Monday, Jun. 03, 1946
Up Again
Automobile price ceilings were boosted again last week, for the third time in six months, to absorb the increase in steel prices. For 16 makes of autos the OPA announced new ceilings, averaging 4% to 8% higher than previous ones. None of the increase will be absorbed by dealers. The new f.o.b. prices, all for the popular four-door sedans, are: Dodge DeLuxe, $1,176; De Soto DeLuxe, $1,251; Chrysler Royal, $1,353; Pontiac Six, $1,127; Oldsmobile, $1,163; Buick, $1,250; Cadillac, $1,794; Nash, $1,119; Packard Six, $1,510; Hudson, $1,257; Lincoln, $1,919; Mercury, $1,241; Studebaker, $1,158. The new prices are substantially above those of 1942. Example: Ford DeLuxe four-door sedan will be $995 instead of $885.
OPA hoped there would be no more ceiling changes "until actual operating experience at normal volume [the 1941 rate] is available." That looked months away, as material shortages this week shut down one plant after another. Profits seemed even more distant. Despite the price increases, auto makers have been losing, on the average, around $200 a car.
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