1986 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale sedan

For unclear reasons, one, but only one, of the supermarkets in my area often has interesting eighties cars parked outside. In late July 2025, there was a 1986 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale Brougham sedan on “display”—good enough reason for this blog entry.

“Sleeker, more attractive, more aerodynamic”

Oldsmobile’s long-running Delta 88 was all-new for 1986. Downsized for the second time, the ninth generation also moved from rear-wheel drive to front-wheel drive. For 1986, the base Delta 88 was the Royale, while the top-of-the-line was the Royale Brougham.

The Delta 88’s base engine was the LN7 125 bhp 3.0 liter/181 ci V6 with multiport fuel injection. Optional power was the $370 LG3 150 bhp 3.8 liter/231 ci V6 with sequential fuel injection. Both engines were mated to a four-speed automatic. EPA fuel economy ratings for the base engine were 18 city/27 highway by the day’s standards (16/24 by today’s measures). Hilariously, the more powerful upmarket 3.8 liter V6 was rated at 19 city/30 highway by 1986 standards (17/27 by 2025 measures). With an 18-gallon fuel tank, a Delta 88 owner who had sprung for the optional engine could expect a range of between 360 and 395 miles with a 10% fuel reserve.

This “buy the more expensive engine and you’ll get more power and better mileage” thing happened a lot with bigger GM cars in the eighties—both front-wheel-drive and rear-wheel-drive. Car and Driver recorded a 0-60 time of 10.3 seconds in a 1986 Royale coupe with the larger engine. The somewhat heavier 3.8 liter sedan was likely about 10.5 seconds, the 3.0 liter sedan around 12.1 seconds. No (further) comment.

Standard exterior and mechanical equipment on the $12,760 Delta 88 Royale sedan (about $31,900 in today’s dollars) included Soft-Ray tinted windows, power rack-and-pinion steering, power front disc/rear drum brakes, and P205/75R14 steel belted radial ply all season blackwall tires on 14-inch wheels with bright Deluxe wheel discs. Inside, a Custom bench seat with a center armrest, a Four-Season air conditioner, a side window defogger, a Deluxe steering wheel, and an AM/FM stereo radio with four speakers were included.

The $13,461 Royal Brougham added the Convenience Group, a 55/45 divided front bench seat with a center armrest, and Royale Brougham identification.

Options & Production Numbers

Among the many exterior and mechanical options were a tinted glass removable panel sunroof, a full vinyl rooftop covering, a Level III suspension, aluminum styled wheels, and P205/75R14 steel-belted radial-ply all season white-stripe tires. Inside, power door locks, power side windows, a tilt-away steering wheel, a Tempmatic air conditioner, an electronic instrument cluster, electronic cruise control with resume and acceleration features ($175), and the all-conquering Delco/Bose Music System ($875) were all available. Custom leather trim in the seating areas was only available with the Royale Brougham.

The Delta 88 Royale sedan sold well, with 88,564 Royales sold and 108,344 Royale Broughams moved—up 12% from the 171,983 in 1985. The Delta 88 was Oldsmobile’s second best-selling sedan, behind only the Cutlass Ciera, which sold an astounding 268,493 units. The final Delta 88 of any kind came off the production line on January 6, 1999.

The View From 2025

Hagerty’s valuation tools do not track any Delta 88 after the 1975 convertible, and Delta 88s of this generation rarely show up in the Hemming’s Motor News classifieds or on eBay Motors. Bring a Trailer has sold more stock cars of this generation of Delta 88 than production cars.

Make mine Dark Teal Blue Metallic, please.

Other H-platform cars I have written about are the 1987 Buick LeSabre T Type coupe and the 1987 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale Brougham coupe. Other Oldsmobiles covered include the 1980 Cutlass coupe, the 1981 Cutlass Supreme coupe, the 1982 Toronado Brougham coupe, the 1984 Omega sedan, the 1985 Cutlass Ciera sedan, the 1985 Cutlass Supreme coupe, the 1985 Firenza ES sedan, and the 1985 Ninety-Eight Regency sedan.