AUTOS: At Last: Prices

After two false starts, OPAdministrator Chester Bowles this week announced price ceilings on new cars. On the whole they averaged close to the 1942 prices, as expected. But Bowles did have one big surprise: General Motors, which in 1941 made 47% of all U.S. cars, had its retail ceilings set at about 2.5% below its 1942 levels. Thus, although other changes ranged from 1% to 12% above the manufacturers' 1942 price level, the overall retail change was nominal. Bowles ordered most of the wholesale increase to be absorbed by dealers.

Specific changes in retail price ceilings:

¶ Fords can go up about...