1972 Oldsmobile Delta 88 and 98 Commercials and Crash Test

[@99HeyJude]

I ordered from the factory, a 1972 Delta 88 Royale, a 4-door dark green in color. It was a wonderful road car. Handled like a dream. I drove it about 100,000 miles. Shoulda kept it! :)

[@juppongatana773]

Handled like a dream? I have a 2000 Grand Marquis. There is no handling to speak of. I'd hate to see how this drives. Looks really good though.

[@whs_tuba_boy9682]

juppongatana773 it actually drive smooth. Like a Cadillac...

[@matt8787fat]

Well said Jude i wish they still built cars like this much less oldsmobiles! Long live those rockets

[@exxusdrugstore300]

juppongatana773 Nah, by 2000 even Ford's big sedans got tighter handling to keep up with the trends. These old boats had effortless, featherweight steering that made handling very easy.

[@matt8787fat]

They do they just float around curves! It has a lot to do with body on frame construction rather than unibody.

[@MerleOberon]

Back then Olds were "Doctor's cars", more dignified. Buicks were flashy, Pontiacs sporty, Chevys for the poor folks, and Caddys for the rich. Still my favorite GM car line.

[@shwt121]

Well, I thought the Buicks were the doctors cars & the Oldsmobiles & Caddys were for the lawyers & the 'well-to-do' and Chevys were for the middle-class family's & Pontiacs WERE FOR the ministers & fire chiefs. GM always had a great lineup of cars.

[@DTD110865]

@@shwt121 I forget whether it was the Pontiacs, or the Oldsmobiles, or the Buicks that were supposed to be for little old ladies. Of course, when 4 out of 5 divisions of GM had muscle cars, all that shit was thrown out the window.

[@BigEightiesNewWave]

Our Neurosurgeon drove the same Chrysler Cordoba for many years , he loved that car.

[@dlee3710]

Our doctor had a powder blue convertible with white interior.

[@punker4Real]

basic Chevy tahoe is 50-60k even a LTZ is 75k far from "poor" if your all ready spending 75k on a SUV

[@senorkaboom]

WOW!!! In 1972, Olds actually designed a bumper to take a . . . . . . . . Bump!!!! What a concept.

[@SurviventheOnslaught]

my grandpa would bump the car in front of him when he parked, different time huh

[@gclarkbloomfield8848]

...repeat Oldsmobile buyers expected everything to be a "cut above".and the folks at the design center and the folks at Lansing gave it to them...

[@BigEightiesNewWave]

It was mandated by Federal Law. All cars had these for years.

[@BigEightiesNewWave]

Bumpers back then were mandated by law to take a 5MPH hit and not have damage , for the rear I think it was 2.5 MPH. I was hit in rear at a stop while in my 74 VW Dasher wagon , felt huge jolt , got out zero damage. Federally mandated bumper did it's job. Metal bumper mounted on shocks with wrap-around rubber strip.

[@BROD681Homers]

I have a 1974 88 Royale and a 71 cutlass. Love Oldsmobile

[@EricJamesHanson]

I clearly remember the ad for the 1972 bumpers. I was very impressed with the practical nature of this engineering, and it was a full year ahead of federal requirements concerning such things, just as the '69 locking steering column system and door guard beams on the big GM cars were also a full year ahead of requirements and the rest of the industry. -and their energy absorbing steering column had been ahead too, in '68 (and '67 Pontiacs)

[@NorthernChev]

I had a 73' Olds 98 years ago. What a tank! Absolutely indestructible. I think it weighed something like 160,000 lbs. and the bullet-proof 455 got a solid 9 miles to the gallon - if I stayed out of the pedal.

[@shwt121]

NorthernChev we called 'em dumpster pushers....they were the best....and a definite 9mpg- that was their character.....and that 455 had a BEAUTIFUL sound to it

[@shwt121]

I had two '73 olds..... a 98 LS 4 dr. and an Delta 88 royale convt..... the best ' dumpster pushers' around.

[@dougn2350]

@John Sluder ... Dad had a 72 Electra 455. He bragged about 18 mpg driving at 55 mph, which was the speed limit back then. But at 80 mph it was more like 12 mpg. Good thing it had a 24 gallon tank.... lol

........a HUGE cavity for the motor....and it was COMPLETELY filled.

[@Fresh-tw7ev]

Look at that big beast!!!

[@2414kels]

Just got 72 98 in really good condition. He have few old schools and his wife said enough! Sell the damn car. He gave in and sold it too me. Drives great, even drove it out of town no problems.

[@matrox]

My High school shop teacher had a brand new 73' 98 almost just like this one. It was a classy looking then and still is.

[@steffidude]

Driving the car for 36 years, I don't worry about a hard crash. Franklin Roosevelt once said, the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. I feel very safe in my 72 chevy.

[@manonmars2009]

On a more serious note, I remember very well all of the big GM, Chrysler and Ford cars of the sixties and seventies. The cars that stood out the most to me were the full sized Lincoln Mark V, New Yorker, 88, 98, Eldorado and Toronado. Even by 1970s standards, these cars were absolutely massive. Dad drove a red 1976 Eldorado with red and gold patterned pillowed velour seats and I had a 1978 Olds Cutlass Supreme. Side by side the Cutlass looked as if it had a hormone deficiency. So much has changed. The dollar actually had real purchasing power. People were pretty much content. And you never saw the police watching your every move.

[@jasonwilke2703]

I Had an 85 delta 88 totaled a dodge intrepid with it and you could never even tell the olds was in a wreck grill ornament came off but I glued it back onI even sold the car years later for the same price I paid for it loved the royal broham seats wish I still had it

[@notenufcars8474]

I like the first two commercials best. I'm partial to the 88's. In 1972, my best friend's dad bought an 88 2 dr hardtop in the same color as this 4 door. Olds called it Bamboo. It was a beautiful car, rode great and, surprisingly, it's 350 got 18 mpg. We were in high school and we borrowed that car every chance we got. Turned out that the girls really liked it. I think it was the color that did it. Well, us handsome guys, too. Ha, ha. Found a 4dr hardtop identical to the one in this commercial on Craigslist today! It's in Maryland. Claimed to be a one owner car, sitting garaged for 10 years. Looks really good in the pictures. If I was within 200 miles of there, I'd be in my truck right now with a UHaul trailer behind it!

[@saintz9533]

+notenufcars This is the most american comment in history

[@ThunderAppeal]

I love their engineering philosophy back then: 'More steel. More steel!'

[@AlainHubert]

@4:00 that sort of low speed impact would definitely damage today's bumpers. They shouldn't even be called bumpers anymore.

[@DasKloputzer]

no it wouldn't. plastic is very elastic and todays bumpers can absorb minor impacts easily

[@whattheheck1000]

Today's bumpers SUCK. I have a 2011 Honda Accord, backed into the front of a mid 2000s Altima going about 4 mph, it put a big dent in the rear bumper. December 9, 2018 4:23 am

[@twoeightythreez]

The reason they went to the ugly 5mph bumpers from 1975 to 1990 was because these bumpers did get damaged in bumper basher tests. Modern car bumpers are also rated for 2.5mph crash. They are allowed to sustain minor damage but its still way easier to repair than a dented chrome bumper. The original posters rant on the inadequacies of modern bumpers is completely misinformed. I have a 2002 Nissan Frontier that was involved in a severe enough collision to destroy the side of the 2500 chevy van that tried to bully its way into my lane. I almost spun him out because when he hit me the side of his van sheared off my valve stem, causing an almost instant flat tire which caused me to veer into him hard. Guess what? The only evidence of that crash on my little truck's bumper is a severely scuffed bumper cover. This was probably at least a 15mph impact into a much heavier vehicle and it only sustained minor cosmetic damage. The van was not so fortunate.

[@dglcomputers1498]

@@twoeightythreez Also note that modern cars are designed to crumple at the front and back in an accident to absorb the forces of a crash whilst allowing the passenger area to be strong enough to survive a crash as well as possible, this means that the occupants are not crushed and the doors can be easily opened after an accident. With an older car the occupants would take the full force of the crash, and whilst in some cases the car might have appeared to fare better, in reality a smashed up front is better than a smashed up passenger!

[@dougn2350]

Between the Old's 98 and Buick Electric GM had a near lock on full size luxury cars in the early 1970s

[@kmd33k]

This was my father's Oldsmobile! He bought one used during the 1980 oil crisis for $500! There was no false advertising regarding that bumper.... it was at least as strong if not more! It could knock down a brick wall and not get a scratch!

[@dougn2350]

Those big cars got real cheap after the 2nd oil embargo.

[@LearnAboutFlow]

Assuming he attacked the brick wall at no more than 2.5 mph

[@wahs12312]

The 100% Oldsmobile 20th century generation of the best looking cars in the hold world man 24/7!!!!!. Thank You Mr. Ransom Eli. Olds for making all the "Luxury vehicles & Mainstream vehicles" too also!!!!!. R.I.P. brother (June 3, 1864 - August 26, 1950)!!!!!. And R.I.P. to all of your name brands Oldsmobile vehicles are out there today (August 21, 1897 - April 29, 2004)!!!!!. And P.S. we will miss you more!!!!!.

[@alanmaier]

Ah the good old days! We had a '72 Delta 88 that stayed in the family until the frame rusted out - the Rocket 350 was still just fine. A friend had a 98 and often told the joke about a friend saying "watch out for that bump in the road" for which he replied "bump, what bump?". Of course the 98 and Buick Electra were basically the same car as the Cadillac DeVille under the sheet metal. As for those bumpers that people are joke about being 2 MPH, Olds and Pontiac had experiential front bumpers that were just to protect from minor parking dings and nothing more. The '73 model year brought out the massive bumpers that stuck out so far they were a joke.

[@RoundenBrown]

I was involved in a fender bender with my 1970s Oldsmobile and a 1990s Toyota. My Oldsmobile suffered no damage at all, but the Toyota's rear end was completely destroyed. Metal bumpers FTW.

[@54spiritedwill54]

They don't make'em like they used anymore, that saddens me. I love these old GM Cars.

[@BigEightiesNewWave]

a new car today would need thousands of dollars in repairs from a 5MPH hit.

[@vistacruiser67d]

What better gas mileage could you find in full size cars from 72? Gas was only .36 cents a gallon in 1972 and I dont recall reading any rollover reports on these. Its not exactly a Jeep CJ.

[@tombeyer375]

Those vehicles were a beast! Had a '71 Delta, woth the 455/400 Turbo trans. What fun. Would still like, no later than 1972 '98 2dr coupe, with the 455 setup!

[@billbright1755]

Light all boilers, set for ramming speed!

[@lasuvidaboy]

In comparison, 2.5 mph crash on most cars today would require a replacement or repair/repaint of the plastic bumper covers.

[@DasKloputzer]

no it wouldn't. plastic bumpers today can absord energy from a front collision with 2-5 km/h

[@readyxxi]

Styrofoam / plastic inserts crush the bumper cover needs repainting at least 500 parts and labor

[@mattiaandrini9969]

Yes, but if you crash at 30mph you get out on your own foot uninjured. In those car you would be lucky to finish in a wheelchair

[@saxongreen78]

"This front seat is solid foam."

[@kcthatsawinner]

I enjoyed those classic '72 Olds 98 print ads,which also said "Quite a substansial car",but they did not have the "Oldsmobile:Always a Step Ahead" motto,but they were great!

[@bry4950]

After 1972 GM cars began to lose their appeal, but before that WOW! GM was super great.

[@shwt121]

Bruce Bryant Damn right, Bruce......the 71 thru 76 GMs were the biggest and the best on the road

[@dougn2350]

Wasn't just GM. The new emission standards destroyed performance. It was decades before we had good power and economy. Todays 4 cyl engines in mid size cars can do 0 to 60 in 8 seconds and get 40 mpg highway too. I turned 16 in in 1974 and drove my dad's buick and my moms dodge. They were fun cars but they sucked gas big time.

[@mariogullette4795]

The same bodystyle from 1972 went up to 1976, GM downsized their sedans & coupes in 1977!

[@MoonliteRider]

During the middle to the late '70s, Olds Cutlass was the number 1 selling car in the US.

[@supreme2005]

"Even your wife can lift heavy packages into the trunk!"

[@fitza9107]

for these in particular, i think 73' was the very edge of taste and performance. i luv the wagons too. wish i could have one.

[@KevsCarChannel]

Thanks for the video. My second car was a 72 Delta 88.... farking thing was indestructible. I remember being able to stand on the hood and walk all the way across it without it bending....I was around 180 lbs back then. I also remember the huge sucking sound it would make when I took the air cleaner off and revved up the old Rocket 350. Used to stomp the gas and watch the gas gauge go down. Wow, those were the days.

[@areolaman]

My dad's 73 Delta 88 was a quiet and magnificent beast when it was new but after six years it was a total rust bucket and valued at $100 on a trade in.

[@48alfaone]

Haha, i remember these AD's on TV, i just got my DL and was wound up ready to go! Thanks for posting!

[@RoundenBrown]

They're not kidding about those bumpers, they saved me countless amounts of money in fender-benders and the like. Unlike the plastic bumpers in the cars of today.

[@vistacruiser67d]

I bought them on VHS via mail order circa 1992 from the REO transportation museum for about $20. Theyve since been burnt to DVD.

[@Pookatube]

Too bad they don't make bumpers like those anymore.... BRING BACK OLDSMOBILE!!!

[@johnsnowman6170]

That bumper. What a killer!

[@mr.butterworth]

1:28 "Inside it's pure comfort. This front seat is solid foam." Ha.

[@shananagans5]

Those pointed bumpers really do a number on a 69 Fiat. OOps, I mean my fathers Fiat mysteriously got a v shaped dent in it one time. :) Love the old car films. Thx for posting.

[@joeslais5597]

I had a big ole 1975 Delta airline 88 with a 350 omega quadra jet 4 barrel, swapped it for 800 bucks and a dirt bike.

[@RoundenBrown]

Gotta love the ol' school Olds!

[@danfavata2821]

ultimate road rage machine!! Would love to ram every other shitbox on the road today with this monster!

[@HerecomestheCalavera]

+Dan Favata I have a 1983 Olds 98 Regency Brougham and while it isn't quite as big as this one it is still huge compared to other cars. What you described there is my dream!

[@san379]

+Dan Favata today the airbag would go off.. 1000$ repair and crumple zone would crumple.. totaled ..

[@matchupaul93]

"Would love to ram every other shitbox on the road today with this monster!" LMAO! that cracked me up... I have a 1978 town car that could ram a shitbox or two off the road lol

[@notenufcars8474]

Impacts? I thought he said it would absorb minor imports!

[@savagenomad5731]

Dan Favata Ash Williams would be proud

[@wissn2112]

I had a 73, 74 lesabre/ and a 76 delta 88 . dam,, them are heavy duty cars. my 76 had the 455. Hope to get another someday.

[@Sashazur]

I think the Pontiac Grand Am a few years later had the first bumper that looked like it was part of the body - it was covered by body-colored flexible rubber. The Pontiac “nose” was squishy, which was weird/cool to kid me.

[@palebeachbum]

I think American cars were very well built in the 80's. Every one that I've driven or ridden in has been well built. Not saying fit/finish was good, but the bodies and interiors all seemed to hold up well.

[@vistacruiser67d]

Those pillarless sedans are called four door hardtops as opposed to the four door sedans or 4 door post. I think Olds made the first one around 1955 and other car makes quickly followed. The last year these were offered by GM was 1976 on the full size lines. They are made differently than the post sedans for more support around the area you are speaking of and its more than just side beams. The doors dont just cave in when hit. I own a 70 Cutlass 4 door hardtop and a 72 Cutlass 4 door post.

[@michaelnippert945]

The Olds 98 1972 the first car that I ever drove

[@matt8787fat]

Dyno don these were high quality.

[@joshuataylor3975]

Gosh ! Even the wife can put things in the trunk ! Perfect for all her new hats !

[@raymondhaley8156]

The 88,s-98,s from 1971-73 were like large Cutlass supreme, being built using a larger A body chassis, they were fast easy to handle and very comfortable, 74-76 Delta 88-98 weighed 200lbs more but still were just as fun to drive, I'll never forget em.

[@apharot]

You're right, but back in the day, it was ahead of it's time. Side impact steel beams? Who thought that would work? Turns out it did. Solid foam seats?? Oldsmobile at one time set a standard for cars. Too bad GM screwed that up

[@brenthill3241]

Those were the cars of my teens. They were good and bad compared to today's cars. They were extremely smooth, roomy and comfortable with better visibility compared to today's stiff suspension and ultra low profile tires with wheels that today buckle as soon as you hit the smallest bump. However they did not have today's safety cage construction, side impact protection and roll over strength. They had a heavy frame at the front with flimsy open channel side rails. The body on the other hand had very thin roof pillars supporting a flat paper thin roof. Massive super strong suspension and rear end with truck size wheels and tires but they were floaters made to be kept at reasonable speeds unlike today's which are steadier at twice the speed. Massive trunk yes as long as you were carrying skis but bulkier objects could be a problem. Most of those cars would get 20 mpg on the highway if you kept it to 55-60 miles per hour but around town hoo boy they could est the gas. Also those early smogger engines were from an era that lost their efficiency greatly with pollution devices whereas today's engines with multiple valves and variable timing and ECM electronics are both powerful and efficient. That's why today trucks outsell the classic big sedan. Comfortable with normal tires plus today's technology. They're the best overall compromise of old and new.

[@bradparris99]

They also were the cars of my teens. In 1978 I got my grandfather's 1970 Buick Electra to drive when I turned 16. Fortunately I was that rare teenager that buckled up both the lap and shoulder belts when I drove. A couple of years later they probably saved my life when a drunk driver in a Chevrolet suburban crossed the center line and hit me head on. I walked away with only bruises from the belts which was far better than the unbelted other driver who had massive head and chest injuries from the steering wheel.

[@HISTORYDUDE2112]

I miss my 72 Oldsmobile 98 Regency.. Best driving car I ever had.. But I don't miss the gas miledge..

[@LakeNipissing]

Back when a bumper was exactly that... a device designed to shield the car from bumping into things, without being damaged itself. Try this same test with one of today's plastic fantastic, and at least a 1000 $ of damage.

[@tjfreak]

+LakeNipissing Some of that might be true but back then the car might be sitting there pretty much un phased but they'd have to find the body parts outside of the car & squeegee you up.

[@JimJones-zc9mk]

+LakeNipissing that's when cars had real bumpers.

[@DasKloputzer]

thats stupid. plastic bumpers are way better because they are more elastic and can absord higher energies than metal bumpers

[@computerwiz4]

I'd rather replace a plastic cover on a bumper in a minor accident rather than die in a majof collision because the bumper does a shitty job absorbing collison forces.

[@patcurrie7733]

As the paint falls off, requiring body work

[@bradleypollack5658]

When GM knew how to make cars!!

[@mrspivvy]

yeah I know, I meant it in a light hearted way- not being nasty honestly. I love old land yachts like this, a '73 like sam raimi's is on my wish list!

[@MrVernonSmall]

As an American Dr. quoted to me, he called foreign cars, rice burners, and I agree 100 percent. The reason why the economy is a mess is mainly due to foreign cars being sold in the states!

[@DieselKoks]

God I wish even one car procuder this decade made bumpers like this

[@CreamyBone]

"This front seat is solid foam!" XD

[@Doobie1975]

nice car, I personally thought the 1972 Oldsmobile 98's and Buick Electra's looked better than the Cadillac's of that year.

[@rever65]

The bygone era of man-made quality seems a world away. We have total computerization today. Designed by computers, manufactured by computers, driven by computers. People communicating by i-pads and spelling the word "you", "U", etc. Somewhere along the line, the 50's vision of the future got derailed and it has not benefitted mankind.

[@coffeefish]

I can't believe that it caused no damage.

[@randomrazr]

it kinda sucks that they dont make bumpers like that anymore

[@ericg4042]

The automakers spent more fighting safety regulations than engineering to meet them. Thus the ugly 73-75 models with logs or beams for bumpers. The 69 Impala with it's "loop" , razor thin metal front bumper was ridiculous. Engineers have also learned you are safer allowing the car to crumple around you instead of using the passenger as the battering ram. Had a 72 Cutlass Supreme couple for a while - that was a nice car. Used to drive a 72 Delta 88 sometimes - the wallowing made me nervous.

[@palebeachbum]

Much smaller cars these days ride smooth as glass and without all the float and wobbly handling. You're probably right about the quality of materials on American cars back then being similar to Rolls now. Sheetmetal was much thicker back then and there was all that real chromed metal. Although vinyl upholstery was the norm and wood interior trim was even more fake back then than it is now on cars of the same relative price.

[@jurivlk5433]

From my own experience I know that these cars were very tough. I had an accident as a passenger in a 74 Cutlass, also a very big car. We were 7 persons inside and the driver ran at 160 km/h on a narrow and curvy mountain road. One curve was too tight and the driver braked the car to 100 km/h, then let it go straight, thinking there were a meadow in the curve. In fact, there was a meadow but not at road level. We made a jump of quite a long distance but only after having shaved a road side post made of concrete. The bumper got hit but no one was hurt. One wheel was off but could be repaired on site. We drove the car home, although slowly. The chassis was a little deformed and the bumper got a dent. It weighted about 70 kilos and would burst the so-called elastic plastic bumpers of a modern car into pieces. Very tough car, even heavier than a Tesla. I think that were the most solid cars ever made.

[@bradparris99]

I was in a head on collision in a 1970 Buick Electra when a drunk driver in a Chevrolet suburban crossed the center line and hit me head on. Because I was wearing both the lap and shoulder belts I walked away with only bruises from the belts. The Electra was totaled. The unbelted other driver had massive head and chest injuries from the steering wheel. Those were tough cars.

[@bradparris99]

Were any of you wearing a seat belt in the accident in the 74 Cutlass? If I can recall, it had lap/shoulder belts for the driver and front passenger and just lap belts in the back and front center if it was a bench seat. So 5 maybe 6 seat belts and 7 passengers?

[@jurivlk5433]

@@bradparris99 They were five gold-brown seat-belts, modern seatbelts, in the car. The problem was, that the car was huge and fitted 7 people. We were young and careless, we never wore seatbelts and since we were 7, nobody had a seatbelt on. Some minutes before the crash, one girl was rinding in the trunk and thankfully changed her place.

[@jurivlk5433]

@@bradparris99 No, you're right! Back seats were just lap belts, but weren't worn. I don't remember if in the middle there was a seatbelt, but three people sat there. I'm not sure if there were just two large seats in the front. I remember they were made of brown cord. The car was almost new as far as mileage was concerned, like 30'000 Km or less, and quite luxurious. Very nice car! We felt like presidents!

[@jurivlk5433]

@@bradparris99 A Suburban is not a very small car! It is more a truck or a bus, I would say! Would like to crash in a Suburban!

[@randomrazr]

its all steel man, back then. solid car

[@r0ckabillyred]

finally some one sees it from my point of veiw i had a 1973 oldsmobile 98 my dream car one day some one cut me off and i hit one of those yellow poles in a parking lot going a bout 5 or 10 mph the pole was 6 inch thick with a steel surround and concrete middle i literaly knocked the pole out of the ground and had $75.98 worth of damage i love big cars

[@bradparris99]

I was in a head on collision with a Chevrolet suburban that crossed the center line and hit me head on. Because I was wearing both the lap and shoulder belts at the time, I walked away with only bruises from the belts which was far better than the unbelted other driver who had massive head and chest injuries from the steering wheel. Of course the Electra was totaled, but I walked away. In my opinion, that's a damn good car.

[@jayjaydotcom33]

‎'72 Olds Ninety Eight ( my first car) that car was a tank loved it, everything looks better in slow motion. madlaidbackstyleforsure

[@tillman40]

My dad drove mostly olds and we were poor

.......even today...the best choice for the financially challenged is an old lady's used Olds/Buick.....cheap to buy and maintain with some bells and whistles standard. I know a guy who did this since he was a teenager...his cars weren't sporty but they were an absolute pleasure to ride in.

[@ChildOL]

Most cars today have lots of damage from minor collisions

[@LakeNipissing]

+ChildOL Usually the plastic, foam-filled bumpers fall off of them!!!

[@jack002tuber]

The car is a 4 door with no B pillar. The rear doors are mounted on a stub that comes up and stops. If you hit this car in the side between the doors you can probably drive right thru it

[@edpoe4622]

Nope, I used to use these in demolition derbies, nothing could get through those doors or anywhere else!

[@vmerca21]

@caldragon7 WOW $8.75 to fill up a 25 gallon tank, thats RIDICULOUS!! Too bad we'll never see those days again in this country.

[@sonicfan4242]

if it can fare well in a minor front-end collision how will it do in a major front end collision?

[@Membrane556]

Yah they really should enforce making them resistant to minor collision damage like they did in the old days it would help reduce insurance premiums. Most cars today seemed designed to be disposable not only expensive it's also very environmentally irresponsible. BTW I walked away from a high speed crash in a car of that vintage.

[@MitzvosGolem1]

check out 1959 Chevy Bel Aire versus 2009 Malibu crash test head on. Shocking results.

[@divisioneight]

Nowadays - that little tap would cost you over $3500 in repair costs. No wonder insurance is so high. Bring back the big bumpers!

[@steffidude]

My 1972 Chevelle purchased 8/12/72 is very safe. I feel much safer driving it than any new car believe me!!

[@bradparris99]

Hopefully you wear both your lap and shoulder belts. I was in a head on collision in a 1970 Buick Electra in 1982 and was wearing both the lap and shoulder belts and walked away with just bruises from the belts

[@vistacruiser67d]

Eddie Robinson did Oldsmobile commercials from 1972 to at least 1974. My collections cuts off at 74 so Im not sure what happened after that.

[@andersonquinn23]

They should still make those kind of bumpers

[@lasuvidaboy]

If you ran any new car into a wall at that speed, the damage to the plastic bumper covers would be extensive. New cars w/their plastic bumper 'covers' are very easy to damage compared to those big chrome bumpers of the early 1970s.

[@BlutoBlutarsky]

All GM full sizers had a bumper of this design in 1972 although Chevrolet didn't offer an impact strip as standard equipment. IMO I would prefer this to a modern plastic bumper which, although it protects the lighting, cracks or at least damages the paint on the most minor impacts.

[@randomrazr]

lol how were the build qualitys? what do u think of the buicks of that time?

[@ElwoodBlues830]

I'm stunned by the way they presented things. We're in 1972, the guy says : "This Olds Delta 88 is not just another pretty car (questionable), big 350 Rocket V8, automatic transmission, power steering, front disc brakes...". Just like these features were extraordinary, although these were somewhat basic during that time. It's almost like the seller was telling you : "Well, it's not just a car, it has an engine, it brakes, it has wheels that you can turn. Astonishing, isn't it?"

[@eldo59]

Still like the yellow one Uncle Ben drove in Spiderman.

[@shwt121]

eldo59 me too.......1973 Delta 88 4dr. Sedan....those things were tough and a beautiful ride.

[@hutchcraftcp]

We had a 72 4 door 88 in dark blue with white top.

[@aarongranda7825]

Damn new cars don't even have bumpers!

[@wissn2112]

IF that bumper test was done on a new car, there would have been $1,500 worth of damage to the new plastic car.

[@SuperMike1955]

olds 88 and cutlass were the cars used in drivers ed class at my high school in lansing, michiga

[@palebeachbum]

Detroit was good at small and ugly in the 80's. Well, there were some good looking cars in the 80's though. The Lebaron coupe/convertible comes to mind.

[@blitzedburgh090]

somewhat 40 years later... im glad they dont build them like they used to

[@hallmark45]

I'D RATHER HAVE AN OLDS

[@0Myles0]

Well I'm sold! Where can I get me a 1972 Olds 98?

[@JuniorYTC2015]

1988 Cutlass Oldsmobile supreme black and red 88

[@rorybellamy2533]

man i wanted a1972 98 ! in 1984 , now i see a Dinosaur , a beautiful Dinosaur

[@caraccidentlawyers4u]

How much cost did a minor fender bender cost, in today's dollars, compared to today's vehicles?

[@ZEZERBING]

wow!! what will they think of next????

[@Bittboy]

Did you record a video playing on your computer with a video camera? You could've just uploaded that to KZbin...

[@swordfish1986]

So hope that you never involved in a hard crash with that car. In this case the car is really safe.

[@Matp345]

I wish I could take the people out of this video and put them in the same GM facility today. Just to see their reaction on how safe things are today.