The Birth of the Loose Cushion Car Interior: 1972 Oldsmobile 98 Regency (with Blaine Jenkins)
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- Опубликовано: 3 мар 2023
- Learn more about the 1972 Oldsmobile 98 Regency Interior and how it became the first domestic car with the "loose cushion" interior.
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The bit about the clock was hilarious.
I remember riding in the back seat of a brand new 1975 Olds 98 at 100 mph like it was nothing. I was very young back then, and I still think about it to this day. It was so nice. Hard to imagine for someone younger, because there is nothing you can buy today that even comes close to how these big old Ford and GM cars made you feel.
I’m proud to have called Blaine my friend! I knew him for years before I learned anything about his illustrious auto design background! He was retired, modest and very low key. May His Memory Be A Blessing.
That's when cars were tasteful. I loved those interiors. The individual that was married to my mother had a new burgundy 75 Fleetwood Brougham with matching interior. The seats looked like a Persian rug and were absolutely stunning.
I have always had a life long fascination with the loose cushion interior and I always felt no one did it better than GM. Thank you for explaining the back story.
The loose pillow look introduced by Ford on their Lincolns in 1975 was much nicer!
@@viciouspoodle5543 Can't compare an Oldsmobile to a Lincoln but maybe a Cadillac Fleetwood Talisman.
@@viciouspoodle5543 As Ford goes I like the early 80s non winged or non bolstered loose cushion with the horizontal pleat. 80-83 Mark VI 80-82 Thunderbird. I admit these cars in their highest “Brougham” formats have nothing to be ashamed about in comparison to any GM.
The Imperial LeBaron wasn’t half bad
Me too!
That steering wheel and dash layout , wow. My 1977 98 Regency was probably my favorite car. No Tiffany clock, but super deluxe comfort and rocket engine power.
This type of story really interests me. How it is decided how much content gets or doesn't get into the design. That $100 is probably $600 today but it was money well spent.
Absolutely my favorite Oldsmobile of all time. Here in New Zealand, my great grandparents were one of the very first people to own an Oldsmobile. 1903 tiller steering. It was the very first automobile to arrive in Gisborne.
Dang… generational wealth ? 😂 just kidding that’s awesome
Wow!!!! I hope you have photographs to cherish a historical moment like that!!!!
My mom had a '77 Coupe de Ville d'Elegance with these loose cushion seats and the first time I rode in it I couldn't believe how comfortable they were. Or that a car company would install something like this! At first I thought they were something that was installed on top of the real seat beneath.....
Great video!
I had a 1980 Cadillac Coupe de Ville with the 'd Elegance package.. It had the loose pillow seating split bench up front (blue leather) with dual six way power seats and dual armrests. Medium blue metallic exterior with 1/4 vinyl landau roof. Very supportive and very comfortable for hours of interstate cruising. That car had every possible option including a factory CB radio.
Excellent video and thanks to Joe’s YT channel for that great interview. Loved that.
I remember how comfy the loose cushion Cadi interior was in the 80's. My grandma had one (she had a Delta 88 before that) and I honestly wish car companies would pay more attention to the interior comfort level of today's cars. Thanks for the awesome video!
Love it when you use the old literature and such in your videos. Awesome. I'd also love to read the "sales pitch" in the side paragraphs trying to persuade you into thinking you must have one. Lol. The language they use is fun and interesting. Or the way they name some features, etc.
When you see those interiors its sad when you see how cheap gm interiors got in the 90s.
That still carries on today
@@kellismith4329 go sit in any late 90s gm j or n body and ull rethink that.
And beyond!
They’re interiors in 90s r better
No complaints on my 98 monte carlo
fantastic entry, thanks for including the archival interview with mr. jenkins. they created the signature '70s interior!
I've driven many cars over 4 decades and i can say the GM pillowed seat in Oldsmobiles and Cadillacs are the most comfortable seats ever put in a car, sooo comfy on long trips!
Adam, I absolutely get lost in time when I watch these videos. I remember the 70s era Olds 98 in general and the 98 regency in particular very well since many were still on the road when I was a late teen and young adult working with my father in the 1980s. And I got a chance to work on several of them I remember thinking they were on the Cadillac level. It was obvious that the Olds 98 was the close cousin of the Cadillacs in size, design, and overall luxurious feel.
These cars were wonderful! Quite possibly the most spacious and comfortable interiors that GM ever produced. No wonder Cadillac wanted to adopt them wholesale. You can't buy a car this comfortable today at any price.
Oldsmobile was often a tech bed leader for new ideas and if they were successful, moved on to Cadillac, as well...
I learned to drive in a car with this interior. It didnt ride down the road it floated. It really did feel like a boat cruising across a vast expanse of water.
Car magazines hated that, they claimed luxury cars should corner like a race car and ride as rough as a dump truck... and they favored foreign vehicles makers that bribed them better... automakers were trying to get good magazine reviews while also pleasing buyers... wacko magazines screwed up a lot of vehicles...
Again, this is my favorite RUclips channel. Great video.
I knew someone who had a 1974 Olds 98. I used to get a ride in it all the time. What a beautiful car in all respects.
My grandpa had an '82 98 Regency, and an '85 Delta 88 two door; I loved that 88. I'll never forgive GM for what they did to Oldsmobile. Great video!!
The Times...not gm...was oldsmobiles undoing....gm actually was trying very hard to save the brand...completely transforming it in the 90s...
Even without that plush Regency interior the Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight's already had a reputation for being highly-powered sofa's-on-wheels. I thought they were wonderful cruisers. Living room comfort on the highway!
I loved the loose cushion look on the Imperials. Plus those were the top 50/50 split seats with dual armrests, recline and 6 way power.
I loved these loose upholstered pillow top seats in my 80s Olds Cutlasses I had. Super comfortable.
Briefly met Blaine Jenkins in 2012 or 2013 in Palm Springs. How lucky we all are to benefit from his beautiful interior designs.
Those were the great hay days of the "disco" '70's. I rode in so many 98 Regency's back in those days. It seemed as though everyone's mom had a 98 Regency in the '70's. My Mother actually owned a 1973 Cadillac Calais Coupe. I cannot possibly imagine GM allowing that 98 Regency's interior in a base Cadillac. It would have ruined even a Cadillac Fleetwood's reputation back then. Amazing that an Olds 98 managed to out-class all luxury marques with that fabulous interior. I can remember a 4-hour, winter trip down to Houston from Dallas in a new, gold, 1976 Olds 98 Regency. What a wonderful, plush, cozy, sleep in those pillow seats!
No car manufacturer will ever build cars like these ever again. I am SO glad that I got to grow up with these wonderful big American cars and had the pleasure of owning them as well. I loved my youth.
Thanks for this and that interview with Blaine is priceless. I miss Olds. Our 71, Delta 88 was by far the best, most reliable, and FAST car we ever owned. And there was THAT DASH!!!!
You can watch the entire interview here. He talks about so much more than just the Regency.ruclips.net/video/eb11KamUAW4/видео.html
@@jtralongo1 Thank you
Anyone who ever sat on one of those knows how comfortable they were !!Like a couch!! Those land yachts cars were smooth as heck!!
Thank you Adam! I watched and smiled as I watched. I had heard about Blaine Jenkins and the work he did. I thank you for featuring the car and the story behind it. That interior was used up until 1990 model year. I will be honest the interior lost something in the 1991-1996 time frame. I drive a 1986 and enjoy it. I also like the Brougham interior that showed up in 1982 that was a step up from the Regency trim. That interior design ran from 1982-1990 with updates and then sort of came back in 1994-1996. I think if they had kept it more luxurious, it would have helped. The 1984-1985 Delta 88 Royale Brougham LS used the Brougham interior for two years. Then years later after the 1996 model year after Ninety Eight was sadly dropped, they had an actual model called Oldsmobile Regency that ran for two years( 1997-1998) on the Eighty-Eight line. It was an Eighty Eight with Ninety Eight parts. It should have got the digital gauges and other features from the Ninety Eight as well. It got most of them. The Regency trim became the base model in 1982 I think. It stayed that way the rest of Ninety-Eight's run. People do not realize the Ninety Eight was a highly optioned car that gave you Cadillac at a better price. Mr. Jenkins is right. I know my Ninety Eight has things on it Cadillacs did not have or did not get until later. You do such a great job and it is appreciated. Thank you again especially for this video.
I owned a pristine 1986 Regency Brougham when I was in my early 20's. The seats in that weren't quite as pillowy as previous Regencys, but they were still extremely comfortable and good for LONG trips. My friends and I thought it was the Grand Poobah of all cars. That dual-tone seatbelt chime told you you had arrived in heaven. That car would see many ski trips, camping trips, runs out to the coast for a night out at the casino, and several trips between Seattle and San Diego. That car drove us through the mountains every time without so much as a whimper until I eventually traded it in. A few years later, I bought a 1988 Park Avenue with only 85k miles on it. It had flawless pillow leather seats, plus automatic level control, which was a good thing, as I used to *stuff* friends and all our belongings in that thing for road trips. Both vehicles lasted their subsequent owners well into the 200k and even 300k mile marks. I often wish I would have kept them both.
Like driving a giant, soft, comfortable couch!👍
My dad had a 73 Regency. I still think about that loose cushion interior and the tiffany connection!
I loved those Oldsmobiles like that. Absolutely beautiful automobile. And the interior oh my goodness!
I always liked the loose cushioned interior in the GM luxury cars. They were amazingly comfortable.
I had them in vinyl in my 78 Cutlass Supreme.
About 1992, I bought a 1973 Oldsmobile 98 for $200. The driver's window had stopped working, and the lady decided that that meant the end of the car! After sitting outdoors under a tree, the car looked terrible, but a careful scrubbing made it look proud again. A $15 motor from a junkyard Electra fixed the window, and after a few hundred dollars for things like new tires and a replacement lower control arm, I had a fine, fine car. White with the non-padded black vinyl top, blue interior with the "loose cushion" velour seats. The car of course had the 455, and I could easily return 16 mpg. It was a remarkably well-balanced and good-driving car, and the seats were amazing, whether for spirited driving or a driveway nap.
Of the many 70s and 80s Cadillacs, Olds, and Chevrolets I owned, the 98 was maybe the best. A 1980 DeVille in white/white vinyl/blue leather interior with a 368 (not an 8-6-4) and a built-in CB probably tied with it for good balance, driving comfort, and relatively good economy. I drove the DeVille while attending foundation year in transportation design at CCS 1989-1990, and it made the trips to and from NC absolutely effortless!
Had a 77 Cutlass Supreme Brougham with a blue loose pillow velour interior and my parents had a 78 Regal Limited with a burgundy loose pillow velour interior. For their time they were actually pretty comfortable!!
Those were the days!!!!
Great video. I remember the buzz that the Olds 98 Regency had in the mid-70s.
My cousin had the station wagon and it was a beast . On the highway it was the most comfortable car I have ever been in.
Furthermore, the Delco stereo in it had such a phenomenal sound.
Those were the days ...
The interiors of those vehicles were second to none. I sure miss the Olds Pontiac line up.
Great interview, 98s were truely awsome, and the Regency is still stunningly beautiful!
These older cars looked so noble, classy, compared to nowadays cars 😕
I have fond memories of the Oldsmobile 98. My mom had a 1969 98. She loved that car and was very proud of it. Many thanks for creating this and all of your videos.
Oldsmobile ruled in the 1960s and 1970s. What GM did to them afterwards was a crying shame!
Very cool. A cousin of my mother’s owned a ‘76 Ninety-Eight Regency four-door, and hers was amazingly cushy inside. It had the 5mph bumpers front and rear, so it was even longer than the ‘72 model. It had the vertical taillights that reminded me of church windows (like the intake ports on cathedral port LS heads).
I definitely remember the magazine ad for the 1972 Olds 98 Regency. The Tiffany clock stood out in my memory from that ad. I always liked the velour interiors with the loose pillow look that so many Buicks and Oldsmobiles had. I remember more of them in cars from the late 70s and early to mid 80s than I do in older vehicles. Perhaps that type of interior became more popular later. You mentioned Chryslers. Even in the 80s the 5th Avenue had that style interior in either velour or leather. That type of interior looked and felt very nice. I don't know how you could not enjoy riding around in a car like that. So much nicer than the interiors we have in luxury cars now.
My father bought a new big Olds in the late 60’s to the mid 70’s. The one I remember the most was his 75 regency. It was gold on gold and those seats were so lush and comfortable!
He switched to Cadillac in 77 but that big Regency was the most memorable!
It wasn’t all good news though, by 77 it was on its 3rd paint job thanks to paint cracking and peeling and there was bubbling starting under the vinyl top. Not the type of thing you’d expect within two year on a new car today.
Lots of us were probably conceived in those plush interiors.
These days we sit on rock hard car seats.
More so support is better for long hours of driving.
Back in the late 70's I got picked up for a ride hitch hiking from a guy driving his dad's Old 98. I want to say '77 but cant be sure. Anyway, it had cherry red cushioned seats and to this day I swear they were the most comfortable car seats I've ever been in. Add in the Olds gushy handling and it made for a truly "floating over the road" experience. If they sold them today I'd be tempted to buy them [we're not getting any younger you know]
My dad bought the 1975 Regency with that interior and man was it plush. She had the Olds rocket 455.
The interview with Blaine Jenkins is awesome
Don't know if I ever remember seeing a '72 Regency in person. Looks waaaay nicer then the Cadillacs of the era.
I was a teenager during this time. All these cars were commonplace basically. And when you look around today, you just ask yourself WTF happened?
Dad had a 74 Regency when I got my driver's license. White, with a burgundy vinyl top, 4 door hardtop, with burgundy crushed velvet upholstery. Had the Tiffany clock, didn't have a second hand, there was a little disc in the center with a white dot on it...very chic. It was like sitting in your living room! LOL! That thing fit half my graduating class in it...if you used the trunk!
I had a 1977 Olds Toronado Brougham back in the early 80's. It had the "Loose-Pillow" velure seats. It definitely felt like you were sitting in your living room sofa. Wow, miss those "Land Yachts".
My dad had a 73 2door so I loved this video. Thanks!!
My dad had a 73 2 door Buick Electra. Very similar. I drove it around in High school. Plush, but not as plush as the Olds. We were all sad when it was sold.
Very interesting. I bought a 72 Olds 98 455 in 77 from a friend for $700. It wasn't a regency but it did the job. I didn't know about the plush seats so didn't miss them. Was a great car
Beautiful interiors!
Thanks for sharing that interview, shame that channel doesnt have more videos, great stuff
Love Blaine’s story about Cadillac going down to the 14th floor and getting shut down! Laughed hard at that inter-brand rivalry and pride!
I had those loose pillow velour on a 78 Buick Regal Limited coupe that had been my mother-in-laws. Very comfortable and a beautiful car in dark mahogany with a light vinyl tan landau top, wire wheel covers, and light brown interior, and a V-8. Beautiful, smooth riding, and very quick.
Neighbour had exact same spec until a few years ago. I think that was Buick's killer colour, interior and engine combo.
I believe my neighbor's '76 Olds Regency coupe had a tufted pillow interior but it was done in all leather (no Tiffany clock though). Man, that was a beautiful car. It was a light yellow gold, black landau half top with opera windows and coach lights, powered by that big 455 V8. He was the envy of all of us kids (and some adults) that knew cars then, because that car was nicer most Cadillacs of the time. My neighbor's long gone, but his family still has the car, interior intact, but the exterior is sadly in need of body work and paint. I thought about buying it from them to restore it, and then dedicating it to past family members and friends who lived in the neighborhood at the time--like a time capsule. Still a dream-- those were good days.
My ‘84 Olds 98 Regency was the most comfortable vehicle I’ve ever owned. It was pure luxury. I’m 6’2” tall and it’s the only vehicle I didn’t have to have the seat all the way back.
I remember reading an interview with Blaine in one of the car magazines about 10 years ago. It was a really fascinating insight into his career and the birth of the loose cushion interior trend. If you can find a copy, it's well worth the read!
My dad had a dark blue 1973 Oldsmobile 98 Regency with a blue interior.
Adam that was so very interesting I thoroughly enjoyed that. I am currently redoing the velour fabric by a local restoration company for my 1990 Buick Park Ave. and it has very plush seats as you know and I can just imagine how much more plush those seats were!!! Luckily this place I’m bringing my car to, is able to procure the same exact fabric they used in the car to redo the seats because of the cigarette damage. Im so glad they still have bolts of this amazing OEM velour around!
Cheers!
Jeff
Please share the name of the shop!
My grandmother had one of those and I loved riding in it, especially when we went on long trips in the summer as a kid!
I had a 1972 Oldsmobile 98. Maybe the horsepower rating that year wasn't real high but when you got on it it really purred and scooted right along in perfect comfort. Seemed to have lots of torque..
Another wonderful trip down memory lane. I was a teenager when my Dad bought a 1975 Regency, and we all thought the interior was to die for. Great memories of many make out sessions in those plush, soft seats! Wonderful padding on the doors also. Thank you Adam.
i like those 98's.
Hey Adam, great video!!! I love the loose pillow look & the velour upholstery of the seventies!!! They were sooo comfortable!!! 👍👍🙂
My parents bought a brand new 98 LS in Feb. 73. Cream colored interior with the clock in the back seat. Lots of other goodies too. The seat back also had two reading lights and pull straps to aid in getting in and out. Classy car. I remember us getting a 73 Caddy as a loner when the Olds was getting worked on. It looked a lot cheaper on the inside.
I’ve loved those ol 98’s up to 76 for years.
owned a 79 coupe 98 regency , had the pillow seat WOW just awesome Missed that car till this day
That ‘72 front end was my favorite!
Looks like the '73 Cutlass drew some inspiration from that grill.
Makes me cry,miss real cars with style and a soul.
Remember, though, that Packard offered reversible seat cushions in the 1956 Caribbean convertibles and hardtop coupes.
Yes. They did. But they weren’t designed to resemble the sofa cushions.
Adam, you should've seen the crowd around the Oldsmobile Ninety Eight Regency at the 1972 Mid-Atlantic Automobile Show. "Relax folks, plenty of room inside for everyone". For 1972, Cadillac celebrated its 70th anniversary with a Fleetwood Brougham available with a Crushed Medici Velour interior. The Oldsmobile reps were waving at the Cadillac booth - with no response.
When I was in my YOUNG 20s, I worked at a Texaco service station in the mid 1970s and the owner had a top of the line brown Buick. The interior would rival any expensive living room furniture! 👑
We always called this "pillow top" seats. Had them in my 84 Olds Delta 88 Brougham. Add it to the list of cars I regret selling.
Automotive histories documentations continue...Bravo Adam!
Very cool interview esp about the execs saying no to Cadillac, lol! This was the peak time for Oldsmobile, gorgeous cars.
Those mid seventies Olds and Buicks were PLUSH!
I'd like to see a little bit of that treatment on a few of todays cars.
I miss comfy interiors, especially in fun and unique colors. I've always been partial to the blue velours they had- always reminded me of a bathrobe.
A great video on the history of this unique model, Adam! Thank you.
I had a regular 72 Olds 98 and it was a couch on wheels. Awesome ride.
I owned a 74 ….98 Regency. With the black loose cushion interior . Really miss that car now, there’s nothin like it now.
Nothing like driving your living room down the road, couch and all.....
This style seat is awesome in leather.
We need another Blaine Jenkins to bring back comfortable seating. Probably going to need him to work for Honda or Toyota (maybe Mazda) though.
Very interesting background, I remember seeing a '72 Regency in Toronto and that'Tiffany" gold paint really popped.
I loved the loose cushion style leather seats in my 77 and 79 Lincoln Town Cars.
I would love to see the names on the registry that Tiffany’s kept for ones who lost their keys.
Thanks, I never knew of the Tiffany car. My grandfather favored the 98 Regencies. He owned several but his last car was a Lincoln Towncar.
My first luxury car was a '72 Olds 98 LS 2 dr. The interior cloth was a brocade cloth. My '76 98 Regency had the loose pillow velour interior. One day I will have another 71-76 Olds 98.
Very interesting !! I always wondered at what point did cars get the tufted pillow cushion interiors. Now I know!!
Another really great interview with what I believe to be a good insight into the design and production of the cars I grew up with. I never thought this kind of inside history would be available to us.
AWESOME video! Love history like that! Only if they could design like that today! I guess these younger generations would not know what to do!
2 of my aunts bought a 74 Olds 98 brand new (one of my dads sisters and my moms only sister) both bought a white 74 98 Regency one had a green velour int and one had a brown vinyl int but both were Regencys with the pillow design. My parents drove Pontiacs but I remember those huge 98s! I rode in my aunts with the green velour but I dont think I ever rode in the other one! Massive cars!
Man, the 70s - it was groovey!
It was also when "Muskrat Love" was on the radio. 😐
Absolutely luxurious interior...
Woohoo some 98 action! I love my 71 98. Just got new tires on it a couple days ago 😁
Looks comfy for long drives.
I loved my 1972 Gold Nighty Eight LS Cream color top. with a Beautiful Light Cream interior. I had to have it after I traded my ‘73 Fleetwood Brougham for a new XR-7. I seen this Gold 98 on a dealer lot and took it for a long ride and missed that ride. The Price $1,200 in 1980. The New XR-7 $9,300 ($34K today) I was 18 and everyone looked me and treated me like I was rich the Service Dept. Kept calling me the Rich Kid. I said I am a cook making $8 and work a lot of overtime. Lol Payment was only $200 a month.
Interesting! Great interview as well! 😀👍