Gas Money

Gas Money is a game played for a car and $10,000 in cash (hence the Gas Money).

Gameplay

The contestant is shown five cards with different prices on them. The card displaying the correct price of the car has a "pink slip" on its reverse; each of the other cards has a cash value on its reverse: one each of $1,000, $2,000, $3,000, and $4,000; the distribution of the cash values has no relation to which price is on the card.
The contestant selects a card that they believe is not the correct price, and it is turned over. If the card has a cash value on its reverse, the contestant wins that amount and may choose to quit the game and keep that amount or the total so far; or they may choose to continue and select another card. If the contestant turns over all four cards to reveal cash values, they win all $10,000 plus the car. This process continues until the contestant either quits and wins the total money shown on all cards turned over, or they turn over the card with the correct price to reveal the pink slip, in which case the game ends and all cash accumulated is lost.

History

Gas Money premiered on September 22, 2008 (#4431K) and was created by Roger Dobkowitz, although it did not debut until after his dismissal from the show at the end of Season 36. It was the first new game to debut during Drew Carey's tenure as host. Not surprisingly, the game got its very first win on the day it premiered.
From September 22, 2008 (#4431K) until June 12, 2009 (#4795K, aired out of order on June 19), the contestant selected the price they believe is the price of the car and the card is separated from the others. Since January 26, 2010 (#5012K), the contestant must save the price they believe is the price of the car for the very last. On October 19, 2010 (#5272K), that rule was eliminated when the monitor for the amount of money the contestant has won was added. Also, the cards now have rounded corners and added a silver/gray border around it and the font on the prices changed from Univers Condensed to OCR A.
On December 31, 2013 (#6552K, aired out of order on December 30), during The Price Is Right’s Best of 2013 special, history was made when contestant Sheree Heil won a 2014 Audi R8 V8 Spyder Quattro S-Tronic worth $157,300. With the $3,045 Prada shoes she won in the preceding One-Bid, she has become daytime's highest winner with $160,345, shattering the previous record by almost $23,000.
As of March 12, 2014 (#6653K), the car is parked facing the prop, similar to Pass the Buck, instead of it facing Door #3.
Gas Money has been officially won 12 times. The most recent win happened on October 31, 2016 (#7671K). Since then, it is in a losing streak.
Gas Money had a wipeout 27 times after picking the pink slip to the car first. The most recent happened was on November 6, 2017 (#8081K). The first time happened was on March 6, 2009 (#4655K).
Gas Money had a painful loss 12 times after picking the pink slip to the car on the fourth pick. The most recent painful loss was September 26, 2017 (#8022K). The first painful loss (and the game's first loss overall) happened on October 16, 2008 (#4464K, aired out of order on October 9).
Gas Money has been played for a truck 3 times: October 16, 2008 (#4464K, aired out of order on October 9), January 14, 2013 (#6181K), and February 8, 2013 (#6215K, aired out of order on February 1); and of the 3 times it has been played, they were all lost.
There are 3 episodes where a contestant won his/her showcase despite a wipeout on this pricing game: April 1, 2009 (#4693K), March 29, 2013 (#6285K) and May 15, 2017 (#7941K).
On October 9, 2017 (#8041K), as a part of Dream Car Week, the game was played for a Maserati, and the cash amounts were multiplied by five. Contestant Robert won $35,000.

Trivia

For every correct choice, a bell that sounds similar to what is heard as a car pulls up to a gas pump is heard.
As with Money Game and Pass the Buck, when the vehicle offered is other than a car, the silhouette and type of vehicle printed on the price cards changes appropriately (e.g. van, truck, etc.).
This game is very similar in concept with Pass the Buck, Danger Price and Grand Game.
Like Five Price Tags, an unwritten rule is that the prices of all prizes end in 0 or 5, except in the rare case that 0 or 5 is not one of the provided choices.
Like Magic Number, Rat Race, Line 'Em Up and More or Less, Gas Money has never been the first pricing game to start any show. Because the game's component needs time to start up, the game can be no earlier than second on the show.
The most number of times this game was played in any season was 19.
Not only was this the first pricing game for Drew Carey to see but it was the last pricing game to premiere in the 2000s.

Gallery

The Set

Premiere Playing

Gas Money for an Audi R8 Spyder

Gas Money for a Maserati

Card Images

Other Pictures

YouTube Videos

Gas Money premiere (September 22, 2008, #4431K)
Gas Money win with the updated prop from 2010 (October 19, 2010, #5272K) Note: Video ends at 3:36
Gas Money win from Celebrity Week (October 12, 2011, #5663K, aired out of order on January 4, 2012)
A Heartbreaker from Season 41 (May 22, 2013, #6363K, aired out of order on May 24)
The Only Gas Money winner From Season 41 (June 12, 2013, #6393K)
Gas Money win with an over $150,000 Audi R8 convertible (December 31, 2013, #6552K, aired out of order on December 30)
Heartbreaking Gas Money Loss from Season 42 (May 12, 2014, #6741K)
A Heartbreaker from Season 43 (October 16, 2014, #6844K, aired out of order on October 15)
A Gas Money win from 2015 (January 30, 2015, #6985K)
Another Heartbreaker from Season 43 (February 17, 2015, #7012K)
A Gas Money wipeout from 2016 (October 6, 2016, #7634K)
Another disastrous playing from Season 45 (April 12, 2017, #7883K, aired out of order on April 5)