Buick
Riviera
The
1968 Riviera
now shared sheetmetal with the
Cadillac Eldorado
and the Oldsmobile Toronado
but the 1968 Riviera
remained rear wheel drive while its two
brothers switched to front wheel drive. The
1968 Riviera
grille was restyled again with
large parking lights housed in a new front bumper. The headlights still
retracted above the grille and retractable windshield wipers made their
debut. The Gran
Sport option was still
available and performance was good, despite a 4,222 lb curb weight. Top
speed was an impressive 130 mph. In all, 49,284 copies were sold in 1968.
Production: 49,284
Engines: 430 V8 360bhp @ 4600rpm, 475 lb-ft @ 3200 rpm.
Performance: 430/360: 0-60 in 8.1 sec
1965 Buick Riviera
Buick Riviera Interior
4.19.10
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Buick Riviera GS
Buick Riviera Engine
The
Buick Riviera
was introduced on October 4th, 1962 as a 1963 model, with a base price
of $4,333, although typical delivered prices with options ran upwards of
$5,000. Production was deliberately limited to 40,000 or less to
increase demand.
With
the same power as the larger Buicks
and less weight, the Riviera
had sparkling all-around performance: Motor Trend magazine found it
capable of running 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in 8 seconds or less, the
standing quarter mile in about 16 seconds, and an observed top speed of
115mph...and faster in a longer stretch of road.
1968 Buick Riviera
The
Buick Riviera
was not a muscle
car, per se, but it had a
tremendous impact on the American automotive scene. The
Buick Riviera
represented one of the most successful American attempts at capturing
European styling and performance in a large automobile. Positioned at the
top of
Buick's coupe line up, the Riviera
always represented cutting edge styling and performance and deserves a place
in American automotive history.
Known as
model 4747 and only offered on the sport coupe body style, the
Buick Riviera was a
huge success, selling 40,000 copies. It sported a dramatic design that broke
away from the
Detroit mold and into a
new era of styling. The front fenders had leading edges that were actually
vertical grilles, the rear contours angled to razor edges, and the doors
featured frameless windows, a new concept. The standard engine was a
401 cid V8 with 325bhp. For
just $50 more, the buyer got a
425 cid V8 with 340bhp.
Positioned as a luxury coupe, the
Riviera came with every
conceivable luxury option and would soon become the flagship of the
Buick line. Comments:
The
Riviera underwent a major restyle in 1966, the start of the second
generation. The headlights were moved back in the grille, and retracted
above the grille when not in use. The vent windows were eliminated and the
roof and rear deck gained fastback like styling. The hood became longer,
reported the longest ever on a car, and the taillights were redesigned. The
Buick Riviera GS lost its two carb option (though 198 copies were dealer installed), and
the 401 engine was dropped, so the 425 cid 340 bhp became the only factory
engine choice. The restyle was a hit with customers and 45,348 copies were
sold, a 50% increase over the year before.