Already Restored: 1955 Buick Special Riviera

Buick forged a reputation with its ventiports, like Pontiac with its silver streak and Cadillac with its tail fins. In fact, you could tell how expensive a Buick was by counting those ports: three, and it was a junior model aimed at the entry-level and mid-market; four, and it was a top-shelf senior car listed at a proportionate price. This 1955 Special Riviera advertised here on eBay was indeed special in its day, and not just for its three ventiports: it was the first production four-door hardtop sedan. But it was a car for everyman – not the elite – and it was a best-seller, responsible for boosting Buick to third place in sales. This one is bid to $3750, reserve not met; a buy-it-now option is available at $29,994. A few niggling issues – a misbehaving dome light, a couple of paint blemishes, a bit of cranky trim that doesn’t want to fit right, neglected interior finishes – await improvement by the new owner, but this car is largely a “get in ‘n go” prospect. It’s located in Mesa, Arizona. Thanks for sending along the tip, Curvette!

The engine is Buick’s 264 cu. in. Fireball V8, backed by a three-speed Dynaflow automatic – both rebuilt. Videos accompanying the listing show the car running – it’s slightly reluctant to fire up and noisy at first, but quickly settles into a purr. Installed in the Special, Buick’s first Fireball V8 provided 188 hp breathing through a two-barrel carb. Just one year later, the 322 cu. in. became available as an option, lending serious performance to the lightweight Special. This car’s odometer was reset after its restoration; it’s covered just shy of 10k miles since then. The underside shows evidence of this drive time, but it’s still respectably clean.

The seat upholstery is charcoal cloth surrounded by red vinyl, mostly replaced during the restoration. The headliner and carpet are new. The windshield has a minor scratch on the passenger’s side – the rest of the glass is decent. Carpet is missing above the pedals in the footwell, but that’s barely noticeable.

Buick pulled out all the stops in the mid-’50s, with chrome and brightwork adorning all four corners of its cars and then some. The Special’s sweepspear evolved from a character line in 1950 to a full-length flash of stainless by 1955. The tail lamp assemblies were laden with chrome, and the front bumper grew “Dagmars”. Post-war exuberance was on full display at American car makers. Today, these cars are fading in popularity, though fans will still pay a slight premium for the Riviera hardtop. As nice as it is, a price between $20k and $25k is likely all the money.