My, That's a Big One by CoreyBlack
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Description
This is the rather colorful tail-light of a 1985 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale. In addition to having one of the biggest rear turn signal indicators of the era (the orange part of the light), this model has the distinction of being the last truly large rear wheel drive body on frame traditional full sized car that Oldsmobile ever built. For 1986, this model was down-sized onto a much smaller front wheel drive unibody platform, the styling of which looked amazingly like a truncated aardvark with spoke wheels. Thus ended decades of classy looking medium priced elegance and a reputation for bullet-proof reliability. A reputation further tarnished when the awkward looking aardvarks began to self-destruct in their owner's driveways like a lot of the other General Motors products of late 1980s. It was this corporate ineptitude that lead GM into the trouble that it has never really recovered from, and goes a long way toward explaining why the vast majority of Americans no longer drive American cars.
Around the turn of this century, GM finally seemed to realize that it had watered down the identities of its different brands to the point that several of them had become interchangeable and ultimately irrelevant. At this point, a culling began, and one of the first casualties was Oldsmobile. When the marque was discontinued in 2004, it had been producing cars for 107 years and was the oldest surviving automotive name plate in America.
But back in the happier days of 1985, Oldsmobile was doing just fine. The division's wildly successful mid-sized Cutlass Supreme had been the best selling car in America for several years running, and the last truly big Delta 88 went out on top: it rolled off into the sunset as a still popular and well respected class act.
Photographed in the Ravenswood area of Chicago on April 12, 2011.
Comments (18)
NefariousDrO
Very cool shot, it's almost an abstract. You're right, there's something that's been lost at GM for many years. I sure hope they find it again, living in Michigan this had a direct impact on my own livelihood, even if I don't work in the auto industry.
KatesFriend
I remember this kind of car. And I remember the Lee Iacocca days at GM - buying a dairy so one can buy a bottle of milk. And the 'don't give me any bad news' style of management. Long I suffered with such overloads in the starting out days. These days I still have high hopes for GM. Their Chevy Volt might just be the bridge technology needed to move all of us to a cleaner future. Okay, so I'm idealistic. But enough with the SUVs already.
danapommet
Doesn't that bring back some great memories. Super shot Corey. Dana
blinkings
'A truncated aardvark with spoke wheels'! I love it. I've just googled the car and your description is spot on mate!
Chipka
I love both the image and your description. The aardvark with spoke wheels is not only spot on but outright hilarious. Because of the mood I'm in--as well--I can't get Quintin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction out of my head. "You know what they call a Quarter Pounder in France?" "No." "A Royalle with cheese." "Why do they call it that?" "'Cause they got the metric system, they wouldn't know what the f* a quarter pounder is." "So, what do they call a Whopper?" "I don't know. I didn't eat at Burger King." Or something like that...and I have no idea why I partly misquoted Pulp Fiction but I think it has to do with seeing the word Royale...it takes so little to send me off on a tangent. I love the abstractness of this shot and the details that really do pop out once you actually pause and look at the whole thing, then zoom in here and there...and as for zoom shots, this is one well worth zooming. Really well done.
beachzz
I drove a 79 Olds Cutlass for 10 years. It was big, heavy and free!! I used to tell my son to recommend me to that show that takes old cars and completely restores them!! Never happened, but I sure got my money's worth (which is kind of ironic, since the car was given to me!! lol). It was so comfortable I used to tell my friends it was like driving my couch!! Love this shot--they just don't make em like that any more at all!
bmac62
I'd know this tailight anywhere... Amen, brother. Super rundown on the Oldsmobile mark. And then GM got rid of my favorite...the Pontiac. My last grand Pontiac was a 1968 white with blue top Bonneville convertible. Felt like I was at the helm of a tuna boat but it drove great, looked great and was absolutely reliable.
whaleman
Love it!
durleybeachbum
Ah, a victim of the Vicious Metal-moth. As were many of the ealier Jaguars.
Bothellite
For those of us who raced back in the hot rod days of yore the American car manufacturers really hosed us, we felt. We feel that the last good cars were made in the very early 70's and things started to go sour just about the time we left Vietnam. I love your description. You don't even need a photo to make it work in the mind.
kgb224
Stunning capture my friend.
auntietk
I can feel the cushy suspension of the ride just looking at this tail light! Wow. Very cool!
Sea_Dog
Well sone, Corey - this image and your narrative seems to have stirred memories in a lot of people - me included. I remember the days of the "land barge" style, Oldsmobiles, and Buicks, and Pontiacs.
pauldeleu
Great action shot.
flavia49
wonderful capture
sandra46
SUPERLATIVE AND ALMOST ABSTRACT!
annie5
It was a superb car! Great capture Corey :)
minos_6
Great capture, Corey. I find myself fascinated by the reflections in the paintwork, as well as the design of the vehicle itself. An urban environment to the rear of the car, and trees at the side. As a child, I was always impressed by American cars I saw on TV. They were much more grand and impressive than the ones you generally saw on the streets of London. So this is a sort of removed nostalgia for me too. Fascinating image!