Buick Riviera

January 13th, 2014 | Comments Closed | Buick

The Buick Riviera by Buick automobile produced in the United States from the 1963-1999 model years, with 1,127,261 produced. A full-size hardtop sedan special trimming and extending, or personal luxury car, the early models of the Riviera in particular has been highly praised by automotive journalists and writers. A common misconception is that all Rivieras produced after the 1965 model are front wheel drive cars; this is true only of the 1979-1999 models. In contrast, Stablemates E-body of the Riviera, Oldsmobile Toronado and the Cadillac Eldorado. The Buick Riviera name first entered the Buick line in 1949 as the designation for the new two-door pillarless hardtop, described in advertising as ” shockingly smart. ” This Buick Roadmaster Riviera coupe constituted the first mass production use of this body style, which was to become very popular over the next 30 years. Buick Riviera hardtop would add a 2-Super door to the following year, the Special and the Century in 1951 on his return, after a 12 year absence, in 1954. From 1951-1953 the designation “Buick Riviera” is also used long wheel versions of the 4-door Buick Roadmaster and Super sedans (and long wheel sedan will be offered on both lines in 1950 but were not called Rivieras).

The 1951-53 Buick Roadmaster and Super sedans Riviera 4-door includes more standard features, more plush interior trim and, most significantly, the wheels that were 4 inches longer than the regular Buick Roadmaster or Super 4 sedan-door. The 1951-52 Buick Super 4-door sedan Riviera 0.75 inches shorter in length than the regular wheels and Buick Roadmaster and 4.75 inches (121 mm) shorter than the Roadmaster 4-door sedan Riviera continues. In 1953, with a move away from the Fireball straight-eight of the V8 nailhead engines more compact, the Roadmaster and Super sedans Riviera 4-door of the same length. In the middle of the model year 1955 Buick and Oldsmobile introduced a four-door hardtops first mass-produced in the world, with Buick is offered only on the Century and Special models, and the designation ” Riviera ” also is applied to these body styles.

Hardtops Riviera Four-added to the door Roadmaster and Super lines at the beginning of the following model year. However, as it is a body style designation and not a model, the Riviera name did not usually appear on the car. In 1959, he became much more selective in applying the Buick Riviera name. From then until 1963 only be used to designate a premium trimmed hardtop style 6-the window is initially shared only with Cadillac and was available only on the Electra 225. The latter use of the term ” Riviera ” to describe hardtops in 1963, as the formal designation of the #4829 Electra 225 Riviera hardtop four-door. Coincidentally, this was the same year the Riviera would become a separate model in its own right.

Buick Riviera First Generation

The production Riviera shared its body shell with no other model, which was unusual for a GM product. It rode a cruciform frame similar to the standard Buick frame, but shorter and narrower, with a 2.0 in (51 mm) narrow track. Its wheels of 117 in (3,000 mm) and an overall length of 208 in (5,300 mm) in 6.0 inch (150 mm) and 7.7 in (200 mm) shorter, in that order, than Buick LeSabre, but slightly longer than Thunderbird contemporary. At 3998 pounds (1,813 kg), it was about 390 pounds (180 kg) lighter than either. It shared the standard Buick V8 engines, with a displacement of either 401 Cu in (6.57 L) or 425 Cu in (6.96 l), and unique design continuously variable automatic transmission Twin Turbine. Power brakes are standard, using Buick is huge drums of 12 (300 mm) diameter ” Al-Fin ” (aluminum finned). Power steering was standard equipment, with an overall steering ratio of 20.5:1, giving 3.5 turns lock-to-coal. Preventing the Riviera uses the same basic design as standard Buicks, with double wishbone front and live axle trailing arms and adjacent lateral track bar, but the roll centers are raised to reduce body lean.

Although its coil springs were actually slightly softer than other Buicks, with the lighter overall weight, the net effect was to make the Riviera a little more robust. Although still biased towards understeer, contemporary testers considered one of the most readable American cars, with an excellent balance of comfort and agility. The Buick Riviera was introduced on October 4, 1962 as a 1963 model, with 325 HP (242 kW) 401 Cu in (6.6 l) ” nailhead ” V-8 as the only engine available, fitted with dual exhaust standard equipment, and the turbine driving the only transmission, a basic price of $4,333 ; prices typically provided with options ran upwards of $5,000. Buick announced in December 1962, the availability of 340 HP (250 kW) 425 Cu in (7.0 l) version of the nailhead as an option. Total production is deliberately limited to 40,000 vehicles (in a year that Buick sold 440,000 units in general) to emphasize its exclusivity and to increase demand, only 2,601 of them were introduced with the 425 Cu in (7.0 l) machine in the model year 1963.

Buick Riviera Second Generation

The Riviera was redesigned for the model year 1966. It retained its cruciform frame Powertrain, and brakes, but he was wearing body longer, wider, more curvaceous, shell now shared with the Oldsmobile Toronado, and, a year later, with the Cadillac Eldorado. The notable styling point was the absence of vent windows, a feature GM had introduced with a flourish in the 1930s. Headlamps continues to be concealed, but they now pivoted up above the grille when not in use. Unlike the Toronado and Eldorado, the Riviera retained a conventional rear wheel drive design. It was now about 200 pounds (91 kg) heavier, so acceleration with the unchanged 425 engine was slightly slower. The Buick Riviera Grand Sport package will continue to be available as an option. Rear seat belts are optional. Radio AM/FM is optional. Inside, the four-place cabin with front and rear seats, bucket seats and center console is replaced by a choice of bucket seats or conventional bench seats as standard equipment, making the Riviera car six-full time travelers first. Optionally available was a state seat-bench with arms or Strato bucket seats with console either consult short or long action-packed with ” horseshoe ” shaped floor shifter and storage compartment.

The Strato bucket seats-bench available with a reclining seat option for the passenger side. Sales for 1966 rebounded to 45,308, a new record. The most significant change for 1967 was the adoption of an entirely new Buick V8 of 430 Cu in (7.0 L) displacement, 360 horsepower (270 kW) and 475 pounds · ft (644 N · m) of torque to replace the old 425 ” nailhead “. The new machine, with more power and torque on hand, represents a significant performance improvement. Gasoline mileage improved slightly with the new engine, although it continues to be a gas-thirsty compared to modern cars. A powerful Disc brakes with Bendix calipers, four-piston optional for the front wheels, but most Riviera continued to be ordered with Buick aluminum brake drums which were almost as good. Cosmetic, changes were few, and limited to, adding, full-width horizontal bar grille-mounted chrome center wide that stretched over the headlight doors and outboard parking lights. Sales eased to 42,799 for the model year 1967. The Riviera was full instrumentation.

Buick Riviera Third Generation

The Buick Riviera significantly redesigned for the 1971 model year with flowing and dramatic ” boat-tail ” styling. Designed under the direction of Bill Mitchell, was written by Jerry Hirshberg, head of design for Nissan in the future, matching the two-piece butted-Vee Fastback rear window, inspired by the 1963 Corvette Sting Ray split window coupe, Riviera is the platform. The design was originally intended for the smaller GM Stage, and the use of Buick Riviera of 1971, 3 in (76 mm) in wheels and more than 120 pounds (54 kg) heavier controversial looks-production expanded body. (Running Collectible Automobile article about 1971-1976 full-size Buicks where one sketch plan for their coupes 2-door refused similar to the 1971-73 Riviera.) The 455 engine had a lower compression ratio to meet EPA emission requirements, reducing power to 255 HP (190 kW), with 265 HP (198 kW) in the Grand Sport. Performance remained fairly quickly, with a 0-60 time of 8.1 seconds for the GS, but the image of the sporty Riviera fades quickly. One hand was notable in Buick Max Trac, a traction control system that prevented wheelspin during acceleration on slippery surfaces. The 1971 Riviera also features a GM ventilation system is ” full-Flo ” and two large deck lid louvers are prominent on the trunk lid. (Unfortunately, under certain conditions suction vacuum is created in rain and exhaust back into the car and ” Full-Flo ” and redesigned ventilation louvers were removed from trunk lid for the model year 1972.) Despite these features, Riviera sales for 1971 dropped to 33,810, the lowest so far. 1972 Riviera was little changed, with the change machine to the power ratings of 455 net, 225 HP (168 kW) or 250 HP (190 kW) with the Grand Sport, although the actual reduction in net power was only 5 HP (3.7 kW). Sales remained moribund at 33,728. For 1973, the 250 HP (186 kW) standard engine, with 260 HP (190 kW) with the Stage One package, which also included a limited slip differential and air cleaner plate-chrome.

The package ” Gran Sport ” will still be available as a separate option package featuring a ride-and-abuse that included a rear stabilizer bar, JR78-15 Whitewall belted radial tires-steel, and special tuning ” readability radial ” suspension, additional sound insulation and special badges ” Gran Sport “. The 1973 model also differs from the 1972 models in the rear ” boat-tail ” is somewhat less pronounced than on the model in 1972, resulting in a flat rear bumper.

Buick Riviera Fourth Generation

While carrying over the same platform, mechanicals, and some body panels seen on the ” Third Generation ” Riviera, Buick replaced its roofline ‘boat tail’ with unique ” Colonnade ” treatment that looks more conventional. This turns the car from a hardtop coupe into a pillared coupe, as it includes a wide B pillars and fixed quarter opera windows. The option to half-vinyl landau available. He did keep his grill on the car-intrude, although in slightly modified form. Adapted So, the car looked far less impressive than its predecessors, and even his friends stage, the Oldsmobile Toronado and Cadillac Eldorado. The tamer Riviera-look no lighter, and its standard 455 V8 lost more power, dropping to 230 HP (172 kW) and 245 HP (183 kW) for standard and Stage One model, in that order. Max Trac was dropped from the list of options after 1974 due to lack of buyer interest.

Style and did nothing for the revised sales, which plummeted to 20,129 in 1974. For 1975, the Buick Riviera received an updated front fascia is, who lost his theme-jutting forward by redesigning the fiberglass front end cap. Quad rectangular lights are installed horizontally. The vertical grill-new bar echoes the theme of ” stand-up ” that many GM cars of the day incorporated. Parking lights wrapped around the sides of Offenders. The Stage One performance package dropped to 1975, though the Grand Sport handling package would continue to be offered. The output of the standard engine dropped to 205 HP (153 kW). Sales for 1975 were 17,306. Minor changes greeted 1976 models, the most notable of these was a new crosshatch grille insert. The Grand Sport package handling package is replaced by ‘S/R’ and sporting pretensions were similar. Sales rallied slightly to 20,082 for 1976.

Buick Riviera Fifth Generation

The Buick Riviera from 1977 (unlike Cadillac and Oldsmobile, which makes it less a couple of years later), sharing the new smaller GM B platform. Although E-other bodies in front wheel drive since 1966 (1967 for Eldorado Cadillac), he used the Buick E platform and undercarriage B-body (along with a cruciform frame of GMs before-in 1965 for the generation 1966-70). Each B-bodies (including C and D platform GM RWDs) make them less for the 1977 model year and prompted the short-lived 1977-1978 generation. It was, in most respects, a Buick LeSabre coupe with a unique style (with quarter windows mimicking the Cadillac Eldorado 1975-1978). Unlike their corresponding LeSabre, front fascia vertically rather than unilaterally. He was reduced to the wheels of 115.9 in (2,940 mm), down 6.1 in (150 mm), and an overall length of 218.2 in (5,540 mm), down 4.8 in (120 mm). Weight reduced by about 660 pounds (300 kg). The 455 is gone, replaced by a 350 Cu in (5.7 L) Buick V8 engine with 155 HP (116 kW) or Oldsmobile-built 403 Cu in (6.60 L) with 185 HP (138 kW). California models were at 170 HP (127 kW) Oldsmobile 350.

Sales up modestly to 26,138 for 1977 and then fell to 20,535 for 1978, although this is strictly a stopgap model until the car E-whole body-is ready for 1979. So far, 1977 and 1978 Rivieras are considered a rare find since it was only produced for two year’s model on the GM B platform shrinkage before 1979 redesign on the FWD E-platform (there are two reasons why the B-platform is being used-1976 bending the current platform for the variance shrinkage where RWD E-platform vehicles will be produced at the B-chassis. Buick could have continued production, although the frame undercarriage components and chassis stamping are retooled late in 1976 for making a smaller production B-the stage where the FWD E-platform did downsize since they are produced on a separate assembly line. Also, with Buick dropping its 455 V8 after 1976, continuing the ’77-78 Riviera on the old platform E-Buick body would have forced either to downsize its 350 V8 engine, which was too small and underpowered for a 5,000-pound car more machines other GM divisions, including 400s of Chevrolet and Pontiac, Oldsmobile or Cadillac 403 in a 425-each of which would have limited sales and production giving each section first priority to its own vehicles before selling engines to other departments.

Buick Riviera Sixth Generation

1979 saw the first of the first front wheel drive Buick Riviera on a trimmer, 114 on (2,900 mm) wheels, once again sharing the stage with its mechanical design and Cadillac Eldorado and Oldsmobile Toronado. The Age Buick 403 and 350 were dropped, but remained the Age 350, as did a turbocharged Buick V6 231 Cu in (3.8 L) displacement with 185 HP (138 kW). The Riviera Motor Trend Car of the Year. Sales more than doubled, to 52,181 for 1979 and 48,621 for 1980 models very similar. 1981 saw the Turbo renamed T-Type and the decline in favor of the Oldsmobile 350 engine-built 307 Cu in (5.03 L) with 140 HP (104 kW) (phased in during the 1980 FY). The standard engine was now Buick 125 HP (93 kW) 252 Cu in (4.13 L) V6, and a new option in the Oldsmobile diesel engine with only 105 HP (78 kW). Offered through 1985. 1982 also saw the first ever Riviera convertible, although relatively few were built, due to very high prices-USA $23,944. Riviera convertible, available in only two options-white color or red color only foremost with red leather interior. A turbocharged Riviera convertible was chosen as the pace car at the Indianapolis 500 in 1983, although most convertible Rivieras the V8 engine, which saw an increase in SAE net horsepower rating to 150 for the conversion and coupes fitted with it from 1982 through 1985 model year. The 1980s Buick Riviera a great success, reaching 65,305 for the 1985 model.