Airbag Timeline: Large Cars, 1987-1994

Large, non-luxury cars were still relatively early recipients of airbag technology. These are the big, usually American full-size sedans. All of this grouping are American (the Toyota Avalon would be included as well, but it started production in the 1995 model year. It came standard with dual airbags from the beginning)

For the 1988 model year, Oldsmobile offered an $850 driver air bag option on its Eighty-Eight model, although it was a slow-selling option.

For 1989, Dodge made a driver air bag standard on its Diplomat, then in its last year of production. Oldsmobile made a driver air bag an option on its upper-level Ninety-Eight as well.

For 1990, the Dodge Diplomat was replaced by the Monaco. The Monaco was not available with an air bag, making this one of the rare instances where an air bag equipped model was superceded by one without air bags. However, Chrysler Corporation, which makes Dodge, made a driver air bag standard on the New Yorker this year and re-introduced the Imperial, fitting a driver air bag as standard equipment. Ford's Crown Victoria also introduced a standard driver air bag this year.

1991 saw General Motors large cars adopt air bags en masse; the new Buick Park Avenue and Buick Roadmaster both included a standard driver air bag, as did the redesigned Chevy Caprice and Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight.

For 1992, the remaining GM large cars, the Buick LeSabre and Pontiac Bonneville, were redesigned, both gaining a standard driver air bag in the process. The Bonneville made a passenger air bag an option. The Ford Crown Victoria was also redesigned, adding an optional passenger air bag as well.

For 1993, the Dodge Monaco was replaced with the Intrepid, which came with dual air bags standard. The Chrysler New Yorker was replaced by the Intrepid's platform mate, the Chrysler Concorde, which also sported standard dual air bags.

For 1994, the Chrysler Imperial was replaced by the LHS, with standard dual air bags. The Ford Crown Victoria made dual air bags standard. In one fell swoop, General Motors made dual air bags standard on all of their large cars; all but the Pontiac Bonneville had previously only been equipped with a driver air bag, while the Bonneville's passenger air bag went from optional to standard.