I know, guns used to be cheaper and it's not fair to compare prices then and now. I offered the comments to illustrate my own experiences with a particular model.
Oh, I have my own car stories, too.
In the 1970s I bought a used 1969 Dodge Charger. It was a limited edition model called the "500" featuring a large rear window that had more slope to it (the trunk lid was only a few inches deep because of the longer roof-line) and a flat grill. I have read that only a few hundred were produced to qualify for NASCAR racing. Mine had the 426 Hemi engine with the Torqueflite auto trans (I would have preferred the 4-speed manual). I bought the car for $3,000 and sold it for $3,500 to make the down payment on my first house. Had I kept the car I could have paid cash for the house few years later. I saw a Charger 500 sell at auction a couple years back for over $100,000. Ouch.
Around 1971 a buddy offered me a 1959 Corvette in perfect condition. Model with the removable hardtop. Had the high performance 327 (I don't believe this was original to the car and came from a later Corvette) and 4-speed. I passed at $1,800. Kick... Kick... Kick...