Automotive history is littered with examples of manufacturers producing bold models that fail to sell as spectacularly as the company envisaged. Such is the case with the Buick Reatta. Its brief time in the sun lasted four short years, with fewer than 22,000 of these cars leaving the factory before Buick drew the curtain on its experiment. This 1989 model is a survivor with 65,000 original miles on the clock. It has a few flaws, but the seller’s price is undeniably affordable. I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder Curvette for spotting the Reatta listed here on Craigslist in Portland, Oregon. It could be yours for a mere $3,495.
Buick introduced the Reatta in 1988, creating each car at a series of work stations, rather than on a traditional production line. The concept was to create a Grand Tourer focused heavily on a high build quality and excellent standard equipment to justify a premium sticker price. Buick initially offered buyers seven paint shades, with this 1989 example finished in Claret Red Metallic. Examining the photos reveals minor marks and imperfections, with many painted surfaces exhibiting swirls that develop over time. However, I believe that buffing and careful work with a high-quality polish would make an enormous difference to the appearance. Alternatively, the buyer could opt for a complete repaint, which is a serious consideration given the classic’s affordability. There is no evidence of rust, the trim is in good condition, as are the alloy wheels.
Buick adopted a “one size fits all” approach to the Reatta’s mechanical components. Buyers received a 3.8-liter V6 engine that produced 165hp and 210 ft/lbs of torque, sending power to the front wheels via a four-speed automatic transmission. Power steering was standard, as were four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock. Performance wasn’t startling, but the Reatta had a couple of strong points worth considering. The first was that it could cruise effortlessly for hours at freeway speeds without raising a sweat. The second was its impressive fuel consumption, with contemporary road tests consistently achieving or exceeding 25mpg. The seller doesn’t mention verifying evidence for their mileage claim, but they do indicate that this is a turnkey proposition. There is a slight clunk when engaging drive or reverse, which they attribute to a faulty engine mount. That appears to be the only mechanical task requiring attention before this classic is ready for action.
Buick rummaged deep in its toybox when developing the Reatta’s interior, loading it with creature comforts. Climate-controlled air conditioning was standard, as were power windows, power locks with keyless entry, power seats, cruise control, leather trim, and a premium stereo. The Electronic Control Center was a futuristic feature providing touchscreen control for the A/C, stereo, trip computer, and other functions. The interior of this car is in respectable condition for its age, with no significant wear or cosmetic issues. Outer seat edges are particularly prone, but this car hasn’t suffered unduly in that area. The seller doesn’t mention any functional problems, and I can’t spot any aftermarket additions.
The 1989 model year proved to be relatively successful for the Buick Reatta, with 7,009 buyers handing over the cash to drive one home. The introduction of a Convertible variant the following year slightly boosted that figure, but it wasn’t enough to save the badge. The last car left the line in May 1991, signalling the end of what many viewed as a bold experiment. This 1989 example isn’t perfect, but it is undeniably affordable. Lifting its presentation via fresh paint would be easy, and the respectable fuel consumption figures these cars return could make it a practical daily driver. Is that an option you might consider?
I always liked these. A Buick 3.8 turbo might wake it up a little.
The Supercharged 3.8 would be a easier install. The only thing that worries me about these, is the center display functioning fully? I wrote service at a Buick store from 84-92. Those displays went out frequently and all you could get were rebuilts. Otherwise they were a nice car.
The displays were never a problem. Getting someone who knew how to fix the problem was the problem. Diagnosis was not difficult, but you couldn’t trust a “parts replacer” to fix one of these. Most problems with the dash and CRT could be traced to the “central power supply”, which had problems with cold solder joints on the circuit board like a lot of early GM ECMs. If you found someone who would follow the service manual diagnostics, you ended up with a good, solid fix.
If I’m not mistaken, these and the Cadillac Allante were eventually the subject of a thorough GM-issued service bulletin. Published after the problems became insurmountable in service bays at the dealership. I’ve seen one recently in a collection of literature. Looking over the instructions for resetting the CCU seem quaint by today’s standards. No more difficult than settings on a modern flat panel TV or microwave. But..it must have read like science fiction to mere mortals in 1988-90!
You are mistaken. There is no similarity between the Allante and Reatta electrical architecture.
A CPU controls the digital dash in both models. A faulty or disconnected central control unit would cause flickering or complete failure. The bulletin was for the Buick. I was making an incorrect assertation that the Caddy might have some of the same issues and be resolved with the same GM “tips and tricks.” https://ateupwithmotor.com/model-histories/buick-reatta-history/
Beautiful car. I remember the Buick Reatta. I consider it a damn shame it was discontinued when it was. I would’ve preferred it over the Riviera, which by this time was getting up there in age.
I was lab instructor at a community college auto tech program in the ’80’s and 90’s.
We took in customer work and a lot of times we were the last resort for folks that had no luck getting their car fixed otherwise (We had a pretty high success rate, not necessarily because we were better or smarter than anybody but by the time it got to us folks didn’t care how long it took, we didn’t charge for our time just materials, so we were able to spend way more time on a job if needed.) which is why we ended up having one of these in our shop as no one had been able to fix the display that was there one minute then gone the next minute or the next day or any time period in between.
It took us awhile and the head instructor and myself spent a lot of time thinking about what, and how, to have the students test next as well as us spending time futzing with it. There was a large connector with many wires that connected to the dash module and we came to the conclusion that the terminals had poor connections so we carefully removed each female connector and pinched them down to increase connectivity.
That worked for us as we kept driving and testing it for about a week and it was working when it was returned to the customer. Since we never heard back , we usually would if things didn’t work out, so we took it as a win.
LCD screen states it’s Jan 1 1988. Damn I wish it was!
Not an LCD. It’s a CRT.
I had a 89′ one more power item to add to the list.
Power antenna.
I love these but we never had them down under back in the day when I had all my hair. The shape is awesome. I would love to daily drive a car like this. Reminds me of my 84 Gen II Honda Prelude. I keep seeing this car as a manual with a modern multi-use touchscreen to replace the dated but delightful CRT screen. Plug and play. This would give you a better head unit, GPS mapping, phone compatibility etc. Perhaps upgraded ignition and an aftermarket fuel injection and this could be a DD. Sweet !
It’s a perfect color combination and I want it! But it’s on the wrong side of the country and I probably can’t justify shipping it almost 3000 miles…
I have an 88. I put nice aftermarket chrome wheels on my Reatta. Looks much better. Only thing that is a problem is the moon roof. I believe it’s a broken cable in mine.
If I remember correctly, that was the same sunroof used on a Mazda. I think it may have been an ASC creation. You might try a Mazda dealer for parts, although I don’t know how long they keep parts serviceable.
Thanks. I will check with them.
The year before they stopped making them they built a few for testing with an intercooled turbo and I believe 2 with rear wheel drive. I think they were all crushed.
There was also one with a transverse mounted L67 (supercharged 3800). That would have been in production if there had been a 1992 model.