Mrs. Nelson got around in style in that 55 Bel Aire. My dear old Dad bought a 59 Impala convertible with a 348 that could outrun anything short of a Corvette. It cost $3100 new, in those days anyone who spent more than 3k on a Chevy could be declared legally insane! In 62 we lived in a 2-bedroom co-op in the Palham Bay section of da Bronx, still a nice neighborhood, in a brand new apt building. It cost my parents an astounding $2500 plus a whopping $120/mo in common charges. I remember them telling me about a recession in 1962. My grandparents, like most other “seasoned citizens” who lived through the Depression were worried that we were headed for another one.
My first car was a 1967 Plymouth Valiant coupe (three on the tree) with an AM radio. New it cost $1,825 with the sales tax, registration and license plates included.