A new Regal appeared in 1988 on the GM W platform. This version both departed from and returned to Regal tradition. It was a departure in being the first front-wheel drive model, and in having no serious performance option or edition; there was no V8 engine and the V6 no longer offered a turbocharger. It did return to the original concept, however, in being offered as a coupe only, aimed once again squarely at the personal luxury buyer. The decline in that market, though, was becoming noticeable to all the manufacturers, and in 1990 the Regal again had a four-door sedan version (as did the Cutlass Supreme and Grand Prix the same year). This generation ran with few changes for nine years.
The Regal was offered in base Custom, upscale Limited, and Gran Sport trim lines. The Gran Sport option came standard with Buick's 3.8 L 3800 Series I V6 rated at 170 hp (130 kW) (from 1991 on), aluminum wheels, body side cladding, full instrumentation, and a console mounted shifter attached to a 4-speed automatic. The 3.8 L V6 was unique to the Regal, giving the car some performance to differentiate it from the Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme and Pontiac Grand Prix, with which it shared many of its components. Anti-lock brakes were made standard on all but the base Custom cars in 1992, and the grille was redesigned again for 1993. Along with the new look came an electronically-controlled automatic transmission and LeSabre-like rear lights and bumper.
A driver's side airbag was added for 1994. Other changes that year included the deletion of the Limited coupe, standard ABS on all models, standard power windows, and 20 hp (15 kW) more in the base engine due to a revised intake manifold and cylinder head. Dual airbags were new for 1995 along with a new interior. The larger 3.8 L V6 engine gained 35 hp (26 kW) for 1996, and only the Custom and Gran Sport (GS) coupes remained. Although 1996 was the last year of this model, production continued into 1997 as the replacement model was late.
For more information and pictures of the real car please visit: Buick Regal & Brett Bodine
In 1989 Racing Champions appeared on the market with replicas of real race cars. At first NASCAR and Indy Cars were the two main lines, but NHRA drag racers and sprint cars came along shortly thereafter. As you can see from this example, early castings were crude in both body and tampos. Within five years quality had increased exponentially, and the company rode a wave of increasing popularity in NASCAR Winston Cup. Unfortunately the bubble burst in the late 1990s when they produced chrome and gold chrome versions of almost everything they made. The sold very poorly and the racing diecast scene has never quite recovered.
Brett Bodine (born January 11, 1959) is a former NASCAR Winston Cup driver and is the current driver of the pace car in Sprint Cup events. Brett is the younger brother of 1986 Daytona 500 winner Geoff Bodine and the older brother of 2006 Craftsman Truck Series champion Todd Bodine. He was born in Chemung, New York.
Bodine attended Alfred State College and received an associate's degree in mechanical engineering before he became a professional race car driver. Growing up watching his brother Geoff race in the modifieds, Brett decided to embark on a racing career on his own. He began in hobby stock races at the track owned by his parents in 1977 before moving up to the modifieds in 1979. That year he finished 33rd in the season long points race. In the 1980 season he moved up to 24th overall. The 1983 season was Brett’s most successful in the modifieds as he recorded 56 starts, 6 wins, 20 top fives, and 30 top tens in route to 7th in the overall standings. He also won his first NASCAR Modified National Championship event, the Stafford 200. 1984 was the last full season of modified driving duties for Bodine. He started 39 events, winning 3 with 19 top fives and 29 top tens while finishing 12th in the overall standings. He also won another National Championship event, this time at Oxford Maine.
The 1985 season saw Bodine move up to the NASCAR Busch Grand National series driving the #5 Levi Garrett Pontiac. In just thirteen starts that season he managed 3 poles, 3 wins, 7 top fives, and 10 top tens. He also made a handful of modified starts and won the most prestigious event; the Race of Champions at Pocono. 1986 saw Bodine run his first full season in the Busch series and he fell just 20 points short of winning the championship. Driving the #00 Thomas Brothers Old Country Ham Oldsmobile he tallied 2 wins, 16 top fives, and 24 top tens to go along with 8 pole positions. Bodine also made 4 modified starts in 1986, winning two, both of which were NASCAR Modified National Championship events held at Martinsville. Bodine made his Winston Cup Debut in 1986, driving the #2 Exxon Chevy in the Coca-Cola 600. Bodine started 32nd and finished 18th in the Rick Hendrick owned entry.
Bodine again drove the full Busch series schedule in 1987 and was voted the series most popular driver. He accumulated 5 poles, 8 top fives, and 17 top tens, and finished 3rd in the championship. Bodine also replaced Terry Labonte on the pace lap in two Winston Cup events. Despite starting from the rear he managed to finish 8th and 9th respectively, although Terry Labonte is technically credited with the finishes. Bodine then ran 14 late season Cup races for Hoss Ellington in the #1 Bulls-Eye Barbecue Sauce Chevy. He had 5 top 10 qualifying efforts but his best finish was an 11th at Daytona, one of 5 top twenty finishes.
In 1988, Bodine moved to the Cup series full time for Bud Moore Engineering. He drove the #15 Crisco Thunderbird posting 5 top-10 finishes and finishing the season 20th in points. Bodine returned in 1989 and recorded 6 more top tens in the #15 Motorcraft Ford before finishing 19th in points. In two years Bodine recorded 3 top 5s, 11 top 10s, and 17 top ten qualifying efforts. Bodine and Bud Moore parted ways following the season, partly because Ford wanted a more high profile driver.
Bodine's breakout season came in 1990. Driving the #26 Quaker State Buick Regal for champion drag racer Kenny Bernstein, Bodine won his first race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, which came under some controversy. During a long 17-lap caution flag, scoring was mixed up, and some felt that Darrell Waltrip was robbed of the win because of the error. The win stood however, and before the season was over, Bodine had won his first pole position at the fall event at Charlotte Motor Speedway and was 12th in the championship standings. Bodine wasn't able to equal his 1990 effort, and parted ways with Bernstein after the 1994 season. In his 5 seasons driving the #26 Quaker State car Bodine posted 5 poles, 1 win, 13 top fives, and 43 top tens while finishing no worse than 20th in the final standings. For 1995 he signed with Junior Johnson piloting the Lowe's Ford Thunderbird. He posted two top ten finishes and finished twentieth in points.
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