1963 Buick Riviera Sport Coupe 🇺🇸

This particular car came from Arizona. It was a no-rust car, but it was also a well-used, high mileage car. It was worn out, and the mid-color blue paint was completely faded; the wiring plastic connectors were all melted. Both likely due to the hot Arizona heat. Thankfully, the car was completely restored and finished in 1995, as seen here in the black exterior and white leather interior combination. It is the white leather interior that offers incredible brightness and contrast with the sober elegance of the black exterior paint.

Considering the passion for the Buick brand, the Riviera is a model that cannot be missing from the Nicola Bulgari Collection. The Riviera is the elegant expression of the sixties to the Buick brand. It's a car with a unique character and an example of American style.

Company
General Motors

Wheelbase
117in

Interior trim
White leather

Brakes
front and rear drums

Make
Buick

Length
208in

Engine
V8 - 401cid

Tires
7.10x15

Model
Riviera

Width
76.4in

Carburetor
1 Rochester 4GG 4-barrel

Original Price
$4,333

Body style
2-door Coupe

Weight
4140lbs

Horsepower
325hp @ 4400rpm

Production
40,000

Model year
1963

Exterior paint
Regal Black

Transmission
Turbine Drive Dynaflow automatic 2-speed

The 1963 Buick Riviera Sport Coupe was General Motors' first true competitor for the Ford Thunderbird, which was introduced in 1955 as a sporty personal car but evolved into a personal luxury car for 1958. In fact, the 1958 Thunderbird created the personal luxury car market segment. The Riviera was intended to appeal to the same type of buyer who, up to this point, only had the Thunderbird to consider. The Riviera was designed to attract car buyers’ who desired something special, something more unique than what their neighbors offered at Cadillac and Lincoln. This buyer recognized quality when they saw it, but quality wasn't enough. This buyer also demanded styling that stood apart from all other cars, and required a level of standard equipment sufficient that the base package was impressive without a lot of extra cost options, but every option imaginable should be offered on the car, so it could be custom ordered to the exact preferences of the buyer.
The GM Design Staff of Bill Mitchell, Buick Research and Development, and the Marketing Group all worked in concert to come up with the unique Riviera package, which had originally been envisioned as a Cadillac. But Cadillac didn't want or need the Riviera, as it was already selling everything it made, and was in the early stages of developing its own personal luxury car, which would be introduced in just a few years as the 1967 Cadillac Eldorado. The Riviera was assigned to Buick Division after Buick pulled out all the stops to get it. Buick sales had been down for several years at this time, and Buick desperately wanted something new and fresh to bring customers into their dealer's showrooms, and Buick hopedthe Riviera was it.

The new Riviera featured a somewhat compact wheelbase for the luxury market at 117 inches. By comparison, this was nine inches shorter than the Buick Electra.

Frameless side glass was introduced on the 1963 Riviera. This new innovation eliminated the metal trim that outlined the edge of glass on hardtop models. Elimination of the metal band gave the Riviera a cleaner look, and many other cars would utilize this design in the coming years.
Performance was an important consideration in the personal luxury market, and the Riviera's power source was the 401 cubic inch "Wildcat 445" V-8 engine with 325 horsepower at 4400 rpm. An optional engine was available for those who wanted even more enthusiasm in the form of a bored-out 425 cubic inch "Wildcat 465" V-8, which produced an impressive 340 horses at 4400 rpm. The 1963 Riviera engines were painted Silver (the only time this color would be used), and featured an oversized air cleaner painted in Wrinkle Red. The Buick Turbine Drive Dynaflow Transmission, a Buick staple since 1947, transferred the momentum from the engine to the drive shaft.

The Riviera had a base price of $4,333, which was expensive compared to other two door hardtops at the time, but was less than other traditional luxury cars. An impressive level of standard equipment was provided in order to compete item for item with the Thunderbird.

A total of three different interiors were available for the 1963 Riviera; One standard, and two optional. The standard interior featured all-vinyl bucket seats in three colors. The two optional interiors were the Custom Fabric and Vinyl Trim, or the Custom Leather and Vinyl Trim.

In its very first year, the Riviera introduced an industry first: flush glass. The unique manner in which its windscreen and rear window were sealed directly to the body allowed the glass to fit flush, and eliminated the bulky metal and rubber framework required on other automobiles.
Buick Division announced that production for the Riviera's debut year would be limited to just 40,000 units. Of course all were sold, and production going forward would not be limited by anything other than demand.