* Make and Model: A basic Ford would be significantly cheaper than a Cadillac or a luxury import.
* New vs. Used: Used car prices would have been considerably lower.
* Year within the decade: Prices generally increased throughout the decade, especially post-war.
* Economic conditions: The war years saw production limitations and price controls, influencing prices.
While precise figures are difficult to obtain and would be skewed by the aforementioned variables, a reasonable estimate for a new, average car in the mid-1940s (after the war impacted production) would be in the range of $800 to $1200. However, this is a broad estimate, and many cars would have fallen outside this range. Used car prices would have been substantially lower.
