What did an airworthy P51 D cost in 1970?
 

Hello Ppruners and pilots and enthusiasts (that'd be me). In writing a novel with some aviation in it I need to know and in any currency of the day what an airworthy P51 D model would have cost to buy and own. I've been directed here by them that knows stuff because out there is the knowledge I can't get otherwise online. Many Thanks. John Sauve-Rodd

You'll find the occasional advert for such aircraft for sale in archived Flight International which I believe is available though I cannot (will not) access it as they appear to operate a cookie policy that does not allow you to opt out. (I thought that was illegal?)
If you are not bothered about being surveilled then maybe have a look.

A Spitfire Mk.IX was available for £4000 in 1965 if that helps.

Slightly off topic, but a while back I saw a posting on the Commemorative Air Force website, listing the US Government prices in 1946 for various WWII Surplus warbirds. Dirt cheap would be a huge understatement - eye wateringly cheap would be closer - with most single engine aircraft going for less than $2,000. Even accounting for nearly 80 years of inflation, those prices were incredible (especially considering how valuable most of those aircraft are today).

I went searching for that post recently but could not find anything. Perhaps someone with better 'searching' skills might have better luck and can post it (or at least a link)?

Mustang for sale
 

Can not help you with a link, but Charles Masefield (with his pal Treffs) bought one around that time and made it pay by doing airshows.
At the time he was involved with 'Beagle' and I think it was stabled at Shoreham but either way there is an excellent article on the 'interweb' somewhere about the episode.
Just 'googled' CM mustang and several great article's out there

Charles Masefield's Muatang and a parachutist had a fortunately unfatal encounter on the ground at a Biggin Air Fair I believe.

As to the purchase cost? If you had to ask you probably couldn't afford it.

I think I recall reading that Tim Davies paid about £5000 for airworthy Spitfire MH434 around that sort of time so I would assume a similar sort of figure.

I remember buying the October 1966 issue of Flying for the vast sum of 5 shillings (two pints of beer!) and seeing this ad:

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....6f72d021fe.jpg

That was approximately £44,000.

I seem to remember from another ad that it was G-ASJV, which didn't sell for that price and remained in the UK. It is still flying as MH434.

I think that $54,000 was nearer £19,000 in 1966. ( I found an historic rate of £1 = $2.80 for 1966).

Going through some Flight International scans from 1971, you could get a DC-3 for £9000, or £4,500 without engines. Another ad offers four DC-3s for $110,000. A Chipmunk goes for £2100. I guess the market for P-51s was not on the UK side of the pond and with Flight International catering to an international market, but very much from a UK base, there aren't any ads in there for warbirds. The ad at bottom right is the only one I found mentioning anything resembling a warbird (from December 1971):

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....f2f6656c8e.png

Silly thought: have you considered contacting a firm like Courtesy Aircraft Sales? They've been in this business for a while, they might be able to give you a ballpark figure: https://courtesyaircraft.com/

Tim Davies bought MH434 from COGEA in '63, sold her to Hamish Mahaddie for The BoB film, sold on afterwards to Adrian Swire. If I remember correctly, she was knocked down to Ray Hanna at the Duxford Brooks auction in 1983 for £250,000. I Imagine the value is now several million!

1974 price close enough? Maybe take it down one or two K? The $15K price in 1970 was before an extensive overhaul.

https://www.mustangsmustangs.com/p-5...erial/45-11381

“1970: N5471V, Jack Huismann / Mustang Corp, civi-paint: red bottom, white top, with black stripe
From Tom Huismann:

This P-51 was owned by my father, Jack. He originally purchased the airplane with two other pilots, each put up $5000. The airplane was based at the Waukesha County airport. A short time later, dad bought the other two pilots out. In 1971, after an extensive overhaul with the help of ex-Wisconsin Air Guard P-51 mechanics, my father repainted 71V in the colors of William Shomo's "The Flying Undertaker."

“Due to financial problems, my dad had to sell the Undertaker in 1974. Selling price at that time was $54,000.”…..

What was the $/£ exchange rate in 1970? Memory thinks it might once have been four dollars to the pound, though perhaps not as late as '70?

£1 = $2.40 / $1 = 40p

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tables..._States_dollar

that was before Mr Wilson.................

Not too sure the online Flight Archive is still accessible, with or without surveillance....

An ex Battle of Britain MK IX would certainly be unique.

Think the pound Stg was worth about $ 3:15 just prior to the arrival of Mr Wilson. How far do you have to go back for it to be above $ 4:00 to the pound Stg ???

You can see the point the government abandoned trying t9 hold a fixed exchange rate… but to answer your question, 1950.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....8936b7e115.gif

When I was a lad in the 1940s, it was $4=£1; thus a half crown (8 of those to the £, for you decimal youngsters) was known colloquially as "half a dollar".. Prior to Wilson's devaluation it was $2.80, and Wislon changed it to $2.40. My memory does not include what happened between $4 and $2.80


PS: crossed with ORAC above - that explains it!!