Whip of the Week: Buick Riviera

Buick originally used the term "Riviera" to designate a particular body style on a variety of its models from 1949 through 1962. It wasn’t until 1963 that the Buick Riviera made its debut as a model in its own right, intended as a sport-luxury two-door hardtop that could compete with the likes of the Ford Thunderbird. It came with a standard 401 cu. in. V8 that made 325 hp from the factory, or an optional 425 cu. in. for an extra 15 hp. In 1964, the dual-carbed "Super Wildcat" engine was introduced as an option, brining the factory horsepower count up to 360. Rawr! 1965 marked the first major restyle for the Riv: changes included vertical headlights hidden in the fenders behind motorized clamshells, and an optional Gran Sport package. Needless to say, there are a lot of beautiful examples of the 1st-generation Riviera on CarDomain. Check out Steve’s ’63, painted in Mercedes Astral Silver and decked out with some awesome audio. Mario’s ’63 has a freshly-rebuilt 401. Chris’s striking two-toned lowrider is pretty impressive, and Brock’s slammed ’64 is already a show-winner, even though its major mods are still in the works. Mike’s Riv, with lakes pipes and wire wheels, somehow found its way all the way over to the UK. And I sure wish I could learn more about Bea’s flame-throwing ’63! Mark’s page on his ’65 includes pics of the clamshell headlights in action, Brett’s ’65 rolls on 20" rims, and BobbyUNO’s low-miles, unrestored ’65 is a virtual time capsule!