Loading ...Gasoline was .25 cents for 104 octane here before 1970 and in todays dollars, times 20 it should be $5/gallon. But the highest octane today is 93 at Sunoco. re Then 1970 boom? That was the end of the boom, all down hill after 1970. gold backing removed.
Re your Gas economical cars started coming in at lower cost, less maintenance issues, better mileage. Sure a lower mathematical cost but a VERY high cost to American living standards.
Re your opportunists from places like japan? Japan and later China after 1989 had nothing to do with their successes, only God knows who was determining tax rates and currency values to screw the USA out of its wealth.