Looking at a 74 Delta 88 Royale convertible. What made it different from a Delta 88 convert ? More highly optioned ?
( Pictured is a '74 but not the car I'm looking to buy)

 

Royale is a higher trim level, fancier both inside and out. All 1971-75 Delta convertibles were Royales indicated by BN in their VIN.

 

Thanks Rocket. I thought all Delta convertibles were Royales also until I checked " Collector Car Market.com." for valuation info and they differentiated between 2 door convertible and " Royale". They had different values, though just a couple of hundred dollars in this case.

 

They're wrong.

All convertibles were Delta 88 Royales.

No regular Delta 88s.

No 98s after 1970.

- Eric

 

My 74 delta has royale tage but only has windows and top for power options. I still need to check the numbers to know for sure what is what on this car. I'm not too worried about the finer points i just want to drive and enjoy building it.

 

I don't think power options were part of the Royale uplevel trim. It was primarily cosmetic as in additional exterior trim and a plusher interior. Pretty sure you could get an 88 Royale with manual windows, no A/C, AM radio, etc.

 

Definitely sure.

- Eric

 

In 1971 the 88 and 98 came together to make the royale that is the only way to get a conv from 71 to 75 (was the royale) Had the 71 conv for 40 years bough it new. Tin man

 

Thanks for the help.

 

My Royale has manual windows and does have A/C. No idea what radio it came with, but it has an AM out of a 73 Delta 88 now.

I've wondered what the exact differences were between the too are also.

 

I've got the "1973 Oldsmobile Interiors" dealer album, and for '73 at least, all that "Royale" meant, at least for the interiors, was a different type of trim with a bit more chrome on the doors, the big "R" in the trim piece on the front doors, and different designs for the seat upholstery along with different types of cloth.

For example, for the Royale, the seat fabrics available were either two choices of "moroceen," which was like a vinyl, or four choices of "bravo cloth." For the non-Royale Delta 88, there were three non-cloth choices, again "moroceen," and the three cloth choices were called "Lansing cloth." They had a slightly different pattern to them and perhaps were a lower grade of fabric.

But I don't think "Royale" ever meant a different level of standard equipment such as air-conditioning or power windows or anything like that. Cars back then were very much more tailorable option-by-option, rather than the packages of options, or "groups", that you have to buy now. You could have had a non-Royale '73 Delta 88 fully loaded with all power options, AM-FM-8-track, air-conditioning, cruise-control, you name it, and you could have had a '73 Royale completely barebones in the options department with roll-up windows and no A/C.

As has been noted, all convertibles were Royales.



Heck, this business of few or no options even extended to the 98 line back then. I've seen '73 98s with very few options, including non-power windows and non-remote control mirrors, which you'd think would have been almost a given on such an upper-end car. But that was not the case.