My father purchased a new D-2 Caterpillar in 1938 (first year made) or 1939 and I would like to find out what the original selling price was. I would appreciate any help I can get researching this.

Thank you.

I may be way out of line here but I seem to remember that the rule of thumb was you could figure $1.00 a pound for construction equipment cost. Anyone else hear about this?

A dollar a pound would be overpriced in that time period and not even close with today's equipment. Perhaps 10 dollar a pound would cover today's equipment.

I think around 50 cent a pound was the rule of thumb in the early 50's.

About 70 cents/lb in 1954 for the bare D4 tractor. I'd guess 1/3 -1/2 as much in the 30's.

James,
In 1946 Caterpillar listed there 40” gauge, D2 tractor, with 12-inch tracks (30 section), equipped with: Rear seat, which was…. $2,645.00.. Top seat. Seat-mounted fuel tank standard; fender-mounted fuel tank optional when specified…..$2,600.00
Kelly

In Sept. of 1950 my father purchased a D2 for $3850. wide gauge with mud grousers and a PTO option from McAlisters in Indianapolis.

In 1953, My dad bought my D4 7U equiped with a dozer for $11,000.

I don't have any American price lists from the late 1930's .. but I do have a 1938 Australian price list for new, bare agricultural Cats from the dealer in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

The price of a 40" gauge D2 in July 1938 was AU£695 (one Aust. Pound = approx US$4.00 in 1938) .. and the 50" gauge D2 was AU£720.

This makes the two tractors approximately US$2780 and $2880 approximately, in Australia, in July 1938.
Deducting shipping costs from the U.S. (probably about US$350-US$400) indicates the sale price of the D2 in the U.S. in 1938 would have been in the region of US$2400-$2500.
I don't think there was a lot of variation in pricing between 1938 and 1946 due to Wartime price controls, which kept a lid on any price increases.

The sale price of a D2 in Australia in 1938, equated approximately to double the selling price of a new 6 cyl, 1938 Chevrolet sedan. Maybe that will give you some perception of values for the era. Passenger cars in the U.S. would have been cheaper overall at that time, compared to Australia, due to efficiencies in the scale of production and distribution.

1938 Caterpillar price list (Melbourne, Australia) .. img265.imageshack.us/img265/8981/1938catpricelistli6.jpg

(the print is fuzzy in the scan, because the original is fuzzy, due to a poor quality typewriter ribbon) ..

Jim,I looked in the Cat Price Guide I have that was dated Nov. 1947 the price for a 40"gauge was $2645,for the wide gauge 50" it was price at $2695.I will look some more to see if I have any price guides that are earlier.Mike