Yes but back in the day people were "ahead" in that they had money saved up to buy a car, rather than just breaking even by making enough to be able to "afford"

Yes but back in the day people were "ahead" in that they had money saved up to buy a car, rather than just breaking even by making enough to be able to "afford" a car. The idea of "indebting yourself for ownership" - a contradiction in itself - wasn't respected, nor taking on too many monthly commitments that depend on a steady income.