At the 2025 Mecum Kissimmee, a white 1982 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale coupe with a White vinyl Landau top, a Dark Blue cloth Custom Sport front bench seat, and an indicated 8,900 miles sold for $20,500.

“A well-known, reputable name.”

1982 was a quiet year for Oldsmobile’s Delta 88, with a new grille made with horizontal bars being the most significant change. Inside, the all-in-one Smart Stick multifunction signal lever was new. The coupe was no longer available as a base Delta 88—all Delta 88 coupes for 1982 were either Royales or Royale Broughams.

Like all Delta 88s, the Royale coupe’s standard powertrain was the Buick-made LD7 110 bhp 3.8 liter/231 ci V6 with a two-barrel carburetor mated with a three-speed automatic. Optional was the LF9 105 bhp 5.7 liter/350 ci diesel V8 ($700). There were two optional gasoline V8 engines: the LV8 100 bhp 4.3 liter/260 ci V8 with a two-barrel carburetor ($70) and the LV2 140 bhp 5.0 liter/307 ci V8 ($120) with a four-barrel carburetor. A four-speed automatic ($172) was available with the 5.0 liter V8.

As an aside, I don’t understand the small V8 as an option when a larger and more powerful V8 was available. This choice is seen in many GM cars of the early to mid-1980s, and it makes no sense. For your $70 additional over the stock V6, you got to say you had a V8, you got a supposedly smoother engine, and you lost 10 precious horsepower. From Oldsmobile’s perspective, this additional engine option increased build complexity. Why?

The Delta 88 coupe was not quick—with the best-case 5.0 liter V8, 0-60 took about 12.5 seconds in a car with a 3,690-pound curb weight. The diesel was about seven seconds slower to 60 mph. Mileage wasn’t horrible for a large car in the early 1980s, even with the 5.0 liter V8: 17 city/29 highway by the day’s standards (14/21 by 2025 measures). With a 25.0-gallon fuel tank, a Delta 88 Royale coupe owner could expect a range of about 395 to 515 miles with a 10% fuel reserve.

Standard exterior and mechanical equipment on the $8,733 Delta 88 Royale coupe (about $30,300 in 2025 dollars) included a driver’s side remote control rear view mirror, low-drag power front disc brakes, power steering, and P205/75R15 steel-belted radial-ply blackwall tires (a size still readily available) mounted on 15-inch wheels with Bright Deluxe wheel discs. Inside, all Royale coupes included wall-to-wall cut-pile carpeting with carpeted lower door panels, a Custom Sport front bench seat, front and rear armrests, an inside day-night rearview mirror, and a Deluxe steering wheel. Oldsmobile did not include a clock or a radio as standard equipment.

Options & Production Numbers

Moving up to the Delta 88 Royale Brougham coupe cost an additional $469 and added bright roof drip moldings, pillar opera lamps, a divided front seat with individual controls, and a Convenience Group of lamps, visor vanity mirror, and chime tones.

Exterior and mechanical options included Soft-Ray tinted glass ($105), an electric sliding Astroroof in tinted glass, an automatic leveling system, an engine block heater, puncture-sealing tires, and Super Stock wheels with matching body color ($95). Inside, automatic cruise control with resume feature ($160), Four-Season ($695) or Tempmatic air conditioning, an electric rear window defogger, power side windows ($170), and power door locks were all available.

Oldsmobile offered a range of seven different radios for the Delta 88, ranging from a base AM radio to an electronically tuned AM/FM stereo/cassette with clock. Buyers could specify an independent digital quartz or analog clock if a Delco radio wasn’t desired.

Oldsmobile sold 41,238 Delta 88 Royale coupes in the 1982 model year. This was respectable, but not particularly great—in fact, they were the lowest in raw sales numbers and third lowest in percentage of overall Oldsmobile sales over the entire life of the eight-generation Delta 88. Of course, 1982 was a really bad year for auto sales in general—domestic auto sales were off by over a million units from 1981.

The View From 2025

There is some collector interest in these big coupes, though Hagerty does not track Delta 88s post-1975. Delta 88s of this era are sometimes available in the Hemmings Motor News classifieds, on eBay Motors, and at online auctions such as Bring a Trailer that cater to the eighties car market. As I update this post in October 2025, there’s an Burgundy 1985 Delta 88 Royale coupe with a claret interior and 83,000 miles for sale on Hemmings, asking $10,500.

Make mine Dark Blue Metallic, please.

Other B-body cars I have written about include the 1983 Chevrolet Caprice Classic sedan, the 1983 Pontiac Parisienne sedan, the 1985 Chevrolet Caprice Classic station wagon, and the 1987 Chevrolet Caprice Classic coupe. I should get to a Buick example.

Last updated October 2025.

At the 2023 Mecum Indy, a white Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Regency coupe with an indicated 6,100 miles sold for $20,000.

1984 would end up being the final year for the rear-wheel-drive Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight—1985 would move the Ninety-Eight to the front-wheel-drive C-body. There were few changes for 1984: the 4.1 liter V6 was dropped (making the 5.0 liter V8 standard), there was a new grille with a crosshatch pattern, and the vertical taillamps now had Oldsmobile emblems in their lenses. Changes in options included different body side mouldings and new wire wheel cover designs.

The Ninety-Eight Regency‘s standard powertrain was the LV2 140 bhp 5.0 liter/307 ci V8 with a four-barrel carburetor mated to a four-speed automatic. Optional everywhere but in California was the LF9 105 bhp 5.7 liter/350 ci diesel V8 ($700). The Ninety-Eight coupe was not quick—with the standard powertrain, 0-60 took about 13.5 seconds in a car with a 3,915-pound curb weight. The diesel was about six seconds slower to 60 mph. Mileage with the gas V8 wasn’t horrible: 17 city/29 highway by the day’s standards (14/21 by today’s measures). With a large 25.1-gallon fuel tank, a Ninety-Eight Regency coupe owner could expect a range of 400 to 465 miles with a 10% fuel reserve.

Standard exterior and mechanical equipment on the $13,974 Ninety-Eight Regency coupe (about $44,900 in 2025 dollars) included Soft-Ray tinted glass, rear fender skirts, sail panel opera lamps, power front disc brakes, power steering, and P215/75R15 steel-belted radial-ply white-stripe tires (a size still readily available) mounted on 15-inch wheels with Bright Deluxe wheel discs. Inside, all Regency coupes included power side windows, power door locks, Four-Season air conditioning, an electric rear window defroster, a digital quartz clock, front and rear centre armrests, and an AM-FM stereo radio with two rear speakers.

Options & Production Numbers

Exterior and mechanical options included an electric sliding glass Astroroof ($1,195), an automatic leveling system, an engine block heater, and puncture-sealing tires. Inside, Custom leather trims in seating surfaces, electronic cruise control with resume and acceleration features ($175), Tempmatic air conditioning ($55), and automatic power door locks were all available. Options that date this car included a front seat litter container and an ETR AM/FM Stereo with seek and scan, digital display clock, cassette tape player, and a 40-channel CB.

Oldsmobile sold 7,855 Ninety-Eight Regency coupes in the 1984 model year, marking the fewest coupes sold in the 10th generation. Though large American coupes in general were fading away, 1985’s all-new front-wheel-drive Ninety-Eight would still offer coupe versions. Despite being all-new, the coupes wouldn’t sell much better in 1985 and would be gone after the end of the 1987 model year.

The View From 2025

There is some collector interest in these cars, though Hagerty does not track their values. Ninety-Eights of this era are often available in the Hemmings Motor News classifieds and at online auctions such as Bring a Trailer that cater to the eighties car market.

Make mine Autumn Maple Firemist, please.

Stunningly, this is the first rear-wheel-drive C-body I have written about, though I have written about the re-designated D-body 1986 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham sedan. I probably should write about the Electra and the de Ville at some point.

Last updated October 2025.