Prices for new cars have soared. Here's one big reason why

Right up into the 1980s, a new, basic-level North American truck usually had 2 doors, a straight six engine with a single barrel carburetor, and a manual transmission with a three-on-the-tree stick shift or maybe four-on-the-floor (an inconvenience for dating couples). Power steering and brakes? Not standard until the 1970s. Radio? Maybe an AM prior to the 1980s. If you wanted a bigger engine, an automatic trans, 4x4, tinted glass, air conditioning, cruise control, power door locks and windows etc. the price went up and up. My point is that you could still buy a ''buckboard'', like my old 1971 GMC of long ago. It was affordable back then and was good enough for what I needed.

The Japanese manufacturers stepped in to the small truck niche, with the most basic models having minimal standard equipment, and by the 1970s were having great success. Now, those ''small buckboard'' class of trucks is long gone.

Nowadays, unless you can buy a new fleet model truck in white with minimal equipment, you're faced with a long list of standard items that all combine to raise the price, regardless of whether you do not desire all that stuff.

I really hope the Slate 20000 bare bones truck comes to fruition.

The title is verbatim from Reuters, not clickbait.

Someone save me a click