Prizes for "The Price is Right" cars are recorded on a dedicated Instagram account.

Posted on August 14, 2022
Classic cars
Prizes for "The Price is Right" cars are recorded on a dedicated Instagram account.

The Price is Right will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2022, and for the past 50 years it has been giving away cars to lucky contestants; an Instagram account documents those cars, from the classic to the esoteric.

First discovered by Grassroots Motorsports (via Autoblog), the account, called tpircars, had 176 posts at the time of publication. Each post included a screenshot of the prize car and a quote from the show describing it.

Currently, the posts focus on cars from the 1970s and 1980s, including the first "Price is Right" car prize. It was a 1972 Chevrolet Vega hatchback that appeared on the show in 1972.

"Price is Right" also gave away more glamorous cars during this period, including a 1978 Mercedes-Benz 280E (W123) and a 1989 Porsche 944. Others, such as the 1977 Chevrolet K5 Blazer and the 1984 Toyota pickup, were definitely in line with the trends of the times.

Other cars that seem to have made a big splash at the time but are not so well remembered include the Ford Bronco II, given away as a prize in 1984, which would have seemed exciting until the winner actually drove it; the Renault Alliance DL, which appeared at the show in 1985, a 2-door, a partnership between the French automaker and AMC, was intended to save AMC, but it failed.

Some cars simply disappeared into obscurity. You would be hard pressed to find a surviving Mazda 808, Pontiac J2000, or Fiat Strada (the US market name for Fiat Ritmo). This account is truly an automotive time capsule and definitely worth following if you're on Instagram.

You may also like

Alfa Romeo Milano's debut EV begins charging on April 10.
Alfa Romeo Milano's debut EV begins charging on April 10.

Alfa Romeo has unveiled the first photos of the new Milan, revealing that it will debut on April 10.The Milan is an electric subcompact crossover, whi...

Jan 26

2024 Mazda MX-5 Miata updated, base price $30,150
2024 Mazda MX-5 Miata updated, base price $30,150

The Mazda MX-5 Miata is now available for the 2024 model year, with minor updates that add even more polish to an already accomplished sports car.But ...

Jan 26

U.S. Postal Service to Purchase Six Canoe Electric Delivery Vans
U.S. Postal Service to Purchase Six Canoe Electric Delivery Vans

Canoo announced Thursday that it will sell six electric delivery vans to the U.S. Postal Service.The vans, which will be delivered to the Postal Servi...

Jan 25

Trending

2024 Honda Prologue, $48,795, 296 mile range.
2024 Honda Prologue, $48,795, 296 mile range.

Honda has kept its promise to offer an electric midsize SUV for under $50,000, a promise it made when the 2024 Prologue debuted last fall.Honda announ...

Jan 26

2025 Porsche 911 GT3 Touring, 2024 Mazda MX-5 Miata: today's automotive news
2025 Porsche 911 GT3 Touring, 2024 Mazda MX-5 Miata: today's automotive news

Porsche was spotted testing an updated Touring version of the 911 GT3. The refreshed trackster is expected to receive slight tweaks, one of which woul...

Jan 26

2027 Porsche Cayenne EV, 2025 Cadillac CT5-V Black Wing: top photos of the week
2027 Porsche Cayenne EV, 2025 Cadillac CT5-V Black Wing: top photos of the week

The Porsche Cayenne EV test mule, scheduled for launch in 2027, began cold weather testing on public roads. Although it looked like a spliced-together...

Jan 27