30K Miles Of Super! 1950 Buick Riviera

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?