The 1988 Chevrolet Celebrity front-drive intermediate received some technical refinements for 1988, but it changed little in styling. The former made the Celebrity a bit more road-worthy, but the latter left it trailing far behind Ford’s sleek new Taurus in the looks department.
The standard engine remained the 98-horsepower 2.5-liter four, but it earned a new “Tech IV” designation by adding a pair of balance shafts to cut vibration and gaining some stronger internal components. Still optional was the 2.8-liter V-6, though rated power dropped from 135 to 125 horsepower. The Tech IV came only with a three-speed automatic transmission, but the V-6 also offered an optional four-speed automatic, while those opting for the sport-oriented Eurosport package could even mate the V-6 to a five-speed manual.
During the 1988 model year, the Celebrity racked up sales of nearly 260,000, but that was far below 1987’s total. Celebrity’s antiquated styling was beginning to affect its popularity, and a replacement for the six-year-old design was sorely needed — and soon to come.
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