Originally Posted by Rockhound

Well, $50k in 1996 is approximately $72k adjusted to today's dollars, so using that logic the 370Z would be $70k, too, not sure where the $100k comes from.

Look, I didn't say it was an infallible method, I was just explaining his logic - this example happens to come with a significant currency valuation overprint as the yen reached a peak against the dollar in 1995. This is what really caused the low-volume Japanese car price hike in the mid-90s.

Otherwise, for domestic goods, car prices have been fairly well behaved, although they have risen slightly compared to inflation. For example, my dad purchased a new base Camaro in 1972 for about $3500, IIRC. In today's dollars that's about $19k. A base Camaro today stickers for $24 (invoice $22.6k) but you get a whole lot more car for the $3 to $5k increase.