At this point I am beginning to believe that it is no coincidence that vehicles with red interiors are the ones in the best condition as they hit the junkyard. Why this is so though, I am not sure of. Take today’s second-to-last year of production ninth generation Oldsmobile Eighty Eight Royale contender for example: This is a vehicle that by all rights should look much further gone than it actually does.
Or should it? After all, the engine is one of GM’s standouts, capable of many miles of effortless, reliable and surprisingly economical use. This vehicle, apparently used mainly in Nebraska even though now in Colorado, has likely suffered through some tough winters, yet the body is in fairly good condition. By this time in the life cycle of the Eighty Eight, Olds had the build mechanics completely figured out and the target market was likely to not be particularly abusive to it.
Sales of this version of the H-Body were strong throughout its production run until these last two years, where sales tapered off significantly. Prior to this year’s front and rear refresh, this car was known as the Delta 88, presumably GM figured that spelling out the numbers was classier. I wonder if buyers figured that a car known as an 88 seemed like an older car in ’89, ’90, and ’91 until it was redesigned for ’92? There’s no good way around that line of thinking, unfortunately, except maybe to push buyers up into the Ninety Eight? That model only lasted until ’96, avoiding the conundrum entirely.
Pulled over from the Buick division, the 3800 V-6 is one of the better GM engines and produced 165hp and 220lb-ft of torque by 1990. I had the good fortune of having one in my ’88 Buick LeSabre T-Type and was thoroughly pleased with it. Punchy but quiet, powerful yet economical, and thoroughly reliable, it was only further improved by being available with a supercharger, albeit not in the Eighty Eight.
The changes for 1990 really consisted of revised front and rear ends and the name change. The front gained these composite headlamps and a different grille with rocket logo and new bumper. Rear changes were similar and while not making it look “modern”, at least helped to prolong things.
Dark tinted tail lights. Practically a GTI. Or not. Actually perhaps it was a hindrance making it look “sportier” in that regard with its general buying audience as there isn’t much genuine sport to be had behind the wheel of this car. It is surprising to realize that in 1990, on an Oldsmobile that is nowhere near the bottom of the line, a rear window defroster was still an optional feature. At least this one has it.
That trunk though, that could hold a few sets of clubs to head to The Links On Golden Pond or wherever.
Getting back to that fantastic red interior though, what do we see up top? Yes, we see an odometer with a reading of 219,581 miles. The 3800’s a great engine, and the H-Body is generally considered an excellent chassis, but that’s still a very good number. I wonder what gave out? The 4-speed 4T60 transmission? Or something in that 3800, perhaps emissions related? Or is a faded silver on red cloth sedan from a defunct brand just so uncool that it’s impossible to find a buyer?
The 85mph speedometer certainly seems a novelty, even for back in 1990. This sedan was supposedly capable of achieving around 124mph and in the middle of Nebraska exceeding 85mph would likely be a common occurrence.
Just look at that! Besides the sort of sack-cloth looking texture of the seats themselves, there is really no discernible wear on any of this interior. That’s a stark contrast to the General Motors that I am used to. Why couldn’t all interiors wear this well? That split bench seat looks like just the ticket to lounge on while traversing all 500 miles of I-80 in Nebraska from West to East. And back again.
Back in 1990, I would snicker at the fake stitching on dashboards and perhaps make a comment that this Eighty Eight Royale really was a Royale with cheese. Nowadays though, stitching, real in some instances, and fake in plenty of others on at least dashboards seems to be de rigueur in many price classes. Column shifters with a knob you could poke an eye out on seem to be gone for good though. Still, there is something to be said for these quite legible and sensibly laid out controls, all of them up high. And no center console!
The door mounted seatbelts are an idea that couldn’t fade away fast enough. We’ve discussed them over and over here over the years and yeah, they sucked and didn’t work as intended. My Buick had them as well, and not once did I leave them buckled as intended in order to slide in and out underneath them.
The manual window winder is quite the novelty as well, making this a very low-optioned car indeed. I suppose one less thing to break to help it beyond the 200k mark but definitely not a favorable point for resale. But with power locks! Both were standalone options but included in the second from lowest option package, which this one obviously does not have.
Perhaps the bumper’s been replaced on this one as it seems a slightly different color (blue?). Could it have fallen afoul of Granny’s parking mishaps? Sedans like this used to litter the highways of America by the millions.
I suppose the back bumper isn’t original either but at least it was probably easy to find one that fit and that was in better shape than the original part. Those large doorhandles with the button below the handle were used forever, and always felt good to the touch with no give or flex. Unless it was below freezing and you weren’t wearing gloves, that is.
I never understood what “Royale” stood for, meant, or was supposed to convey. Royalty? Hardly, it’s a mid-level sedan. Whatever, I’ll never understand GM marketing.
Produced in Wentzville, Missouri almost thirty years ago and obviously repainted with some sloppy masking work at some point during its lifetime. I just figured the exterior fading was normal for the original paint, and perhaps it was. Door jambs aren’t often repainted so this is a little curious.
Still, someone obviously took good care of this car judging by its interior condition. Or perhaps the secret to long vehicular life is simply ordering the red interior although it apparently makes the car resale poison decades later.
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I really enjoy these wrecking yard write ups. It’s always surprising to find cars that seem to be in pretty good condition. Lot’s of times these cars are from estate liquidations. The elderly owner passes away and there is not an heir that wants the old car. When my father in Law passed away he left a Mercedes 450 SEL ( his Pride and Joy) and a Fleetwood Brougham both about twenty years old. I was offered, but didn’t want either and I’m assuming that they were donated to “some place.” It’s really a hassle to sell old cars and most “normal” people don’t want to bother. I’m not normal and have sold a bunch, though it is a a pain. The “Cash for Clunkers” program led to the destruction of a lot of good stock. In California the strict emission testing eliminates lots of good cars that just aren’t worth the financial investment to repair. That Olds is okay but I prefer the Buicks more.
I’m amazed at the condition of some of these cars in Colorado. The biggest yard close to me is Pick-n-Pull up in Fairfield and I have never seen cars like that in the 8 years I have been going there. They also cycle through that yard at 3-5 month clips.
Trust me, they are not all like that. (but hardly uncommon). This yard usually cycles every 2-3 months, the Denver ones usually within two months and the Wyoming stuff is often six months to a year. This particular car has been there for well over a month and barely anything has been picked from it, which is either a testament to the inherent goodness or just that there is zero demand for H-body stuff in the area. It’ll likely get crushed fairly intact.
Yes, quite odd to see an Olds with Air Conditioning but yet without power windows.
I was more keenly aware of the Olds Eighty Eight in the 70s when they were Delta 88s. As previously mentioned on CC, a friend’s Dad had one. It was hugely cavernous inside, and rode like a dream. He bought it new, and the day after picking it up, drove it from Toronto to California, and then back again a couple of weeks later. He used that car as his daily driver, it did towing duty, trips to the cottage, and always looked good. Anyway that’s a long way around of saying I had not noticed Olds had dropped the Delta from the name of these. Or I can’t remember the event now. I was probably more interested in watching the demise of the Cutlass line at the time.
That interior has held up well. However an Old without a Rocket V-8 engine is just not right. Great photos and viewpoint Jim!
I saw a number of early H body 88s with crank windows.
Although A/C but no power windows seems odd, it makes me think of my mom. I don’t think I’ve ever seen here drive with the windows down or sunroof open for that matter, always using the A/C instead. She hates the wind blowing in her face and messing up her hair.
The lack of power windows on an 88 is not that unusual at all. The 88 was targeted to pull buyers into an Oldsmobile from competitive vehicles. Price was an issue. .
I had an 89 Ninety-Eight which shared a lot with this car, including odd equipment choices. Mine had velour, which wore well, no holes after over 165,000 miles the last time I saw it. The 440T4 transmission was fragile, though the 3800 was almost trouble free. Mine is the only Regency I ever saw without cornering lights, and it didn’t have delay wipe or cruise from the factory, though I added the delay wipe like the El Camino stores are talking about. I had power windows, though no rear defrost. I added 15″ factory alloys because I always liked the design.
There are two 70s Chev pickups and two early/mid 70s Ford pickups visible in these shots. The Fords especially, would have bitten the dust from rust decades ago in the US Northeast and Eastern Canada.
The white early 80s Bonneville looks outstanding.
From what I can gather, the 85 mph speedometer was only required for three years (1979-82). I can’t believe GM was still using it as late as 1990. In fact, I’m curious if anyone knows what was the last vehicle to use the 85 mph speedometer.
I have an ‘87 mustang that came with an 85mph speedo, but I’ve also had an ‘81 Caprice which didn’t, so I’ve no idea!
I had a 1995 Ford Taurus with an 85 mph Speedo
Probably a van of some sort or similar that was produced for ages. Perhaps it still uses it! 🙂
Had a ’91 Jeep Cherokee with an 85 MPH speedometer but then a ’92 Mustang with a 140 MPH speedometer.
You are right, technically it was law from ’79 through ’82 – a boneheaded move from Joan Claybrook’s strangled NHTSA.
Claybrook was no prize, but let’s not forget that the 85 mph speedometer regulation was directly related to Nixon’s 55 mph national speed limit mandate…
I am amazed to read that a rear window demister wasn’t standard. Even my base-trim 1974 Cortina had one. I think they’re required by law in Australia; while nice to have here, I’d have thought they’d be essential in a North American climate.
It’s one of those things that would annoy someone enough to never buy another american car or at least from the manufacturer in question…Imagine you’re on the car lot in early 1990, you see a car that fits the bill, you check it out and everything seems ok so you buy it. Then a week later the rear window mists over and you realize that there is no defroster. I don’t think I have EVER consciously looked or checked the spec on any car I have purchased to make sure the defroster is included….
Yes by 1990 these things were standard on most makes over here. I was just as astounded to find that it was an option in this case, I wonder how much the option cost.
I remember it was about $100 as a free standing option on GM cars.
The electric rear window defogger was an extra cost option on Cadillac til deep into the eighties.
I remember looking at Cadillac price lists as a lad. Halogen sealed beams were a $10 option over standard sealed beams, same as a Cavalier.
I vaguely recall electric rear defrosters may have been required in Europe and Japan. I know my family’s 1974 Fiat 128 came with one. The only problem was it took them a while to figure out they needed a shut-off timer. Without it, consumers invariably left them on and they quickly burned-out.
Regardless, it sure seems like it was nothing but unbridled greed that the domestics didn’t even begin making them standard until way into the nineties. In fact, I would go so far as to suggest it was such a popular option that it actually cost the domestics ‘more’ to leave out the rear window defroster.
Rear defrosters were mandatory equipment on new cars in New York state when they were optional elsewhere.
The option status probably increased profits for a long time, even if it costs a few bucks to have glass with and without defroster and dashboards with and without bacon switches. When it becomes universal, like tires and window glass, then it’s just a commodity and the winner is the company that delivers the lowest cost.
I had two 98s from the next generation. While the exterior looked this good or better they both had significant rust issues where the front subframe attached to the body, so that’s another reason this 88 may have ended up off the road.
I’m pretty this interior is not totally original. The lower portion of the seats should be velvety like the top parts and the door panels.
This fabric looks like the type used in early 80s base Malibus.
Here’s another Eighty Eight we wrote up that I should have linked to in the text…
Same seats, it’s original.
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-american/ebay-classic-1990-oldsmobile-eighty-eight-royale-coupe/
Well I’ll be. That’s some pretty low rent looking threads for an Olds.
Low rent but apparently quite durable. The Camry of the same time period (second generation) had an extremely similar seating surface to this, it wore like iron too.
Creatures have NOT ripped open the bootlid!!!
While I don’t have any evidence to support red interiors having a higher probability of holding up better over time, in my experience what I’ve noticed is that “base” interiors tend do so usually because they use tougher fabrics like this one.
The first 88 Royale I remember was 1973, and it was sort of like an LTD Brougham was to a regular LTD. Royal (without the e) had traditionally been a Chrysler name, and I know that as of 1972 there was a Chrysler Newport Royal.
There had been the Bugatti Royale and the original James Bond novel Casino Royale, so Olds folks probably figured it was a good high-class name. I think this was also the first year Buick started using “Luxus” and Pontiac was putting “Grand” in front of everything.
So I think the Royale of the late 80s was just digging down into the basket of old Oldsmobile names.
The first Royale was in 1969, and 2 door hardtop only for the first 2 years. They were distinguished by a smaller than normal backlite. In 1971 it became a full series, including the convertible.
Oooh, I had forgotten all about that one. I was sure there was no such thing in 1972, but then I looked at OldCarBrochures and I stand corrected! I guess I was too smitten with the 98 Regency in the showroom when my mother was shopping for a Cutlass Supreme to pay that much attention to the 88s.
1987 Delta 88s were the first to have the composite headlamps. I rented a 1986 Delta 88 Royale in Minnesota in September 1986. I even took a picture of it! On my way back home there was a 1987 Oldsmobile Delta 88 on display at the Minneapolis airport. Four years later I went to work for an Oldsmobile dealership in southern California. I sold the first 1990 Cutlass Supreme convertible and the first 1991 Ninety Eight Touring Sedan!
I don’t know what it is, but lately when I see a car from this time period I get a bigger pang for nostalgia than if I were to see a period correct 1989 Trans Am. These things were the background cars of my life. If nothing else, they were durable, relatively inconspicuous daily drivers that nearly everyone had in their driveway. Or maybe, I’m kist nostalgic for the 80’s and 90’s…
I think we forget how much equipment “creep” has happened over the last 15-20 years for domestic cars, in particular. Our “Greatest Generation” forbears were highly skeptical of certain options on cars; my folks never, ever would have bought a car with power windows, for example. “Just more stuff to break”, as my immigrant father would say…
Up until the late 90’s folks were openly disdainful (IMO) of option packages; why buy a car with power windows and locks, when all you really wanted was the power locks? When I was shifting Toyotas in the early 90’s the majority of the people I sold Camrys and Corollas to wanted the car with automatic trans and air conditioning. Nothing else.
I digress, back to the Eighty Eight. To have a car with such clean styling, robust drivetrain and sheer room now would be nirvana. Granted, 30+ years of technology and safety advances have their place. But that Eighty Eight looks like you could just jump in it and drive from coast to coast, listening to terrestrial radio again and clicking off the miles effortlessly, with nary a care. Those days are gone.
I agree. These just felt like a good solid comfortable car. I regret never owning one but I’ve been in them many times and helped my neighbor do maintenance on his a few times. Ironically my old ’03 Avalon reminds me of those Olds, because of the headroom, visiblity and the comfortable cruising. And the super-boosted steering.
This was probably grandma or grandad’s pride and joy and it was inherited by some kid and dumped after it blew the transmission (due to hooning) or the engine(because they could not check the oil)
The give away is the fact that the car had an aftermarket radio installed. Grand dad was not going to spring for a new fangled CD radio when he just listed to talk radio stations. The factory am/fm Delco was good for that.
Some folks of the depression era did not want a car with power windows. It was seen as frivolous. My mother’s folks bought a brand new 1992 GMC S-Series Jimmy in the fall of 1991. They wanted 4WD. That was all no AC or fancy radio. They lived in a part of PA that you really did not need AC. However when I got it, the lack of AC drove me mad because I had to get a special belt due to no AC. I wound up buying one of those AC compressor substitutes (a pulley on a bracket) so i could use a regular belt
I am sure the PWR locks were standard in this model car.
Nope, power locks were on the options list, just like the rear defroster. Even the lowest level upgrade “package” did not include them. You either had to select them as a stand alone option or spring for the second from the bottom upgrade “package”.
There are still a lot of these running around in decent to good condition in the salt belt of Upstate, NY. My buddy just bought a very clean light blue 1991 clone to this car with the same exact seats but with more power equipment and considerably less old lady miles. In fact it just turned 50K! He loves it! Still drive tight and like new and the interior looks like nobody ever sat in it. It’s amazing how easy this car is to live with on a day to day basis. I found this out quickly while we went for an all day drive to sales and thrifting with said car. The 3800 idles so smooth you seldom know it’s even there. The front seat is so open and roomy and comfortable and this car is easy to get in and out of. Also very easy to see out of which is a remarkable contrast to most of today’s sedans. And it seems to go forever on 20 bucks worth of gas, has a large open trunk that fits larger boxes easy and the rear seat offers a lot of legroom.
The best part was that he only paid 1100 bucks for it! All it needed was brakes and a good cleaning inside. So far it has made several 300 mile trips with no issues and has never broke down since he got it last year.