54K Miles? 1967 Buick Riviera GS

Even today, anyone who buys a 1960s Buick Riviera has a dollop of extroversion in their makeup. Otherwise, why not just buy an Electra 225? After all, the Electra was marginally more practical, had more trunk space, and it certainly had a little more headroom for rear seat passengers. No, nobody buys a Riviera for any honest reason but its looks, even though it’s a good, reliable full-size Buick underneath its slinky sheetmetal. The top of the Riviera line was the GS, which stands for “Gran Sport.” (Don’t let anyone tell you it’s “Grand Sport,” because it isn’t.) While the second-generation GS hasn’t caught on in the market quite as thoroughly as the wildly expensive 1965 models, it’s still a car to be seen in. Barn Finder T.J. caught this 1967 Riviera GS here on craigslist in Sunnyvale, California, and with an asking price of $29,967 (how cute), it might be just the item for showing off to your car-loving friends.

There are a few detail differences between the 1966 and 1967 Rivieras (the grille being the most obvious), but under the hood, all 1967 models retired the old Nailhead in place of the new 430-cubic-inch Buick big-block, which produced 360 horsepower and a thrilling 475 lb.-ft. of Buick torque. Contemporary road tests showed that the new engine was a little stronger than the previous 425: Motor Trend clocked a GS to sixty in 7.8 seconds, and the quarter-mile took 15.9 seconds with a trap speed of 86 miles per hour. Both times were about a half-second faster than their ’66 GS test car. The GS came standard with a 3.42:1 rear axle ratio, which was a fair bit steeper than the standard Riviera’s 3.07:1 gears. Also, Buick’s famous aluminum front drum brakes were still standard on the Riviera, but front discs were optional for the first time. However, few buyers ordered them, and it indeed appears that this car has drums.

One neat upgrade for the 1967 GS was the air cleaner, known as the “Star Wars” air cleaner among Buick folk, for obvious reasons. The seller mentions that the car has 54,000 miles on it, and though the exterior has clearly been repainted, the engine compartment appears to be untouched. It does have a new master cylinder, and the belt is still spinning the air conditioning compressor; both are good signs that the car’s been sorted out and is a reliable driver.

After 1965, Rivieras had a standard “strato bench” seat with traditional Riviera buckets being a no-cost option. While it may seem odd to see a GS with a bench seat and a column shifter, the times were changing. At first, I thought that the exterior paint color was “Shadow Turquoise,” but that color wasn’t available with the green interior seen here, so I’ve switched my guess to “Verde Green.” Of course, it could be a modern color that is similar to both, too. Aside from a slight tear in the driver’s seatback, the interior looks great. It has working power windows and a working radio.

The rear seat virtually confirms the old sales pitch: “Nobody has sat in the back seat!” Of course, that’s probably not literally true, but it’s still in great shape.

With new tires mounted on Buick’s stylish road wheels, it’s hard to beat this beautiful 1967 Riviera; it’s a head-turner. With that being said, any craigslist car deserves an in-person once-over, especially if you’re looking at shelling out almost thirty grand. If it checks out, you could be showing off in your new-to-you Riviera very soon.