From 1988 through 1991, Buick produced a two-seat automobile very different from their usual offerings. Intended as a “halo car” to attract attention to the brand and lure curious customers to the showrooms, the Reatta was an interesting combination of handsome styling, off-the-shelf components, and a few emerging technologies. While plans to make 20,000 of these cars per year never came close to materializing, there are still numerous examples of this handsome Buick out there for collectors. If you are looking for a solid example that has been well-kept, then you might want to look closer at this 1991 Buick Reatta in bright red with chrome wheels.
The Reatta came out at an interesting time for GM in general and Buick in particular. It seemed that every GM division was able to market a halo car in this era. From the Chevrolet Corvette to the Cadillac Allante, there was something interesting in almost every GM showroom. Buick, known for being the place you went to purchase a durable, but staid luxury car (with the Regal Grand National being a previous exception) was enjoying a tremendous amount of sales success due in no small part to the reliability of the 3800 V-6 in many of its platforms. The brand decided to add another luxury model above the Riviera in hopes of selling cars to those who were getting older and less tolerant of the lack of luxury in sports cars.
Thus, was born the Reatta. Built in stations rather than assembly line style at its own factory called the Reatta Craft Center, this distinctive Buick was handsome but not beautiful and bore no resemblance to its stablemates. One of the more interesting features was a pioneering touchscreen dash to handle functions such as the radio and the climate control. This two-seat car also boasted a drop-down door between the trunk and the area behind the seats to allow for a set of golf clubs. Sales were slow even after a convertible version was added to the lineup in 1990. When the Reatta was phased out in 1991, the overall production number from start to finish was just 21,751.
The Reatta you see here is one of the cars produced in that final year. By then, Buick had phased out the touch screen and replaced it with the conventional, but now boring radio and climate control seen in other Buicks. This car belonged to a classic car lover who passed away and the seller is handling the sale for the estate. It has been garage-kept its entire life and has just 63,940 miles on the odometer. It will come with a new set of radials and the seller tells us that you can still make out that distinctive leather smell when you open the door to reveal the pristine saddle leather interior.
As you would expect from a well-maintained Buick of this era, the car is said to be an absolute pleasure to drive. The seller tells us that every aspect of the car’s mechanicals is working perfectly and that it feels like a brand-new car. The fact that the original owner was a classic car enthusiast may not be an accident. Reattas have developed a small cult following among those who like to participate in leisurely classic car tours. The Antique Automobile Club of America sponsors numerous tours throughout the year that allow cars of the Reatta’s vintage. Prices have always been very reasonable for second-hand Reattas, and their luxurious interior combined with their smooth ride and great build quality make cars like this one a good choice for enthusiasts who like to use their cars on multi-day tours.
While it is sad to know that the Reatta did not live up to its potential as a new car, as an economical choice for a classic car it is a standout. When you look at used cars today, you would be hard-pressed to find a better companion for a road trip than this 33-year-old Buick at anywhere near the price. Hopefully, this car falls into the hands of someone who will continue to give it the best care possible. The Reatta is a fine car that a collector can enjoy on a budget.
If you would like to purchase a collectible automobile that would also make a fine daily driver if needed, then this 1991 Buick Reatta for sale on eBay in Cincinnati, Ohio may be the car you are looking for. With just five days to go, bidding has risen to a paltry $3,557 on this beautiful red two-seater.
Not surprised to see so little interest in this time capsule. It was built to Buick standards of quality and more sporty panache than most small cars. But IMO the Reatta was likely still plagued by Buicks reputation as a name associated with an older persons car. Always thought REATTA might 🤔 have been a reference to the sprawling family ranch RIATA in the blockbuster film GIANT!
Does the R12 a/c & compressor still work after all these years?
No dents or dings after all those miles? Surely this car was not used to run errands or park at the mall, etc. I wonder where it went(& stopped/parked unattended) those 64k miles. Would like to see the original floor mats.
I wonder how many of the bidders are younger drivers, considering the
dislike of TWO doors vehicles today. (& also a high liftover trunk opening like on this car.) When was the last time you saw a TWO door new Bronco? Is the seller a bidder too?
Could be an issue getting some electronics for ’90s & even ’00s vehicles, like ABS controllers, etc. Good thing this does NOT have the dangerous to operate & troublesome early CRT touch screen.
Surprised Olds & even Pontiac did not have their own version of this car.
Guess why struts are used to hold up the trunk lid.
If you brought this car back to 1968 when Chevy ran tv commercials bragging about full door glass styling on their new Caprice, people would not believe what they were seeing here on a car 23! yrs in the future – vent windows that don’t even open.
I have a ’92 LeSabre with the same engine and 3x the miles as this one. Original AC system still running R-12 and zero electrical problems with the PCM and all the submodules (albeit, none of the digital displays this one probably has).
Beautiful car. I remember when the Buick Reatta was intro’d to the car buying public. I thought it was Buick’s beautiful car. I was disappointed when Buick discontinued the Reatta. I thought it was going to replace the Riviera.
Those who complain that getting into the hobby is too expensive, here is a way in that is relatively inexpensive, to buy, to drive, and to maintain. And, it is a comfortable car to drive. And, you won’t see another one very often.c
Assuming parts are still available, it might be possible to keep a car like this on the road. I’d buy a Buick Reatta if it’s possible to mechanically keep the damn thing working like it should.
One of the nice features is that the tuned port 3800 with a 4L60E needs very little attention other than regular maintenance. You are looking at a 300k mile powertrain at a minimum. Parts are usually not a problem. Many of the mechanical parts are shared with the Riviera and Park Ave and LeSabre.
4L60E is a rear wheel drive trans. 4T60E or 4T65E would be in a front wheel drive car – and from my experience, it’s a little tough to get 300k miles “minimum” out of any of them. The motors, yes. Trans…not uncommon to have a little trouble with those.
Some people complain, just to hear themselves complaining Charlie.
Very true. Even if the complaint is legit, it can get old after a while.
I had this exact same car but mine was a 89′ with CRT that still worked. I bought it from a old guy who was the original owner.Had it it many car shows over the years until a guy wanted it and away it went with 99k miles.
guy here has 2 (some relation to a now gone dealership). I like them, esp the 3.8. Was/is a winner. Not sure abt the build quality of rest of car. This older owner bought 1 or both as new/newer for specific hold on future classic. He chose right (as I did w/the broncos). Some times you hit it right. Back in the day I was hopin that buick did as others and really upgraded the final production models (turbo, suspension, c’mon – sumpin). Never saw that w/this…
I’m surprised the 4k$ range is the right peg for this specific vehicle. But see edmunds @ 2 – 10K$.
The 91 model was all set to get the supercharged 3800. All the part numbers were assigned and ready to go. Then the plug was pulled on the entire car much to many peoples dismay.
I am wondering why they didn’t used the supercharged engine from the very beginning. It went into Buick’s sporty-intentioned Riv, so makes sense to put it into this sporty coupe.
B/F what’s up with the cars today, is it just me, I like seeing cars like this Buick. The bid now is almost 5 K that is ridiculous, where else could you find a car like this for that money?
You can’t find a REAL CAR in a world of SUVS (glorified trucks), crossovers and melted jelly beans. 🤮
Guy a town over had one for sale, sitting in his front yard, for at least two years. Finally, the junk car hoarder across the road bought it. And let it sit in HIS yard for 7-8 years, till the suspension rotted out. The car wasn’t in that bad of shape, initially. Finally, the city got on him, and it disappeared. A sad ending for a rare car.
@ Big C: That’s crazy that someone would buy something and just let it sit doing nothing. If I bought a car, I always drive it, servicing it as needed. The longest I’ve ever driven a car was from 5k miles to 100k miles before trading it in. Hopefully I’ll drive further than that with my current car.
Hmmph. Thought these cars had a targa top, like the Del Sol. Oh well.
I really want to like this car enough to fly out to Cincinnati and drive it home, but the lack of targa top and the ugly dash electronics are killing it for me.
Too bad you don’t know that there was also a convert rather than a removeable hard panel.
Convertible is nice but sometimes you want a summer fling, not a full commitment
ACZ, I can’t reply to you directly for some reason, but that Reatta won’t have a 4L60, which was a transmission for conventional rear drive or four wheel drive vehicles. This will likely have a 4T60 transaxle, which is what generally backed up a 3800.
Look at this two seater. These cars were very appealing to the public when they came out. Could’ve been a big hit with the right platform but I’m not going to go there. These cars sported a great little engine that was more than enough for this car with a convertible option. Someone is going to get a sweet little car that will attract good looks everywhere at an affordable price. If it were a convertible l’d be all over this car.
Car looks clean. I used ship the bodies from Europe to the US factory.
I will follow on July 5th
I ended up picking this Reatta up. Should be delivered to Florida next week. I’m quite excited about it. Loved the looks of this car the first time I saw one.