3 ms·

Inflating by CPI, the option cost $805 at today’s prices [1]. For comparison, the brochure for a model year 2016 Audi A3 reckons cruise control was a £225 and

• OliverJones 8y ago
  Why the higher cost back then? "A reversible electric motor, a flyball governor, and associated electrical gadgetry." Making that kind of precision mechanical stuff isn't cheap. Making the "gadgetry" from discrete components isn't cheap. Making it in low volume isn't cheap. Making it keep working when splashed with wet road salt and then frozen isn't cheap. Plus, it was a premium feature and probably was priced accordingly. Electronic stuff is cheaper and works better. Even though a flyball governor is a cool mechanism.
  • tolien 8y ago
    It wasn't my intention to imply that it was expensive - within an order of magnitude of current prices shows how relatively cheap it was, given that electronics and sheer scale will have driven down the cost of parts (if not necessarily the end user cost). I expect the difference is in the vendors' margins (i.e. nowadays the option price is almost pure profit/salesperson's commission).