Man of Steel
02-19-2021, 01:35 PM
The Buick Riviera is a personal luxury car that was marketed by Buick from 1963 to 1999, with the exception of the 1994 model year.
As General Motors' first entry into the personal luxury car market segment, the Riviera was highly praised by automotive journalists upon its high-profile debut. The ground-up design that debuted for 1963 was also Buick's first unique Riviera model, and it pioneered the GM E platform.
Unlike its subsequent GM E platform stablemates, the Oldsmobile Toronado and Cadillac Eldorado, the Riviera was initially a standard front engine/rear-wheel drive platform, only switching to front-wheel drive starting for 1979.
While the early models stayed close to their original form, eight subsequent generations varied substantially in size and styling. A total of 1,127,261 Rivieras were produced.
The Riviera name was resurrected for two concept cars that were displayed at auto shows in 2007 and in 2013.
Fifth generation (1977–1978)
Buick downsized the Riviera for 1977 onto the new smaller GM B platform. While the other E-bodies were front wheel drive since 1966 (1967 for Cadillac's Eldorado), the Buick E platform used a rear-wheel-drive B-body undercarriage (along with the cruciform frame of pre-1965 GMs for the 1966–70 generation). All B-bodies (including C and D platform GM RWDs) were downsized for the 1977 model year which prompted the short-lived 1977/78 generation.
It was, in most respects, a Buick LeSabre coupe with unique styling (with quarter windows mimicking the 1975–78 Cadillac Eldorado). Unlike its LeSabre counterpart, the front fascia is vertical as opposed to slanted. It was reduced to a wheelbase 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 dropped some 660 pounds (300 kg). The 455 was 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 had a 170 hp (127 kW) Oldsmobile 350.
Sales were up modestly to 26,138 for 1977 and then fell to 20,535 for 1978, although this was strictly a stopgap model until the all-new E-body cars would be ready for 1979. To date, 1977 and 1978 Rivieras are considered a rare find since it was only produced for two model years on the downsized GM B platform before the 1979 redesign on the FWD E-platform (there are two reasons why the B-platform was used—the existing 1976 B-platform was phased out for the downsized variant where RWD E-platform vehicles were produced on the B-chassis. Buick could have continued production although the frame stamping facilities and undercarriage/chassis components were being retooled in late 1976 for downsized B-platform production where the FWD E-platform did not downsize since they were produced on a separate assembly line.
Also, with Buick dropping its 455 V8 after 1976, continuing the '77–78 Riviera on the old E-body platform would have forced Buick to either downsize its engine compartment to their 350 V8, which was too small and underpowered for a 5,000-pound car—or "import" larger engines from other GM divisions including 400s from Chevrolet and Pontiac, Oldsmobile's 403 or Cadillac's 425—each of which would have limited sales and production as each division gave first priority to its own vehicles before selling engines to other divisions.
75th Anniversary Package
For 1978, a special "LXXV" edition was released to commemorate Buick's 75th anniversary on the market. Production total was 2,889 and included special silver & black paint with gray leather seats with black trim, four-wheel disc brakes, brushed chrome trim, deep pile carpeting and special LXXV name plates.
Source: Wikipedia
As General Motors' first entry into the personal luxury car market segment, the Riviera was highly praised by automotive journalists upon its high-profile debut. The ground-up design that debuted for 1963 was also Buick's first unique Riviera model, and it pioneered the GM E platform.
Unlike its subsequent GM E platform stablemates, the Oldsmobile Toronado and Cadillac Eldorado, the Riviera was initially a standard front engine/rear-wheel drive platform, only switching to front-wheel drive starting for 1979.
While the early models stayed close to their original form, eight subsequent generations varied substantially in size and styling. A total of 1,127,261 Rivieras were produced.
The Riviera name was resurrected for two concept cars that were displayed at auto shows in 2007 and in 2013.
Fifth generation (1977–1978)
Buick downsized the Riviera for 1977 onto the new smaller GM B platform. While the other E-bodies were front wheel drive since 1966 (1967 for Cadillac's Eldorado), the Buick E platform used a rear-wheel-drive B-body undercarriage (along with the cruciform frame of pre-1965 GMs for the 1966–70 generation). All B-bodies (including C and D platform GM RWDs) were downsized for the 1977 model year which prompted the short-lived 1977/78 generation.
It was, in most respects, a Buick LeSabre coupe with unique styling (with quarter windows mimicking the 1975–78 Cadillac Eldorado). Unlike its LeSabre counterpart, the front fascia is vertical as opposed to slanted. It was reduced to a wheelbase 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 dropped some 660 pounds (300 kg). The 455 was 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 had a 170 hp (127 kW) Oldsmobile 350.
Sales were up modestly to 26,138 for 1977 and then fell to 20,535 for 1978, although this was strictly a stopgap model until the all-new E-body cars would be ready for 1979. To date, 1977 and 1978 Rivieras are considered a rare find since it was only produced for two model years on the downsized GM B platform before the 1979 redesign on the FWD E-platform (there are two reasons why the B-platform was used—the existing 1976 B-platform was phased out for the downsized variant where RWD E-platform vehicles were produced on the B-chassis. Buick could have continued production although the frame stamping facilities and undercarriage/chassis components were being retooled in late 1976 for downsized B-platform production where the FWD E-platform did not downsize since they were produced on a separate assembly line.
Also, with Buick dropping its 455 V8 after 1976, continuing the '77–78 Riviera on the old E-body platform would have forced Buick to either downsize its engine compartment to their 350 V8, which was too small and underpowered for a 5,000-pound car—or "import" larger engines from other GM divisions including 400s from Chevrolet and Pontiac, Oldsmobile's 403 or Cadillac's 425—each of which would have limited sales and production as each division gave first priority to its own vehicles before selling engines to other divisions.
75th Anniversary Package
For 1978, a special "LXXV" edition was released to commemorate Buick's 75th anniversary on the market. Production total was 2,889 and included special silver & black paint with gray leather seats with black trim, four-wheel disc brakes, brushed chrome trim, deep pile carpeting and special LXXV name plates.
Source: Wikipedia