1983 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Regency

The Oldsmobile 98 first appeared in 1941 and remained part of the lineup through 1996. From 1952 to 1991 it was spelled Ninety-Eight and from 1992 to 1996 it was without the hyphen. Initially, the 98 meant that it was part of the Series 90 and equipped with an 8-cylinder engine. By 1977, the Ninety-Eight received its tenth major styling update which would continue through the 1984 model year. This was the final time it used rear-wheel-drive configuration before switching to front-wheel-drive configuration while continuing to use the C-Body platform.

The 1977 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight used a 119-inch wheelbase with a length of 221.4-inches, a significant downsizing from the previous platform which had a 127-inch wheelbase and a 232.2-inch length. with the smaller size, weight was reduced by approximately 800 pounds, and although it seems to reason that interior space would have decreased, this was not the case. Rather, headroom and rear-seat legroom increased. The previous 455 cubic-inch V8 engine was replaced by a smaller 403 CID unit, and the standard engine was now an Oldsmobile 350 V8. A diesel version of the 350 joined the lineup in 1978.

The square yet elegant design was courtesy of Bill Mitchell, highlighted by a chrome-plated grille with a broad framework and a large center divider with a Ninety-Eight emblem. On either side of the center divider was a crosshatch pattern with quad rectangular headlamps on the outer edge. Below the headlamps were quad park and turn lamps. Body styles included a coupe and town sedan with prices in the high-$6,000 and low-$7,000 range. The Oldsmobile name in block lettering was on the decklid, and model identification was on the sail panel. The Regency sedans added an exterior sail panel light. The base LS model was solely offered as a sedan while the premium Regency was offered as a coupe or sedan. The Regency LX was a top-level offering available only in 1979.

The 1983 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight was offered as a coupe priced at $12,945, a sedan at $13,120, and a Brougham at $14,170. The standard engine remained the six-cylinder unit with overhead-valves, an 8.0:1 compression ratio, a cast-iron block and head, hydraulic valve lifters, four main bearings, a four-barrel Rochester carburetor, and 125 horsepower at 4,000 RPM and 205 lb-ft of torque. It used a four-speed automatic with overdrive and a standard 3.23:1 final drive ratio. Disc brakes were in the front and drums were at the rear.

The optional 307 CID V8 had overhead valves, five main bearings, a four-barrel Rochester carburetor, and 140 horsepower and 240 lb-ft of torque. The diesel 350 CID V8 with fuel injection had 105 horsepower at 200 lb-ft of torque.

Minor styling was applied to the grille, with a tighter crosshatch pattern and the Ninety-Eight nameplate was now located on the driver's side of the grille. Standard amenities included power steering, power brakes, power windows, a digital clock, fender skirts, bumper guards and impact strips, FourSeason air conditioning, dual remote-control mirrors, compact spare tire, and whitewall tires.

The Regency Brougham added a fully padded vinyl roof, lower bodyside moldings, halogen high-beam headlamps, cornering lamps, locking wire wheel covers, and a tilt steering wheel.

Oldsmobile produced 13,816 of the Ninety-Eight coupe and a combined 105,948 units of the sedan and brougham. The total 119,764 examples accounted for approximately thirteen percent of Oldsmobile's total production for 1983.

Minor updates were made for 1984 with production ending in March of that year. 1985 brought about a downsized and front-wheel drive Ninety-Eight and its eleventh generation of styling, this designed by Irvin Rybicki. Over Its weight dropped by over 700 pounds, it was 25-inches shorter in length, and the standard engine was a 181 cubic-inch V6. An eight-cylinder engine was no longer offered. The styling updates introduced in 1985 would continue through 1990, and for 1991 the twelfth and final generation of styling was introduced.

By Daniel Vaughan | May 2021