What a find T.J. has uncovered for us! This 1950 Buick Super “Riviera” is claimed to be a former museum piece with only 30K miles of experience. Consider it for a moment; it’s over three-quarters of a century old, and it still presents beautifully in all of its originality! The seller rates this hardtop 9.5 out of 10, so let’s examine it and see if we agree. Evansville, Indiana, is where you’ll find it, and it’s listed here on Facebook Marketplace for $38,000.
Before there was the Buick Riviera that we all know, the “Riviera” name, starting in 1949, graced two-door hardtops – a new airy body style that eliminated the B-pillar and door window frames. For 1950, the Riviera body style could be found on both the range-topping Roadmaster and the Super, such as our subject. The Super was also available as a convertible, four-door sedan, station wagon, and the sloped “Jetback” two-door sedanette. The Riviera hardtop was popular, as Buick produced 50K+ copies in ’50, but they infrequently surface today. The seller refers to this Super as “stunning,” and I’d have to agree. How in the world a car can live this long, experience such little use, and still look like new is a head-scratcher. Of course, life in a museum and a climate-controlled environment is a big part of the formula. I have to admit, I’m a real sucker for the three-pane rear window configuration – GM design at its best!
I honestly can’t find a nit to pick. I’d suggest this car’s most obvious characteristic is its “snaggle-tooth” grille – an early-fifties Buick trademark. Can you imagine having to re-chrome a piece of that size and intricacy?
The seller claims that the interior is original and in as excellent condition as the exterior. The upholstery, door panels, and headliner don’t show any indication of the passage of time, as the soft stuff so often gets an “I’m old and tired” look about itself. The instrument panel is oh-so-typical for premium cars of this era, with its heavily chromed features, particularly the center-mounted radio grille. It’s not a “busy” layout but a functional and purposeful one.
This Super is sporting a 128 gross HP, 263 CI “Fireball” in-line eight-cylinder engine, providing the big-mo via a Dynaflow automatic transmission. The seller states, “Easy starting and smooth running…It has over $13,000 in mechanical upgrades within the last 6 years to make it roadworthy from sitting most of its life.” Well, that’s good to know, as one has to wonder about the mechanical viability of a car that has been stationary for a long spell.
This is a wonderful specimen; it almost seems too good to drive! And yes, I can see a 9.5 out of 10 rating. But that begs the question: who’s the likely market for a 76-year-old, $38,000 Buick? I imagine there is one, but it’s probably rather limited, don’t you think?
With all the steel in this car you could make 10 new 2026 vehicle’s. Just pick your make and model.
Yeah but you’re gonna need a lot of plastic
But why would you? What passes as cars today wouldn’t hold a wet match to a 1950 anything! You KNEW what this was 4 blocks away with that toothy grin. Not so easy with the jelly beans today with their letter-slot headlamps!
What a nice car!
BEAUTIFULL all around in&out.
Just amazing looks and condition and Thank You Jim for the great write up really enjoyed it.
This car has missed a lot in life ! A time traveller almost.
Sweet ride, if I could afford it I’d drive it every day!
I heartily agree.
That front picture reminds me of my ex wife…
Do I understand correctly that your ex-wife had a big beautiful smile?
I am the current owner of this Beauty and what a great write up! I really appreciate your kind words and was very surprised to see this article! Thank you Jim!!!!!!
You are welcome! Good luck with the sale.
JO
gorgeous chariot !
all i could think was how low the price is for such an exceptional specimen, i wouldnt accept a dollar less.
Congratulations! My Great Uncle had a 1951 Super, with the grille-teeth abbreviated to stop above the front bumper, but otherwise almost the same car. That dashboard sure looks familiar! His radio went bad in the late 1960s: wonder if this one still works? Only one minor concern, here: although this example lacks the usual dings and dents on the “teeth” where they protrude out around the front bumper and often bumped into things, I notice that the horizontal spacing between them is not exactly even. Was this car ever repaired for front end damage?
If the ash trays and lighters have never been used, I’d be drooling for a way to own this one!
wow, Dynaflow so incredibly smooth,nothing but a huge torque converter,no gears…you didnt ‘go’ to the country club in this,you jus’ simply “arrived’ lol….abit hard on the drum brakes,on a long descent,no holdback,lol
Not just a torque converter. Dynaflow has gears, also a Low selection. It does not free wheel like you infer, there is connection with the axle and engine at all times.
Just love the grills on these Buicks. They outdo the DeSotos in toothiness. Beautiful in and out and I am part of the demographic that finds them desirable. Maybe that’s because we’re about the same age. I think I have more mileage on me however.
What a beauty! 1950 car companies still used the venerable, inline and L8 straight eight engines and Buicks Dynaflow automatic transmissions were some of the first true automatics. Although I love the Nailhead V8 that came just a few years later, you got to admire how tried and true these big inline eights were.
If I were looking for a car to drive across Route 66 today, this car epitomizes the cars of that era, when Route 66 was in it’s heyday. Throw on a Window swamp cooler, and cruise in style. These cars rode like Cadillacs or Mercedes.
This was the years that screamed Buick quality! Yes, at 87 I would love to have it but can’t justify it.
stunning survivor. great colors. these cars have a limited following due the age group of people that like these. may take a while to sell it at the ask price. you can never restore it for the price at all. chrome along will set you back at least 10k+.
I feel like everyone else ,I love it! It is alot of money and hard to justify. My dad had a 50 Buick of course a 4 door and I didn’t like it much. We took it on vacation to visit relatives in a small Kansas town. I was probably 13 or 14 and I got to drive it all over. No rules, that was normal back then in farm country. Kids had to drive to work on the farm, I loved it.
The nit I would pick is the trunk. The material that is there is hacked up, and not original at all. Looks way out of place in a car otherwise so nice.
Had to take a look, and you’re right. As the only owner of a 51 Buick from new, I know exactly what the trunk should look like, and they must have ripped all the original trunk lining and mats out and tossed them. The trunk says that this can’t be a original 30K car. But the interior looks pretty good, the headliner is weathered or aged, looks bad compared to my car.
This old girl is so lovely. Back in the day this was one classy ride where I came from, and while it may not be as appreciated as it once was, it still is classy to my eye. If I could I’d love to have a dozen cars from the 40s on into the 70s, and it would surely include this one.
Beautiful car but no where near 9.5 out of 10.