Background | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983/1984 | End of the Road

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1981 MODEL YEAR

The evolution continued during the second year of the '80s Olds 98. As in 1980, three models were made -- the Ninety-Eight LS Sedan and the Ninety-Eight Regency Sedan/Coupe. A new standard 4.1-liter V-6 engine debuted mated to a new 4-speed THM 200-4R automatic transmission. In an attempt to battle fuel economy concerns, GM decided to make V-6 engines standard in most full-sized cars. This was unfortunate since these engines simply were not powerful enough to do the job.

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Also new in 1981 was a computerized engine management system called Computer Command Control. Standard on all GM vehicles, this system had actually debuted in earlier years only in California.

The new system was generally reliable and included numerous new emissions controls as well as a computer-controlled carburator. For the first time the transmission featured a computer controlled lock-up torque convertor which engaged at about 50 mph.

Inside, the Olds 98 received new fabric selections but otherwise the interior remained unchanged. The diamond-patterned fabric for the seats in the Regency models was unique to this year. The available Cruise Control included a new "Resume" feature.

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