In late 1962, Buick introduced its new Riviera as a 1963 model – a crisp, clean, “modern” design that stayed true to the Riviera Silver Arrow concept car. This 1963 Buick Riviera appears to be crisp but after an unknown number of years in storage, it’s anything but clean. You can find it here on craiglist in Hastings, Minnesota and the seller is asking $10,500 or offer. Here is the original listing.
I’m sure they’re out there, but I don’t recall a Barn Finds reader who doesn’t like the first-generation Riviera. Buick offered them for three short model years, 1963, 1964, and 1965, and by then they had hidden headlights. Some Buick advertising pieces of the era touted the Riviera’s importance to both men and women.
“She almost always has a taste for the elegant. She tends to look for those qualities in a fine automobile that have the look of beauty and luxury.” This 1963 Riviera brochure goes on to say, “He on the other hand, usually finds a greater beauty in those qualities that give a beautiful automobile its go-power.” This car is still beautiful despite being hidden away in this spot for years. Sadly, the seller doesn’t pop the hood to show us its “go-power”, though.
These cars are just beautiful inside and out, but that’s only my opinion. I hope that for a rare occasion, my opinion is shared by at least a few Barn Finds readers. I wish we had better photos of this car both inside and out. You can see that the trunk is open in the second photo, but it was probably too dark back there to get a photo so I understand that. This car has optional power windows and air-conditioning, and the seats look great both front and rear as you’ll see in the next photo – the fifth photo, where I usually show the engine.
Sadly, even though the engine compartment was right there in front where the open barn/shed/garage door was, we didn’t get a photo of it. Bummer. The seller says that this car has a “445 engine”, Buick’s Wildcat 401-cu.in. OHV V8, which was factory-rated at 325 horsepower and 445 lb-ft of torque when new. There’s no mention of its current condition. It would have sent power to the rear wheels through a Twin Turbine two-speed Dynaflow automatic transmission with a console selector. Hagerty is at $12,100 for a #4 fair-condition example and $26,800 for a #3 good-condition car. What’s your offer on this first-year Riviera?
Wow. Finds like this is why I love this sight. I’m sure someone will explain why I’m thoroughly wrong but I’m thinking $10500 is a good deal. Lovely automobile. I’d try a clean up and a sympathetic restoration and enjoy.
This car has the standard interior, rather than the “Deluxe”, which actually is not a bad thing. The Deluxe interior door cards had a very brittle plastic section that crumbled if you look at it sideways. Pictured are my Deluxe panels which I restored. The lower section of the armrest is the aforementioned bad plastic, which I stabilized and covered with vinyl, then dyed (painted) it. The wood inserts were long gone on my car, so I re-did them with Wilsonart laminate. I actually had enough Wilsonart to make 4 sets, which were used on a couple of other Riv restorations.
These door panels look pretty good, as do the seats and dash. Not a factory AC car being from up dere in MinnesOta don’t cha know, eh? Of course rust could be an issue, but overall the body looks decent.
I think CL allows 24 photos, so why not include the engine of course, headliner, package tray, trim tag, both door panels etc. 10K doesn’t seem unreasonable from what I can tell from the photos, but I’m cheap and would offer 7500. I paid 6K for my car.
The driver’s door is too close to the wall to open, and they didn’t want to crawl through the car to pull the latch…
If you want to sell a car, make some effort to present it so that folks get an accurate idea of what they’re facing. Perhaps the seller is incapable of making the effort due to a physical limitation but even so………
I’d love a ’64 or ’65 Riv but I’d want a sorted one. I have a friend who drives a second generation Riv as a daily driver. As a bluse musician it fits his gig :)
A close examination of the dashboard pix shows delamination and other signs of deterioration. Of course being Minnesota what the undercarriage looks like will present other challenges. Not to mention whats going on under the hood.
I like the work you did Rex Kahrs, presents very elegantly :)
The seller probably couldn’t get the hood opened, after all these years. Frozen in time.
In Minnesnowta, rusted shut
The introduction of the Riviera took place at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on September 10, 1962.
The stylish R emblem used on the car was influenced by the hotel’s logo.
I took a few photos from the front of the hotel back in 2008, it was demolished in in 2016.
They’re great cruising cars, I had a 63 and currently have a 64.
Where do you see air conditioning? Don’t see any center vent. And you can see the black plastic peeling off the wood veneer trim
John, you and Rex could be right that there is no AC, I was going by what the seller has in his description if you click on the craigslist link and read what he wrote about the car.
The 1954 Buick wheelcovers need to go.
Pleasing, in every way. They got it right on these.
Someone must’ve loved this thing at some point because it has a collector plate on it.
The wood trim on the console didn’t appear until 1964. In ’63 they used a pebble-grained black contact paper material, which this car appears to still have. Even though mine is a ’63, I did the console in the Wilsonart also. Not factory correct I guess, but I think it looks good.
Rex I really like the job you did with the laminate. Was it hard reapplying the chrome trim?
The console looks great Rex!
Thank you Chris.
Logo on the ash tray is a nice touch, too.
Thanks Mike. The ashtray was gone from the car when I got it, so I made a panel to sit there, and found the emblem on ebay. It almost looks stock.
Thanks Fox Owner. I didn’t remove the trim. The laminate is just very precisely cut.
Like Scotty says, put me in the “like” column.
Interesting tidbit, that the marketing included emphasis on women. Wouldn’t that have been somewhat unusual for the time, even for a car whose clean styling would appeal to women?
In 1965 my mother took her Buick to the dealer for service and bought this car on the spot. It was one one of the most beautiful cars she ever owned. White with red leather (?) seats and wire wheel covers.
I own a 64 Riviera and you the hood opens from outside, there’s no inside latch so opening the hood should have been easy.
Rex you car is so beautiful, you have sone well with it.
I think the price for this one is fair. If the engine isn’t frozen which it could be then it’s a fairly straight forward restoration, parts for these are easy to find. Good luck to all.
God Bless America
I’m a car lover. Many types and brands. This design has always been in my top 10. Just gorgeous.
I have the 8 track player for this car
Several years ago there was an Early Rivera nearby and the owner a had an after market intake and carb installed.
But, he also had the factory dual 4 barrel setup in storage!
The Riviera Silver Arrow did not influence production Riviera design. It was unveiled after the production Riviera’s introduction and based on a production 1963 Riviera.
Nutting like the looks of the 1st gen Riviera (or Toranado). Y’d they have to reck them w/later ‘face lifts’. Just ruined 2 great designs…