Hedonic Quality-Adjusted Price Indices for the American Automobile Industry, 1906-1941 [United States] (ICPSR 31762)

Principal Investigator(s): Raff, Daniel M.G., University of Pennsylvania; Trajtenberg, Manuel, Tel Aviv University

Summary: This data collection consists of prices and detailed attribute information for automobile models published in the contemporary trade press -- specifically the periodicals "Automotive Industries" and "Motor" -- at the time of the annual New York Auto Show from 1906 to 1941. It is important to note that the data represent only firms operating above a certain minimal economic threshold, namely they were large enough to make advertising at the major annual trade show attractive. (more info)

• These data are part of ICPSR's Publication-Related Archive and are distributed exactly as they arrived from the data depositor. ICPSR has not checked or processed this material. Users should consult the investigator(s) if further information is desired.

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Raff, Daniel M.G., and Manuel Trajtenberg. Hedonic Quality-Adjusted Price Indices for the American Automobile Industry, 1906-1941 [United States]. ICPSR31762-v1. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2011-10-28. doi:10.3886/ICPSR31762.v1

Persistent URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR31762.v1

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This survey was funded by:

• National Science Foundation (SES9023021)

Summary:   This data collection consists of prices and detailed attribute information for automobile models published in the contemporary trade press -- specifically the periodicals "Automotive Industries" and "Motor" -- at the time of the annual New York Auto Show from 1906 to 1941. It is important to note that the data represent only firms operating above a certain minimal economic threshold, namely they were large enough to make advertising at the major annual trade show attractive.

Subject Terms:   automobile industry, price indexes, price trends

Geographic Coverage:   United States

Time Period:  

• 1906--1941

Unit of Observation:   Automotive models. Each mechanically distinct automotive model variant could usually be purchased with any of several different bodies.

Data Collection Notes:

This document is part of ICPSR's Publication-Related Archive and is distributed exactly as it arrived from the data depositor. ICPSR has not checked or processed this material. Users should consult the principal investigator if further information is desired.

The zipped package contains Excel data files used in the publications.

Data Source:

Data on attributes and prices were collected from the periodicals "Automotive Industries" and "Motor". Coverage was then compared against the listings in Kimes and Clark's 1985 publication, "Standard Catalogue of American Cars 1805-1942" (Second edition), an authoritative hobbyist source. It is important to note that the data represent only firms operating above a certain minimal economic threshold, namely they were large enough to advertise at the major annual trade show attractive.

Our procedure was to code data on the selected attributes from the most comprehensive source of auto show mechanical attribute tables available at the time of coding. We then went to that source?s body tables to create the fuller row space in the identifier, price, and body type columns, and then copied the mechanical attribute data appropriately. We then went to the other periodical's tables and augmented as appropriate both the row space of individual manufacturers' body models and the column space of attributes we thought worth recording.

Original ICPSR Release:  2011-10-27

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