1972 Oldsmobile
Ninety-Eight Regency

A Limited Edition in honor of Oldsmobile's 75th Anniversary

The Oldsmobile Division of General Motors Corporation celebrated its 75th Anniversary in 1972. To honor this occasion, Oldsmobile created a very special Limited Edition automobile called Regency. Limited to a production run of just 5,000 cars during the 1972 model year, reports indicate that only 2,650 may have actually been built. The RPO code Y79 Regency Package was based on Oldsmobile's top of the line Ninety-Eight series, and was quite a substantial car. The Regency was Oldsmobile's most luxurious car ever and took luxury to new heights with unique touches that made it a cut above. The elegant interior introduced a new pillowed-style, limousine-quality velour-upholstered seating that would become very popular on this as well as on other makes and models in the years to come. With this model, Oldsmobile would challenge even top luxury make Cadillac, and likely convinced a few Cadillac customers that they could step down to a Regency and give up virtually none of the luxuries to which they were accustomed.

The exterior of the Regency was finished in a special custom metallic paint finish named Tiffany Gold. This color was exclusive to the Regency, and the rich vibrant gold tone made an immediate impression that this was a very special motorcar. A matching vinyl roof in Covert Gold added additional distinction. The vinyl roof could also be ordered in Black or White, should the original purchaser prefer one of those colors instead. Shimmering Regency script was placed on the roof sail panels, just behind the rear door glass and above the vinyl roof trim molding.

The Tiffany Gold color continued inside the Regency as well. The electric timepiece in the instrument panel (shown at left) was specially designed by Tiffany & Company, and bears the Tiffany name on its face. Tiffany Gold was used as the color for the face of the timepiece, which really made it stand out in the instrument panel, and it served as a reminder to occupants of the exclusive nature of this motorcar.

The interior of the Regency was spectacular, to say the least. Upholstered in limousine quality all-nylon velour which was treated for stain and dirt resistance, the pillowed effect of fine furniture was achieved in both seat backs and seat cushions to provide unparalleled seating comfort. The front seats were 60/40 divided to permit separate adjustments for the driver and front passenger. The driver's side featured a 2-way power adjustment. Center armrests were provided front and rear, and zippered pouch pockets were provided in the front seat backs for the convenience of rear passengers. Interior door pulls were specially designed to compliment the decor of the special edition Regency. A gold embroidered design (shown at right) was stitched into the facing of both center armrests. The Regency interior was available in just two colors, Black or Covert Gold.

Other interior luxuries included color-coordinated cut-pile nylon carpeting on the floor, cowls, and lower door panels. The warm look of French Walnut graces the instrument panel, steering wheel, door trim panels and seat side moldings.

Interior dimensions were impressive, with 39.3 inches of front seat headroom and 38.2 inches in the rear; 64.3 inches of front shoulder room and 63.4 in the rear; 42.4 inches of front legroom with 41.1 inches in the rear.

For 1973, Regency became a full-production model. It would become more popular in future years, and would remain at the very top of the Oldsmobile line through 1981. A new Regency Brougham trim package was introduced in 1982, which was even more luxurious and offered more standard features.

The full array of Ninety-Eight Luxury Sedan equipment was provided on the Regency, and included:

Variable-ratio power steering
Power brakes with disc-type brakes at the front wheels
Power windows
Turbo Hydra-Matic transmission
455 cubic inch Rocket V-8 engine with four barrel carburetion
Interior-operated hood lock
Spring-mounted front bumper that absorbs minor impact and returns to position
Power Flo-Thru Ventilation with full-time air circulation whenever the ignition is on
Deluxe chrome wheel discs
Rear fender-opening covers
Spare tire cover
Carpeted trunk
Three cigar lighter/ashtray consoles
Chrome control console for driver's armrest
Remote control outside rear view mirror
Automatically-operated door courtesy lights for all four doors plus open-door warning reflectors
Dual front seat head rests
Deluxe steering wheel

AVAILABLE COLOR COMBINATIONS:

Paint: Tiffany Gold Metallic (paint code 85/Ditzler code 2483)
Vinyl Roof/Interior Color Combinations:
- Black vinyl roof/Black interior
- Black vinyl roof/Covert Gold interior
- Covert Gold vinyl roof/Black interior
- Covert Gold vinyl roof/Covert Gold interior
- White vinyl roof/Black interior
- White vinyl roof/Covert Gold interior

Above: Oldsmobile printed a special owner's manual for the Regency.

Above: Regency interior with 60/40 divided front seat shown in Black. Optional 6-way power adjustment for the passenger's side is shown, along with optional power door locks.

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Each Regency owner received a unique key (shown at left), designed exclusively for the Regency. With this key, a special gift from Tiffany's: a sterling silver key ring. If ever lost, the key ring and keys could be dropped into any mail box and Tiffany's will return them to the owner at the address listed in its registry of Regency owners.