The 1984 model year was the swan song for the full-size rear-wheel drive, body-on-frame Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight coupe and sedan.
Along with their GM C-platform stablemates, the Cadillac De Ville and Buick Electra, they'd been downsized for the 1977 model year and, in search of more fuel efficiency, for 1981 the base engine in the 98 became the 252 cubic inch (sold as the 4.1L) Buick V-6...although oddly they didn't call those cars "Oldsmobile 96's".
In 1982 an extra super deluxe trim level called the "Regency Brougham" was added to the Olds 98 lineup, with super plush upholstery and electroluminescent opera lamps on the B-pillars. Also standard on the Brougham were a tilt wheel, cornering lamps, and a padded vinyl roof.
Base engine in the '84 Brougham was the Olds 307 V-8 with a Rochester 4-barrel carb, rated at 140 SAE net horsepower. Optionally, masochists could order the wretched Olds 350 diesel, which put out 105 horsepower when it could be persuaded to run at all.
The original MSRP of the Silver Metallic 1984 Regency Brougham in the photo was $15,201, which was enough to let you go shopping on a Cadillac lot back then, so long as you stuck to well-optioned Cimarrons.
This one was photographed in August of 2024 using a Nikon D300S and 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 VR II zoom lens.
