I don't know about the original pricing on the VitaVox-- they were rare outside of Europe, where they were considered the competitor to the Altec 288.
I've owned/used a wide range of drivers from 1940's to current models. The truth is that the technology has not changed significantly, unless you consider power handling.
I once tested a large format Jensen driver (I think from the late 1940's) against Gauss & TAD drivers that were current at the time. The Jensen outperformed both in some aspects. (notably high-frequency extension, and was very smooth sounding.)
I have a group of friends (HiFi nuts) who tested a wide range of drivers from vintage field-coil drivers to modern PA. They picked a vintage RCA field coil as the best of the lot, with the second best being a relatively recent model (now discontinued by the manufacturer). I wasn't there for the test.
The cachet enters into the value of these old drivers, as does the rarity. It's not all smoke & mirrors, though. I've listened to vintage RCA's from the 40's, Altecs from the 50's thru their demise, JBL's from the 60's, etc. With the right set of criteria (for example, low-frequency extension, sensitivity, and yes, sound quality), I might well pay a premium for some of the vintage drivers.
Kent Elliott
