GMAC, Sears, and similar were doing that long before the '90s. At one point, I believe Sears was making more money from financing than from outright sale of me

GMAC, Sears, and similar were doing that long before the '90s. At one point, I believe Sears was making more money from financing than from outright sale of merchandise. Wikipedia says that GMAC was founded in 1919.