want us to feel like we've arrived at some point in life or whatever.

$40K is a ton of money and when I was helping my daughter do the deal on her 2015 Fusion, I noticed a 2015 Platinum F-150 for $63K and change. Even if I could write a check for it, I'd pass.

 

Average prices remain high at $44,100 and the company's data shows that the F-150 sits on the lot at about half the time as average inventory. To put it concisely, sales are still rolling along strong.

The $10,000 figure is bologna. Only in certain parts of the country, while taking advantage of all available potential configurations and options, is this available. The company is not hacking off $10,000 from every F-150, despite what the headlines make it look like. The company says the average incentive is just $3,100; big difference.
Much of the incentives that are being talked about aren't specific to the F-150. They're being offered as Ford Credit incentives, like the company's offer to get $2,500 cash back when using Ford Credit.

The company has been upping its production.

 

Well, I just pulled the trigger and bought a 2015 F150 to replace my 04. After shopping for a couple of weeks I decided to get a 5.0 XLT extracab 4x4 from the same dealer I bought my 04 from. It came with a trailer package and a whole bunch of bells and whistles.

If you add the package discounts on the window sticker, Ford incentives and dealer discounts like repeat customer and a couple of others I did get it for $10K under the MSRP.

 

Well done!

 

I just traded my 14 Sierra Z71 for a 2015 F150 Lariat. The factory incentives in my area where $2500 plus $1500 package discount. My truck stickered for $54,700 with no add ons. After tax, tile, and doc. fee I paid around $46,000.

 

We need to see some pictures of the new trucks! I was told the incentives were much better on the XLT than they were on the Platinum.

 

I was told the incentives where better on the 2 wheel drive XLT'S at the dealership in my area

 

I have to agree, we need some pics!

I seen a clip on the New F150 Limited (2016 model I assume) the other day, sharp truck. But, the estimated starting price is $60K!

 

When we were shopping, I was told by a couple dealers (not all of them) that the lower trim levels often have better incentives.

 

Not always, but currently true. The profit over invoice goes up along with the sticker price, so there may be a better deal with the dealer on expensive ones, but right not XLT is where the rebate money is.