1964 Buick Riviera

Description

Now that they're finally getting the recognition they deserve, it's time for serious collectors to add a first-generation Buick Riviera to their collections. Cars like this 1964 example are no longer bargain-priced leftovers, but first-rate collectables that also happen to be some of the best driving cars of the period.

Bill Mitchell re-wrote the playbook with the Riviera, dumping everything that had made GM the biggest company in the world. No chrome, no fins, no extra flash, just an ultra-clean, perfectly proportioned personal luxury car that redefined an entire segment. Finished in correct code H Wedgewood Blue, this one captures the sophisticated and subdued elegance of the design, letting the many wonderful details do the talking instead. With a recent repaint, it is in outstanding condition, with nary even a door ding on its chrome-free flanks. Fit and finish are good, showing careful workmanship when the time came to bolt it back together. The chrome that does remain, including the delicate wrap-around bumpers, cool bombsight hood ornament, and faux intakes on the quarter panels, all looks original and is definitely up to the standards set by the rest of the car. Even in a pastel color, this is a car that gets noticed!

It shouldn't be a surprise that a long line of A-list celebrities owned early Rivs, and the interior is certainly up to their standards. With a beautiful mixture of materials, it looks like an executive's office on the top floor in New York, and to give you some idea of how well-preserved this car is, most of the interior is original. The seat covers are in excellent condition, and we're guessing they've been replaced at some point, but everything else appears to be vintage 1964 and in very good condition. The instrument panel is a fantastic display of restraint, with lots of brushed stainless, big, round gauges, and simple angles that look right. Even the stubby chrome shifter is a little piece of art that not only looks great but falls easily to hand, reminding you that the Riv was built to be driven. Door panels are quite good save for some fading on the arm rests and the plush carpets provide a hushed interior ride. Options include factory A/C (which needs to be serviced), and an AM radio, which is ripe for an upgrade, because this is a car you're going to want to drive. Even the trunk is neatly finished and includes a full-sized spare.

Buick knew that effortless performance was the key to the Riviera's success, so they made sure that there was plenty of torque on tap to move all that sheetmetal with ease. With 425 cubic inches and an advertised 465 pounds of torque (that's the '465' in Wildcat 465) it gave this personal luxury car the ability to humiliate some pretty serious machinery out on the street. The engine bay is clean and shows signs of life-long maintenance and no signs of abuse or even minor modifications, and we've confirmed that this is the car's original, numbers-matching engine. It's linked to Buick's unique Turbine 300 transmission which offers silky smooth shifts, while a set of 3.23 gears allows it to cruise across the desert towards Las Vegas at high speed with barely a whisper. A new Flowmaster dual exhaust system sounds just about right for the muscular Riv, and 225/75/15 whitewall radials are fitted along with flashy wire wheelcovers.

Prices are moving on these awesome cars, and while it won't make you rich overnight, it'll certainly feel like it from behind the wheel. Call today!