It's interesting to look at gas prices adjusted for inflation. Through much of the 20th century, they hovered around $2.50 in todays dollars. In 1962, when MacDonald hamburgers were 90 cents (adjusted for inflation), gasoline cost about $2.40 a gallon. The highest prices were in 1981--$3.81. The lowest prices were less than $1.50, in 1999.

http://inflationdata.com/inflation/i...tion_chart.htm