1964 Buick Riviera Sport Coupe

Ford’s Thunderbird kicked off the personal luxury car craze, also known as the Grand Tourer. Buick jumped on the bandwagon with the Riviera in 1963. Named after the picturesque French Riviera, the nameplate would see a run until 1993, with a short resurrection from 1995 to 1999. The first-generation Riviera has also been the subject of the 2008 Croatian film Buick Riviera, about a Bosnian man and his connection with his Riviera. If you’re after a first-generation Riviera, this 1964 Buick Riviera Sport Coupe is a fine choice, as it appears to be in great condition inside and out.

Exterior and Interior

Penned by GM’s Bill Mitchell, Buick’s personal luxury car had to stand out, and stand out it did. Coke bottle styling, flowing lines, white-striped tires, and chrome wire-wheel style hubcaps all add to its timeless allure. The pale blue color further accentuates its stateliness, and for a Sixties car, the Riviera packs less chrome than you’d expect. Up front, quad headlamps are framed by buttress-esque front wings, and the Riviera emblem stands tall on the long hood. The emblem is also visible on the wheel centers, as well as in the tail lamp lenses. A plaque on the side sill informs that the coachwork, or body was done by Fisher, one of the renown names of the Sixties for coachbuilding. The interior of this 1964 Buick Riviera Sport Coupe features low-back seats for four occupants trimmed in white leather, wood trim and a metal-effect dash. The two-spoke steering wheel features the Riviera emblem on it, and it is present across other areas of the interior as well. A plaque on the center console informs that the first owner of this car was a Mr. E. Walton. The Riviera comes with period luxury features such as climate control, cruise control and a push-button radio.

Engine

Although the Riviera was nearly 4,000lbs in weight, it was 10% lighter than the competition, hence the 465ci (7.0L) Nailhead V8 under the hood of this 1964 Buick Riviera Sport Coupe was sufficient for some sprightly performance when new. With a reported 340hp of power, the performance figures were an impressive 8 seconds to sixty from rest, and a top speed of 115mph as tested by Motor Trend. Automatic transmission, power steering and power drum brakes were standard equipment.