Buick Riviera GS

The 1968 Riviera now shared sheetmetal with the Cadillac Eldorado and the Oldsmobile Toronado but remained rear wheel drive while its two brothers switched to front wheel drive. The 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

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.

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.