Long before the Chevelle, the Pontiac Tempest and the GTO, there was the Oldsmobile 88. The 88 is considered today as one of the direct predecessors of muscle cars, owing largely to its huge V-8 engine and tire-shredding torque. Olds power was so respected that when some eighth-generation 88 buyers discovered they'd been slipped a Chevy engine, GM wound up giving them the option of exchanging their cars for 88s with true Oldsmobile "Rocket" engines.
Oldsmobile offered the 88 in 18 different paint colors in the 1984 model year. Code 11 White and Black 19 looked good on these massive cruisers, while Silver 12 and Medium Sand Gray Firemist 87 filled the gap between. Blue and green hues were very popular this model year, with Olds offering a few shades of each. From the lightest to the darkest, blue shades were, Light Royal Blue 22, Medium Slate Firemist 85 and Medium Dark Royal Blue 27; greens were Light Gray Fern 42, and code 48 Dark Gray Fern. Spectra Red 75 was a bold choice, far more so than Frost Beige 59, Light Briar Brown 67 and code 60 Light Sand Gray. Autumn Maple Firemist 74 was effectively a metallic version of the very brown code 37 Light Maple.
