When I was in the Explorer I bought diesel fuel for 17 cents a gallon. When I was a teen ager gas was 18 cents. If you figure it right, things haven't risen in price that much, but the value of the dollar has tanked.
When I was in the service the price of a new VW was around $1200.00. That was a full year's pay. They still cost a year's pay.

Remember the Reagan years? everything doubled in price in that span of 8 years. Whose income doubled?