When the owner of this 1974 Buick Riviera discovered it hidden away in a barn in 1996, it has a genuine 5,400 miles on the clock. It had occupied that spot for more than 17-years when the original owner’s wife parked it following his death. The current owner has revived the car and uses it sparingly. As a result, the odometer has managed to creep its way to a mere 6,489 miles. He has decided to part with the classic Buick, so he has listed it for sale here on Craigslist. It is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the owner has set the asking price at $18,995. I have to say thank you to Barn Finder Pat L for spotting this fantastic survivor for us.

Seventeen years spent sitting in a barn hasn’t hurt the Burgundy Riviera unduly because the paint still shines beautifully. The owner admits that it has a few minor flaws, including a small amount of crazing in one spot. He believes that it wouldn’t take much effort to return it to perfection, but I would want to perform an in-person inspection before committing to that path. If nothing requires urgent attention, I would be tempted to retain the vehicle as an original survivor. The Riviera appears to be rust-free, and the owner now keeps it in a climate-controlled garage when it isn’t in use. The Burgundy vinyl top adds a touch of class to the exterior, and its condition appears to be as impressive as the rest of the exterior. There are no issues with the trim or glass, but there are a couple of interesting facts worth noting. When the Buick was parked in the barn, some charming person broke in and stole the original wheels. It isn’t clear which wheels the Riviera wore, so the owner has fitted the ones you see in the supplied photos. However, he has covered his bets by also sourcing a set of perfect original hubcaps. If the buyer wants to source a set of steel wheels, they will have the caps to fit them. That same individual also broke the trunk lock, so there is no barrel installed at present. However, the power lock works perfectly, so the owner hasn’t touched anything. That is one fault that I would fix because not only would it look better, but there is a chance that moisture could currently find its way into the trunk, causing potential future rust issues.

When I first looked at this Buick’s interior, I thought that it was flawless. However, there are a couple of issues for potential buyers to consider. The dash has some damage just to the right of the radio, which is the only fault in that area of the car. The owner says that there is also a crack in the armrest on the passenger door, but this isn’t visible in the supplied photos. The rest of the trim and upholstery is perfect, with no wear, tears, or stains. The air conditioning no longer works, and that is a slight mystery to the owner. He said that the compressor clutch started smoking one day, so he hasn’t used it since. That could be an issue with either the compressor or clutch, and it is a mystery for the buyer to investigate further. Otherwise, everything works as it should. I can see power windows, a power trunk release, a six-way power driver’s seat, remote mirrors, cruise control, a tilt wheel, and a factory AM/FM radio.

By the time this Riviera rolled off the production line, tightening emission regulations were beginning to bite into the performance of the humble V8. However, the 455ci version in this car still would’ve been producing 230hp, which was nothing to be sneezed at. The Riviera also comes equipped with a 3-speed automatic transmission, power steering, and power front disc brakes. When the owner purchased the Riviera, it had been sitting for 17-years. He went through a meticulous process of reviving the vehicle but didn’t change any parts for the mere sake of it. His focus was on maintaining as much originality as possible, and he has been very selective about who performs work on the vehicle. He recently replaced the master cylinder and rebuilt the rear brakes, but most of the significant components remain untouched. It has only clocked just on 1,000 miles since 1996, which leaves the odometer at an incredibly low number. The owner says that the Riviera runs and drives perfectly, and he includes a link to this YouTube video. This provides a walkaround and gives us a chance to hear that beautiful V8 running. It sounds perfect, with no evidence of smoke or odd noises.

This 1974 Buick Riviera is an amazing survivor, and examples like this don’t come along every day. This car hails from the very start of The Malaise Era and from a time when the world was facing an energy crisis. Many owners saw them as too big, too heavy, and way too thirsty. Many larger cars from this era were driven into the ground before being driven to the nearest scrapyard. The Riviera did not escape this fate. This one is a rare exception, but its price is also a long way above what you might expect to pay for a ’74 Riviera. That begs the question of whether it is worth the asking price. Its overall condition is well above average, and its odometer reading is a long way below it. Values have been relatively static over the past few years, and the price isn’t unprecedented. The car has only been on the market for a few days, and I wouldn’t be surprised if someone snapped up this low mileage survivor pretty soon.