“The most technologically advanced Porsche you can get.”
1987 was the first model year for the Porsche 928 S4 (the 4 stood for fourth-generation). The 928’s new standard engine was the 320 bhp M28 5.0 liter/302 ci V8 with Bosch L-Jetronic port fuel injection, which was mated to either a five-speed manual transmission or a Mercedes-sourced four-speed automatic. The 928 S4 also featured a new front bumper, bigger taillights, a new (and large) rear spoiler, and many detail changes. The drag coefficient dropped to 0.34, compared to 0.39 in 1986’s 928 S.
We’ll go with 928 S4 as the model designation, because that’s what Porsche calls it now. Period window stickers show 928S-4, period advertisements used 928S 4, and period reviews often used 928S4—another example of why I have a page about nomenclature.
In a car that weighed 3,507 pounds with the manual transmission, Car and Driver recorded a 0-60 time of 5.3 seconds, with a top speed of 159 mph. The EPA rated fuel mileage at a class-competitive 15 city/23 highway (14/21 by today’s measures). With a 22.7-gallon gas tank, the proud new owner of a 928 S4 could expect a range of about 360 to 385 miles with a 10% fuel reserve.
1987 Porsche 928 S4 print advertisement
The 928’s base price changed significantly over the 1987 model year. Period window stickers vary from $58,900 (about $172,500 in 2025 dollars) to $66,710 (about $187,400 in today’s dollars or almost exactly what a 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS coupe costs). Standard exterior and mechanical equipment included headlight washers, an electric rear window defogger, a rear window wiper, power rack and pinion steering, and vented power disc brakes. 225/50VR16 tires on 16 x 7J wheels out front were balanced by 245/45VR16 tires on 16 x 8J wheels (both tire sizes are still available). Inside, power front leather seats, a 4-spoke leather steering wheel, air conditioning with automatic climate control, power windows, a central locking system, and an AM/FM stereo radio with a cassette player and eight speakers were included.
Options, Production Numbers, & Period Reviews
Exterior and mechanical options included a limited slip differential ($722) and sport shock absorbers ($247). Inside, options included lumbar support ($422-$456 per seat), heated seats ($160 per seat), an alarm system ($445), and increased air conditioning ($967-$992).
Porsche sold 15,682 928 S4s worldwide over five years. Period reviews were generally positive—Car and Driver‘s tagline was “vindicated at last.” The “buff books” also noted the notable difference in personalities and performance between the manual and the automatic versions of the 928 S4, relevant because the automatic was about 80% of sales.
The View From 2025
There is excellent club support for the Porsche 928, as there is for all Porsches. According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, all the money for a 1987 Porsche 928 S4 with the manual in #1/Concours condition is $99,000, with a more normal #3/Good condition car with an automatic going for $29,300. Porsche 928s frequently show up for sale in the Hemmings Motor News classifieds, on eBay Motors, and on Bring a Trailer. As I update this blog entry in November 2025, a Black 1987 with an automatic and 33,000 miles is available on Hemmings, asking $34,900.
By the 1983 model, BMW’s E21 320i coupe was showing some of the vicissitudes of age. What had been almost mind-blowing for 1977 no longer seemed quite as differentiating.
The 320i’s engine continued to be BMW’s M10B18 1.8 liter/108 ci inline four with Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection, making 101 bhp and 100 lb-ft of torque. Car and Driver recorded a 0-60 mph time of 9.8 seconds and a top speed of 105 mph. Mileage by the day’s standards was pretty good: 25 city/36 highway with the five-speed manual transmission. With a 15.3-gallon gas tank, the proud new owner of a 320i could expect between 345 and 375 miles of range with a 10% fuel reserve.
1983 BMW 320i print advertisement
The 320i’s base price was $13,290—about $43,700 in 2025 dollars, which is almost exactly what a 2026 BMW 230i xDrive coupe goes for. Standard exterior and mechanical equipment included tinted glass all around, a four wheel independent suspension, rack and pinion steering, power front disc/rear drum brakes, and 185/70X13 steel belted radial tires (a size still available) on 13-inch wheels. Inside, fully reclining front seats, a flow thru ventilation system, a rear window defroster, an electronic tachometer, and an LED digital quartz clock were included.
Packages, Options, & Model History
BMW offered two packages for the 1983 320i:
The $2,620 S Package included a front air dam, a limited-slip differential, a sport suspension, BBS wheels, Recaro sport seats, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel
The $1,685 Luxus Touring Group Package included fog lamps, air conditioning, and an AM/FM stereo cassette player
Individual options included a manual sunroof ($555) and metallic paint ($440).
The 320i was in production from the 1977 to the 1983 model years. Initially, the engine was the same 2.0 liter inline four that had been in the sainted 2002. In 1980, BMW moved to the 1.8 liter inline four that the 320i would have until its production ended. The E30 318i would replace the 320i from 1984 forward.
The View From 2025
The 320i is rarely seen on eBay Motors, but examples do show up in the Hemmings Motor News classifieds and on Bring a Trailer. According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, a 1983 320i in #1/Concours condition is $35,400, with a more normal #3/Good condition car going for $11,700.
Make mine the extra-cost Baltic Blue Metallic, please.
It’s now almost 12 years (!) since I began posting on Eighties Cars. Over that time, my style of posting has changed, and I’ve discovered better sources for much of the information. Below are ten early posts from those first two years that I have significantly updated over time:
1985 Ferrari Testarossa coupe—in late 2013, this was my first post on a specific car. At this point, it is about 90% longer than it was initially, and, of course, the pricing guidance is more current—and far more stratospheric.
1988 BMW 750iL sedan—this was my fourth post about a specific car and introduced me to how hard it is to find specifics about options in high-end German vehicles from the 1980s. Much modified, it’s now about 76% longer than the original.
1986 Porsche 944 Turbo hatchback coupe—my first Porsche post was also quite an education. Writing about the 1986 944 Turbo led me to finding the superb source of data that is excellence, which I’ve used in every Porsche blog post since.
1985 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z hatchback coupe—this post from late 2013 was the seventh I made about a specific car. IROC-Z values and the information about them have gone crazy in the last twelve years, resulting in a current post that is just about exactly twice the length of the original.
1985 Buick Somerset Regal coupe—this early 2014 post got both Autoblog and Jalopnik references at a point when both of those sites were extremely popular. Welcoming readers from those two sites and making some other changes makes that post more than 40% longer than when it was first published.
1983 Honda Civic S hatchback coupe—this post was initially a “short take” because information about the first sporty Civic was tough to find. That’s changed to at least some extent, and the post is now two and a half times as long. No more short take …
1986 Ford Taurus sedan—at about 600 words, this might have been my first relatively long-form post, in part because Ford’s trim levels and options were so complex. What’s changed since is mostly the writing style.
1986 Chevrolet Camaro Berlinetta hatchback coupe—this was another successful post about a car that is rarely written about (the attention goes to Z28s and IROC-Zs). Now over 40% lengthier than the original, it remains #2 overall.
1983 Pontiac 6000 STE sedan—this was an early challenge, as there were very few reliable sources for the STE‘s first year when I was writing in early 2014. Over time, that changed, resulting in a blog post that is now 50% longer and far more accurate than the original.
1981 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme coupe—this post from mid-2015 is the single most popular post on Eighties Cars. It’s actually not too much longer than the original (a little over 20%), but the style is now far different.
Do you see other older posts about specific cars on Eighties Cars that need a revision or update? There are about 300 out there …
1982 was the final year for the first generation of Honda’s Prelude Sport Coupe. Honda changed little from the 1981 model year—the major variation was more dealer accessories. Two of the three available exterior colors also changed.
The Prelude’s engine was the EK CVCC 75 bhp 1.8 liter inline four with a three-barrel carburetor. The standard transmission was a five-speed manual, and a three-speed automatic was available. 0-60 mph came in about 11.5 seconds in a car with a curb weight of 2,138 pounds. EPA fuel economy ratings with the manual were 29 city/40 highway by the day’s standards. With a 13.2-gallon gas tank, the owner of a 1982 Prelude with the five-speed could expect a range of 335 to 365 miles with a 10% fuel reserve.
1982 Honda Prelude print advertisement
The 1982 Prelude Sport Coupe’s base price was $7,995—about $27,700 in today’s dollars or almost exactly what a 2025 Honda Civic hatchback sedan goes for. Standard exterior and mechanical equipment included tinted glass, a power-operated moonroof, rack and pinion steering, power-assisted front disc/rear drum brakes, and 175/70SR13 steel-belted radial ply tires (a size still available) on 13-inch wheels with bright metal wheel trim wings. Inside, reclining front bucket seats with 4-way adjustable headrests, a four-spoke Sport steering wheel, two-speed plus intermittent wipers, a quartz digital clock, front side window defrosters, a remote trunk release, and a rear window defroster were included.
Accessories & Production Numbers
There were no factory options for the Prelude other than transmission and paint color. Dealer accessories included aluminum alloy wheels and air conditioning. Dealers also offered twelve (!) audio choices, ranging up to an AM/FM stereo radio with electronic tuning, a digital display, and an autoreverse cassette with Dolby—but I would probably have just given Crutchfield a call.
Honda sold 37,872 Preludes in the United States in the 1982 model year—a solid finish for the first generation.
The View From 2025
There’s Prelude news right now—Honda promises that the Prelude will be coming back for the 2026 model year. Closer to our topic, first-generation Preludes were once commonly seen on American roads, but have virtually disappeared by now. You occasionally see these Preludes for sale in the Hemmings Motor News classifieds, on eBay Motors, and on Bring a Trailer.
Make mine Windsor Blue Metallic, please. Honda offered a grand total of three color choices for the 1982 Prelude. More color choices for the Prelude wouldn’t come until the 1985 model year arrived.
The seventh-generation Riviera debuted on November 14th, 1985. For a third and final time, Buick downsized the Riviera—this time to a 108-inch wheelbase and a 187.2-inch overall length. The size reduction (more than 19 inches shorter) made this generation the smallest and lightest of all Rivieras. Among the planning assumptions for the seventh generation model and its Eldorado and Toronado platform-mates was that gasoline would cost approximately $3.00 a gallon upon debut. Instead, fuel was going for around $1.19 when the three prestige coupes entered the market in late 1985.
In part because of the assumptions mentioned previously, there were no more V8s for the Riviera—from 1986 forward, the Riviera that had been V8 only until 1979 would now be V6 only. Also gone forever was the diesel V8, almost certainly less missed by buyers than the gasoline versions. Production moved to a brand new plant in Hamtramck, MI. Finally, the Riviera was also back to being coupe-only—the four-year experiment with the glamorous, attention-getting, and pricey convertibles was no more.
After many years that had some (sometimes many) choices, the only available powertrain for 1986 was the LG2 “3800” 140 bhp 3.8 liter/231 ci V6 with sequential fuel injection paired with a Turbo Hydramatic 440-T4 automatic transmission with overdrive. The LG2 was a version of the previous generation Riviera’s LD5 modified for transverse front-wheel-drive usage and was first seen as an option in the 1984 versions of the Buick Century and the Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera. Though it was “just” a V6, the LG2 had the same power rating as the 1985’s base V8, making the substantially lighter “civilian” 1986 Riviera quicker than its 1985 equivalent. The 0-60 time was about 10 seconds, making the Riviera quite competitive in class.
Fuel mileage for the new Riviera was 19 city/30 highway by the day’s standards. With an 18.0-gallon fuel tank, the driver of a 1986 Riviera could reasonably expect a range of 370 to 415 miles with a 10% fuel reserve. This impressive range put paid to the reputation of Rivieras of years past, who were often said to “pass anything but a gas station”—and sometimes had about 200 miles between fill-ups. The 1986 ended up with among the longest ranges of any Riviera, despite having a smaller fuel tank than most.
Along with its downsizing, powertrain, and configuration revisions, a change also came to the Riviera’s styling brief. Buick described the seventh-generation exterior as a “gentle wedge form” and paid far more attention to aerodynamics than with any previous generation (more advanced technology made these objectives more easily attainable). Led by William Porter, the division settled on its new Riviera look quickly—the final design for the new generation was recognizable even in renderings done many years earlier, in late 1980.
As might be expected with the far lighter weight (the Riv shed more than 500 pounds) and smaller engine, fuel economy was better than any Riviera before—or after. Perhaps more surprisingly, the available interior room was quite close to that of the sixth-generation cars, a sign of careful and skilled packaging design.
For the first time in its history, the presumed differentiator for a new generation of Rivieras was inside the car—not its exterior design. The Graphic Control Center included seven to ten microprocessors (depending on the particular options ordered) and a 3 x 4 inch touch-sensitive cathode-ray tube screen. This component was bleeding edge for publicly available technology in the mid-1980s and certainly not inexpensive to produce—dealer cost for a replacement unit was said to be over $2,000. The Graphic Control Center was also easily a quarter of a century ahead of its time—probably not the right choice for the average Riviera customer.
Designed by Delco Electronics over several years with assistance from Buick engineers, the Graphic Control Center was prototyped in one hundred 1984 and 1985 Rivieras. In production form, it included diagnostic displays, a trip monitor, retained accessory power, and controls for the electronic air conditioning and sound system. Touching gauges brought up additional information, including a tachometer along with battery and coolant gauges.
The Graphic Control Center was heavily promoted in both the press and Buick’s sales materials—the 24-page 1986 Riviera brochure devoted its first four inside pages to it. At the time, Buick’s chief engineer, Dave Sharpe, told Popular Mechanics that the new Riviera targeted America’s young “technotypes.” From over a third of a century away, it’s quite unclear who he was talking about.
The 1986 Riviera had many new standard features: four-wheel power disc brakes were finally included on every example after having been an option for almost a decade. Another item newly standard on the seventh-generation Riviera was tungsten-halogen headlamps—first seen on a Riviera in the 1972Silver Arrow III concept car and optional on production Rivieras since 1981. So was a high-mounted stop lamp—federally mandated for all 1986 automobiles and a faint echo of the fourth-generation Rivieras.
Every one of the 15 exterior colors was also new—even the Riviera’s black and white color formulations (both of which had been constant for at least a decade) did not carry over from 1985. The Riviera’s four Firemist colors were shared with Cadillac and Oldsmobile—but not with other Buicks as had been true in the fifth-generation cars.
Flies In The Ointment
From a marketing perspective, the 1986 Riviera was more than a foot shorter than that year’s Buick Regal coupe—whose base price of $10,654 was $9,177 less than the $19,831 that the supposedly senior coupe went for. A persistent rumor stated that Buick dealers were told not to place the Riviera too close to the similar-looking but even less expensive Somerset Regal coupe, which had been on their showroom floors since the beginning of the 1985 model year. As early as September 1985, Popular Mechanics pointedly queried, “why make an expensive car look like a cheaper model?”
As if that wasn’t enough, the Riviera’s size was also quite close to that of the LeSabre—traditionally the largest coupe in the Buick family, and now also front wheel drive. It also probably did not help that 1986 Riviera prices were up almost 16% over the 1985 version, even when accounting for inflation.
Due to these and other contributing factors, Riviera sales collapsed, declining 66% to 22,138—a painful state of affairs for General Motors, which the Riviera shared with its Eldorado (off 72%) and Toronado (down 62%) stablemates. Six years later, GM had now managed to duplicate the carnage that Ford had experienced with its 1980 downsizing. Notably, Ford Thunderbird, Lincoln Mark VII (the Continental name departed that year), and Mercury Cougar sales were all up for 1986, along with those of some of GM’s “junior” personal luxury coupes. The December 1987 issue of Special Interest Autos simply called it “the E-body disaster” and speculated that it was costing GM half a billion dollars a year in lost profits.
It seems clear that General Motors had utterly misjudged what the appeal of its new prestige coupe platform was to folks who might actually consider buying it. One can only wonder how many hundreds of thousands of future vehicle sales were lost as the revised E-body offerings for 1986 got buyers permanently out of the habit of buying big personal luxury coupes—what only one year prior had been over 181,000 high-profit sales. To add to the pain, a short but memorable star turn by a Riviera in the 1986 Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle Raw Deal featured a sixth-generation convertible—not a seventh-generation coupe.
Pages from the 1986 Buick Riviera brochure
The relatively few folks who did purchase a 1986 Riviera got a well-equipped car by mid-eighties standards. Standard exterior equipment included Soft-Ray tinted glass, cornering lamps, and an automatic power antenna. Mechanical equipment included power steering, a DynaRide four-wheel independent suspension with automatic level control, and 205/70R14 all-season whitewall tires on 14-inch wheels with Deluxe wheel covers. Inside, standard features included Electric Speed Control cruise control, a tilt steering column, a Limited steering wheel with cruise-control switches, electric door locks, and a Delco ETR AM-FM stereo with seek and scan, a clock, and four extended-range speakers. Interior trim and upholstery featured a full-length console with a floor shift, manual reclining cloth front bucket seats, and a six-way power driver’s seat.
One Package & Individual Options
The sporty T Type package (at $21,577, an additional $1,746 over the base Riviera) carried over its designation from the previous generation but lost its differentiating turbocharged V6—making it no quicker than any other Riviera. It did at least handle better than the average Riviera—the T Type’s 1986 guise included a Gran Touring suspension and P215/60R15 Goodyear Eagle GT blackwall tires on 15-inch aluminum wheels. T Type’s were only available with Flame Red, White, Silver Metallic, or Black exterior paint, and all featured gray lower accent paint. Inside, every T Type included a leather-wrapped steering wheel with cruise control switches and the heavily-hyped Power Comfort six-way power bucket seats for driver and front passenger—with reversible cloth and leather center sections that attached with velcro. The Power Comfort seats included inflatable lumbar supports, electrically adjustable headrests, and double pivoting systems for the lower seatback. A little over 9% of Riviera buyers took home a T Type in 1986.
In addition to all that was newly standard, new options for 1986 included a keyless entry system (available mid-year), a heated outside drivers mirror, and the availability of lumbar support with the optional seats. The radio delete option no longer existed—every Riviera buyer was driving home for the dealership with some kind of factory radio. The number of options in 1986 was reduced to less than one-third of what it had been in 1985, as Buick worked aggressively to reduce build complexity—but removed much of the path to a truly personal Riviera.
The View From 2025
With the excellent support of the Riviera Owners Association, a few folks are collecting these early seventh-generation Rivieras. According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, a base 1986 Buick Riviera in #1/Concours condition is $15,500, with a more normal #3/Good condition car going for $7,600. Rivieras of this generation sometimes show up in the Hemming’s Motor News classifieds, on eBay Motors, and on Bring a Trailer.
Make mine Black Cherry Metallic, please. I know that means that the 1986 Riviera I want won’t be a T Type.
“You get the more formal look of the sedan with the high performance of the GT.”
For the 1987 model year, Ford’s Fox-body Mustang received a facelift of both its interior and exterior. Ford restyled the front end, which gave the aging design (work had begun on the Fox-body Mustang in 1976) more of an “aero” look, in keeping with the overall mid-1980s Ford styling direction embodied by the Thunderbird and Taurus. The quarter glass windows were now each a single larger flush piece of glass with “Mustang” lettering at the bottom rear corners, replacing the smaller glass paired with louvers that had been in use since the 1979 model year. Taillights on the LX were revised with clear lenses for the turn signals. The interior received an all-new dash, center console, and revised seat and door trim.
With the SVO gone, the remaining models were the LX and the GT. Ford discontinued the V6 option, leaving only the standard 90 bhp Lima 2.3 liter/140 ci inline four with new-for-1987 fuel injection and the optional 225 bhp Windsor 4.9 liter/302 ci V8 with sequential fuel injection, which was part of an $1,885 5.0L EFI HO V-8 Engine Package. A five-speed manual transmission was standard, while a four-speed automatic was a $515 option.
From a performance and fuel economy perspective, the inline four LX and the V8 LXmight as well have been different cars. The Lima-based Mustang with the manual took about 13.3 seconds to get to 60 mph, with the automatic/inline four combination being a few tenths worse. The payoff was fuel economy—25 city/31 highway by the day’s standards for the base powertrain (22/28 by today’s measures). The automatic was about 10% less efficient. With a 15.4-gallon gas tank, an LX owner with the base powertrain could expect an impressive range of 350 to 385 miles with a 10% fuel reserve.
In marked contrast, the Windsor-based Mustang with the manual took about 6.2 seconds to get to 60 mph, with the automatic version taking about 6.7 seconds. Fuel economy was 16 city/24 highway by the day’s standards (15/22 by 2025 measures). Interestingly, the automatic was about 13% more efficient when paired with the V8. An LX owner with the V8 and five-speed manual could expect a range of 260 to 275 miles with a 10% fuel reserve.
LX interior page from the 1987 Ford Mustang brochure
The 1987 Mustang LX 2-door sedan (Ford’s nomenclature) had a base price of $8,043—about $23,500 in today’s dollars, which is approximately 26% less than a base 2025 Mustang costs. Standard exterior and mechanical equipment included power rack and pinion steering, power front disc/rear drum brakes, and P195/75R14 black sidewall steel-belted radial tires on 14-inch wheels with turbine wheel covers. Inside, reclining cloth low back front bucket seats, Light Group, full instrumentation, a console, and an electronic AM/FM stereo search radio with four speakers were included.
Groups, Packages, & Individual Options
Seven groups and packages were available for the Mustang LX 2-door sedan:
Preferred Equipment Group240A was the base package
Light Group was included with the base package and included lights for the engine compartment, the luggage compartment, the ashtray, and the glove box. A dual beam dome/map light and a headlamps on reminder chime were also included
Special Value Group240A (no cost for inline four/$735 for V8) included Power Lock Group, an electronic AM/FM stereo radio with cassette tape player, speed control, and styled road wheels
Power Lock Group ($244) included power door locks, a remote locking fuel door, and a trunk release
Climate Control Group ($1,005 for inline four/$978 for V8) included tinted glass, a heavy-duty battery, air conditioning, and a rear window defroster
Custom Equipment Group ($624) included dual electric remote control mirrors, power side windows, dual illuminated visor mirrors, a tilt steering wheel, and a graphic equalizer
The 5.0L EFI HO V-8 Engine Package ($1,885) included a Traction-Lok axle, GT suspension system components, a 15:1 steering ratio, a heavy-duty battery, P225/60VR15 handling tires, and cast aluminum wheels
Exterior and mechanical options for the Mustang LX 2-door included complete tinted glass ($120) and wire style wheel covers. Inside, a tilt steering wheel ($124), an air conditioner ($788), and power front side windows were available. Stereo options included an electronic AM/FM stereo radio with cassette tape player ($178), a graphic equalizer ($218), and the Premium Sound System ($168 for six upgraded speakers and a 4-channel power amplifier). The Handling Suspension Package and cast aluminum wheels were optional with the inline four but included with the V8.
Period Reviews & Production Numbers
The enthusiast press—including Car and Driver, Hot Rod, and Motor Trend—swiftly realized that the LX 2-door sedan with the V8 was 80 pounds lighter than the GT, which made it slightly quicker. At $9,928, the V8 LX was also 16% cheaper than the GT, making it one of the outstanding performance bargains of the 1980s.
Production data is surprisingly uncertain (wouldn’t the Mustang have been worth paying attention to?), but some of the more likely data states that Ford sold 43,257 Mustang LX 2-door sedans, of which 4,888 (or 11%) were V8s.
The View From 2025
There is strong club support for the 1987 Mustang, as there is for all Mustangs except the mid-seventies Mustang IIs. According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, all the money for a 1987 Mustang notchback coupe in #1/Concours condition is $52,500, with a more typical #3/Good condition car going for $18,600. 1987 Mustangs often show up in the Hemming’s Motor News classifieds, on eBay Motors, and on Bring a Trailer—BaT has sold three 2-door 1987 LXs over the years.
Make mine Medium Shadow Blue Metallic, please. One quarter of the 12 Mustang colors for 1987 were blues.
Volkswagen’s Jetta sedan was all-new for the North American market for the 1985 model year. The top-of-the-line version (and the one that attracted the most attention from the “buff books”) was the GLI. The Jetta was a small car by modern standards—the 171.7-inch length makes it more than a foot shorter than the 2025 Jetta.
Under the hood was a 100 bhp 1.8 liter/109 ci inline four with Bosch KE-Jetronic fuel injection. A five-speed manual transmission completed the rest of the powertrain—an automatic transmission was optional. Car and Driver recorded a 10.9-second 0-60 time and a 108 mph top speed in a vehicle with a 2,460-pound curb weight. Fuel economy was rated at 26 city/32 highway (23/29 by today’s measures); a 14.5-gallon gas tank gave a 340 to 375-mile range with a 10% fuel reserve.
Front cover of the 1985 Volkswagen Jetta GLI brochure
The Jetta GLI’s base price was $10,315—about $31,600 in 2025 dollars and just a little less than the 2025 Jetta GLI goes for. Standard exterior and mechanical equipment included a front spoiler, aerodynamic halogen headlights, tinted glass, quick ratio power assisted rack and pinion steering, power-assisted four wheel disc brakes with the front brakes ventilated, and 185/60HR14 performance series steel belted radial tires (a size still readily available) on 14-inch styled alloy wheels. Inside, fully reclining front sport bucket seats with adjustable headrests, a 4-spoke leather-wrapped Sport steering wheel, a leather shift knob, a center console, and an electric rear window defroster were included.
Options & Period Reviews
Individual options were relatively few and included a manual sunroof ($335), metallic paint ($150), air conditioning ($725), cruise control, and an AM/FM stereo cassette with four speakers ($575). The $595 power-assist group included power windows, power door locks, and power mirrors.
The 1985 Jetta GLI got good reviews—Car and Driver‘s tagline was “one of the most capable sport sedans.”
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.
Delta 88 Royale pages from the 1986 Oldsmobile brochure
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.
The 1989 model year brought the first significant changes to the exterior of the seventh-generation Riviera. The wheelbase and other hard points could not be easily or inexpensively modified, but Buick did extend the rear portion of the body by 11 inches. One version of that year’s brochure (which came with what must have seemed hip floppy discs) claimed that it was “noticeably longer,” while another stated that it was “reminiscent of classic Rivieras.” In the real world, there was no denying that the restyled exterior effectively called back to the suddenly beloved sixth generation. This was a strange symmetry, as Bill Mitchell passed in September 1988.
1989 Buick Riviera press release photo
Various other components also scaled up along with the body; the Riviera moved up to P205/70R15 tires on 15-inch wheels. The roofline had a wider sail panel, and side trim and rocker moldings were modified. New standard equipment included a driver’s side airbag (returning to the Riviera almost a quarter-century later than those first airbags), a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and a leather-wrapped shift handle.
Making all these changes only three years into the sixth generation Riviera’s life cycle marked a significant and unexpected effort, which was led by Anthony Derhake, vehicle chief engineer for the Riviera. What remained of the domestic personal luxury coupe market responded well—Riviera sales increased 146% (!) to 21,189, likely making Buick’s restyling and re-imagining well worth all that effort. Of course, those upgrades didn’t come free; the Riviera’s base price was up over 4% to $22,540 (about $60,300 in today’s dollars).
Amongst all this change, there was also a significant minus for folks who liked choices in their Rivieras: the T Type was no longer available. After eight years (ten if one counts the S Type), Buick essentially gave up on the idea of a specifically branded sporty Riviera for a second time. A $104 Gran Touring package featuring much of the performance-related equipment from the now-retired T-Type remained available.
Many of the changes for 1989 didn’t help Buick in its eternal goal—which continues to this day—of reaching more youthful buyers. Although temporarily successful, the move to more traditional styling was a complete abdication of the hopes for the Riviera that the division had articulated only three years prior.
One thing that didn’t change significantly for the 1989’s exterior was the colors. Eleven of the thirteen available colors remained precisely the same. The only exceptions were Sterling Silver (which changed its formulation but not its name) and a brand new extra-cost Pearlescent Diamond White offering.
Standard exterior equipment for the 1989 Riviera included Soft-Ray tinted glass, tungsten-halogen headlamps, coach lamps, an electric rear window defogger, and a power antenna. Mechanical equipment included four-wheel power disc brakes, power steering, a Dynaride four-wheel independent suspension with automatic level control, and P205/70R15 tires on 15-inch wheels with custom locking wire wheelcovers.
Inside, standard equipment included the Electronic Control Center, Electronic Touch Climate Control air conditioning, a tilt steering column, Electric Speed Control, and electric door locks. Interior trim and upholstery featured manual reclining cloth front bucket seats with an easy-entry passenger feature, a six-way power driver’s seat, and an operating console. An ETR AM/FM stereo radio with seek and scan, clock, and cassette tape player with auto-reverse, search/repeat, and Concert Sound speakers was standard.
The only available powertrain continued to be the LN3“3800” 165 bhp 3.8 liter/231 ci V6 with sequential fuel injection paired with a Turbo Hydramatic 440-T4 automatic transmission with overdrive. Fuel mileage ratings were 19 city/28 highway, with the highway number off one gallon from 1988 as the refreshed Riviera gained about 75 pounds along with its added length. The 1989 Riviera’s 0-60 mph time was once again a “respectable” 10 seconds due to its increased weight.
Options & Period Reviews
Exterior and mechanical options included an electric sliding Astroroof ($1,230), a Landau top ($695), and an anti-lock brake system ($925). Inside, you could get a 16-way adjustable driver’s bucket seat ($1,230) and a cellular telephone installed in the console armrest ($1,975). Buick offered two optional stereos, with the top-of-the-line being the Delco GM/Bose Gold Series Music System ($783), which included an ETR AM stereo-FM stereo radio with seek and scan, a clock, and a cassette tape player with Dolby noise reduction, auto-reverse, and search/repeat.
A new option for 1989 was the Remote Radio Keyless Entry System, which included automatic electric door locks. Pearlescent Diamond White paint ($210) also became available—an extra-cost three-stage paint option that wasn’t a Firemist paint but had the same price.
The $104 Gran Touring package included the Gran Touring suspension, a 2.97 performance axle ratio, fast-ratio power steering, and P215/60R15 Goodyear Eagle (Buick remained with Goodyear for tires for many years, but kept changing the specific fitment) blackwall tires on 15-inch aluminum wheels.
Along with the undeniable interest from potential owners, the 1989 exterior redesign also attracted at least some attention from the automotive press. Popular Mechanics stated that it was a “radical restyling” that counter-intuitively returned the Riviera “to the look of the past.”
The View From 2025
With the excellent support of the Riviera Owners Association, folks are collecting these late seventh-generation Rivieras. According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, a 1989 Buick Riviera in #1/Concours condition is $16,900, with a more normal #3/Good condition car going for $9,100.
Please make mine the extra-cost (but still gorgeous) Sapphire Blue Firemist.
For the 1983 model year, the Delco-GM/Bose Music System became available for the Buick Riviera coupe, the Cadillac Eldorado coupe, the Cadillac Seville sedan, and the Oldsmobile Toronado coupe. The industry’s first custom-engineered, factory-installed sound systems, “the Bose” marked the first time that an audiophile (or someone who aspired to be one) wouldn’t automatically remove the factory stereo, call a local car stereo installer, and order something from Crutchfield upon vehicle delivery.
Most higher-end automotive stereo systems of the day combined various high-quality components and hoped to generate good sound from them. Instead, the Delco/Bose alliance developed both the imaging and the equalization via iterative testing specific to each make and model. Interestingly, the equalization between fairly close platform-mates varied considerably—seemingly minor details in the three different coupes’ interiors made a significant difference.
Drawing of Delco-GM/Bose Music System head unit
The Bose’s two main differentiators were excellent sound imaging for the two front passengers and individual equalization for each of the four speakers, each with its own 25-watt amplifier. The system’s head unit looked basic, with fewer controls than some lesser Delco systems—something not typical in the 1980s, where higher-end systems (either in the home or auto) usually had more buttons, dials, and sliders. There was no balance control (having one would mess with what Bose saw as the all-important imaging) and no graphic equalizer.
We’re spoiled in the 2020s, where almost every mid-range car stereo leaves little to be desired, but this was not always the case. Reviews of the Delco-GM/Bose Music System from nearly every source were astoundingly good. Some mainstream home audio magazines devoted several pages each to discussing the fantastic new car stereo. The June 1983 issue of Stereo Review even included a sneak peek of the Bose in the 1984 Corvette, with their finishing sentence being, “That’s some car!—and that’s some car stereo!” Depending on the specific model, 15% to 25% of buyers ordered the expensive ($895) new stereo system—a significantly higher take rate than General Motors had expected.
Of course, there were no Corvettes for the 1983 model year. Chevrolet’s incredibly cheesy introduction commercial for the 1984 Corvette—”You’ve Never Seen … Anything … Like This Before”—explicitly referenced the Bose, with a breathless voiceover mentioning “four never-before speakers separately engineered for sound that is out of this world.” In this case, Chevrolet was actually close to the truth: 1984’s Delco-GM/Bose Music System was light years ahead of the 1982 Corvette’s top-of-the-line UN6 Delco ETR AM/FM stereo radio with cassette player and CB—and only a little more expensive.
When the C4 Corvette did appear in early 1983 as a 1984 model, its take rate for the Delco-GM/Bose Music System (RPO UU8) was an astounding 85%. Some Chevrolet dealers found they could not sell a Corvette if it didn’t have the music system, which was the single most expensive option available on the all-new car.
For the rest of the decade, the take rate for the Bose in the Corvette remained very high, ranging from 89% (1988) to 93% (1986). Pricing edged up to $905 in 1987 and then dropped to $773 in 1988. By 1988, the radio delete option was gone from the Corvette’s RPO list.
Eighties Cars 
