I can’t help but think of the hit show Mad Men in looking at this gorgeous 1971 Buick Riviera GS. The bucolic background may as well be suburban Westchester in the 1970s, with the premier ad man in town cruising home in this dynamite boat tail. What’s most impressive is that this Buick has been collector-owned since new, which explains its impressive condition. Find it here on eBay with bidding over $13K and the reserve unmet.
You can’t beat a boat tail for the looks from the rear. The angled glass, dramatic tail section and fat fenders have never really been successfully re-created in any car before or after the Rivi. The seller notes there are just 63,000 miles on the clock, which helps explain the clean cosmetics. There are lots of desirable factory options, too, with the tuned-up 455 under the hood perhaps the one you’ll most enjoy, besides the opulent interior.
The interior features AM/FM radio, power door locks and trunk release, air conditioning and more. The bench seat shows virtually no wear, and the same goes for the orange carpets, door panels, and dash. The mood lighting in the lower kick panels is an elegant touch and the careful use of the interior reflects an owner that took great pains to keep it so nice. It also helps that the Riviera was garaged from new.
The performance-oriented GS not only had the thundering 455 under the hood but also a performance suspension and limited-slip differential. Taken together, it seems like there are no boxes left unchecked with a powerful luxury cruiser like this. The Riviera may not be a car you have to wait too long to see pop up for sale, but one in this sort of condition and the abundance of desirable options makes it worth a second look.
Yum-yum!
71 Riv GS, awesome car. Great job keeping it in such great condition. All I can say as at least it isn’t GREEN !! Can’t tell you I love the color or color combo BUT it is awesome.
Wouldn’t you really rather have a Buick?
“bucolic” ?? Had you said rustic to begin with, would have saved me a Google search.
Buickolic!
Been looking for one for ages, but prices on these have gone stupid crazy.
This one doesn’t even have bucket seats and the center console.
Or an Astro Roof!
Astro roof wasn’t available on the Rivvy until ’72. And not only does it NOT have buckets and console, but it’s a FULL bench seat! On a GS?! Regardless, it’s an original boat tail GS, and you can’t take anything away from its dynamic looks. A true “love-it-or-hate-it” car, but I fell instantly in love when I first saw one in October of 1970 at the local Buick dealer in Syracuse NY. For being only 13 at the time, I think I had pretty good taste… 😁
IIRC, the sun roof wasn’t available in ’71, and certain colors couldn’t be ordered with the console housing the shifter. I found out I couldn’t equip my ’73 with the console after I bought one, oxblood (maroon) was one of the colors not made with the preferable long console. Not positive of the years, but there was a chrome diecast topped console (glovebox) carried over from earlier years that stopped at the edge of the buckets, and another, which I have now, a mini-console that sits in front of the split bench and has dividers for the 8 tracks and a lockable cover.
On the 69 Riviera, on the GS no cost option you could get a,bench seat.why anyone would do that? Beautiful car. Always have had Buicks .
Style. All day long!! It’s sad that manufacturers and consumers don’t put any value on style nowadays. Everyone seemingly wants a bland-mobile SUV/crossover. People only care about infotainment content, and a higher seating position. I miss the days of 2-door sport coupes and personal luxury cars!! When I was a boy, my Dad owned a long string of Chevelles and Impalas. All 2-doors.
In my books, the boat tail Riviera is one of the most beautiful designs to come from GM…ever.
The boat tail Riviera is a first-pick classic for me if I should ever have a major financial windfall.
1971 to 73 were very nice years. 74 to 76 were basically the same platform, but definitely lost some spark. 77 and 78? Basically a gussied up Lesabre. Things started to improve a little with the 79s.
When I think of or hear mention of a Buick Riviera, or as my Hispanic friends would call them Rivi’s, this is what comes to mind first. Loved that look as a kid back then, absolute riding first class.
There’s a whole bunch to like here, its condition certainly being very high on that list.
Perhaps the low mileage will be a boon for the new owner, if it sells. You’d want to keep the miles off the clock to hold her value. At $2.75/gal or more this elegant ‘ole gal could be an expensive daily driver.
I have a 1973 Buick Riviera. It has one of the nicest rides of any of the classic luxury cars that I own. Despite it’s 5000 lbs, the 455 under the hood has no problem moving this car down the road. It gives me the feeling of what an American luxury car should be: stylish, powerful, relatively roomy, except the back seats, and a smooth ride.
I’ve never seen one with a moonroof. Nice!
That’s the color I wanted.
When Ed Mertz was made General Manager of Buick Motor Division in the late 80s he tried to reach back into Buick’s history to come up with a phrase that would succinctly state what a Buick ought to be, not just as an advertising slogan but as a directive for the people designing and building the Buicks to come. The phrase “Distinctive, Substantial, Powerful and Mature” was what was decided upon. This Riviera embodies that perfectly. I think Mr. Mertz did a good job of shepherding Buick through the 90s keeping that philosophy in mind. What a far cry from the boring clone-mobile SUVs that are being sold under the Buick name today. But today, since 80% of all Buicks are sold in China, GM has decided that building REAL Buicks no longer matters.
Now this car is beautiful.
One of my favorites!
I cannot stand the steering wheels being hidden by those dumb fleecy condoms! The car is gorgeous.
This car looks like it’s had loving care, but if they are ever left where temps inside the cars rise, the rubber (?) steering wheel turns to a sticky goo – ask me how I know! The four spoke wheel that 70s Camaros and Vega GTs used share the problem.
Sweet ride.
Dad had one new in 71. Right when I turned 16. I got to drive it often, since he had a company car as well. I discovered the car would easily bury the speedometer, and would burn the right rear tire forever. So much so, that the right rear tire was much more worn, than the other 3. Dad took it to the dealer convinced there was a flaw on the rear end. Sorry Dad RIP
It was actually lousy to drive in the snow, but did awesome donuts. Perhaps with the limited slip, like the subject car it might be better. The sticker price on Dad’s was $7400 +/- and was a lot for the day. As mentioned above, they are truly love or hate cars, but most people I know dig em
As much as the term is over used, I have to say it here. Iconic.
Ended: Jul 29, 2018 , 5:45AM
Winning bid:US $27,001.00
[ 36 bids ]
most desirable of the three boat tail years..especially the G S …..I’ve had all three …wish I still had my 71
Wow 27 plus. Goes to show that oldies are getting harder to find. Dont care for the look of the boat tail. To ghettos for me.
Am I missing something, the car on e-bay has black interior with lower mileage, the one you show has a cream interior, with 60K plus miles. What’s up ?
Different auction, Joe. Look closer.
Mad men was supposedly set in late 50s early to mid 60s.
You have mis-placed your time line on the comments ?
Mad men was set in early 60s
Your time line is about off by a decade ?
Actually part of the last season of Mad Men technically took place in the 70s. The Newsweek Sexism Lawsuit (1970) and The Coca-Cola commercial shown at the end first aired in 1971, soooo the 71 Rivi could have made an appearance.
The last season of Mad Men they were working with Chevrolet on a new car they were coming out with.
I believe firmly that car was the Vega.
I think they just got into the 1970 year when the series ended.
If you remember the series, a couple of the guys went to the Chevrolet facility and they had a 1969 Z-28 in the entry way.
That car would have been replaced by the 1970 model if it was 1970 by then.
This car or one exactly like it is on Hemmings site to! Don’t remember how much it was tho!
Sorry but the Ebay listing is for a ’69 Riv. Both are BEAUTIFUL works of art!
One of my all time favorites.
I love these cars. When I was in high school, I worked nights for a janitorial service and one of the company owners bought a 71. It was bronze metallic and the color really popped. He let me drive it around the block one time and I never forgot that car. I couldn’t believe how smooth it was. I’d wanted a bronze 71 ever since and started looking a few decades later when I had some coin in my pocket. One thing I noticed about the 71’s that I came across during my search is that they all seemed to have rust issues under the trunk lip (and some soggy trunks) due to the vents that GM put on some of their car trunks in 71. I guess it wasn’t that good of an idea because the vents were gone in 72. In 2001, I finally found a Sea Mist (yes, it’s green — oh, well) 72 with 9,600 miles on it. It wasn’t bronze, but jeez, 9600 miles! It still had the original bias ply tires (which I kept) but I put on new radials. I couldn’t believe the difference that radials make on a car.
“…One thing I noticed about the 71’s that I came across during my search is that they all seemed to have rust issues under the trunk lip (and some soggy trunks) due to the vents that GM put on some of their car trunks in 71. I guess it wasn’t that good of an idea because the vents were gone in 72…”
Those vents were actually discontinued during the 1971 model year; later ’71’s didn’t have them at all. Fortunately, only those models new or completely redesigned for ’71 (Full-size B, C, D and E cars, the Vega) ever got them. Strange that the leak problems associated with the vents caused them to be discontinued in less than a year. Wouldn’t you think this issue would have been caught during development and fixed, or they just wouldn’t have made it into production at all?
Gee whiz, maybe it is time to sell mine. Based on the comments I read here, my car might sell for considerably more that I would expect. Hmmm.
What you got Terry?