In keeping with the market trends of the era, Buick’s Super received a completely new body for 1957, replacing one that had only been in production for three model years. Today, it isn’t unusual for manufacturers to extend the life of a production run by two or three times that figure with little more than some styling tweaks. However, this was the 1950s, and buyers sought the latest and greatest with every model year. This 1957 Buick Super Riviera Hardtop is an original survivor, and it appears that the seller has recently spent a fair chunk of change to ensure that it is in good mechanical health. Having spent the cash, what does he do? Yep, he listed it for sale here on eBay. The Riviera is located in Cleveland, Ohio, and frantic bidding has pushed the price to $17,600 in a No Reserve auction. I need to thank Barn Finder Larry D for once again using his well-developed classic car radar to spot this beauty for us.
Based on General Motors’ C-Body, the 1957 Buick Super looks long, low, and purposeful. Our feature car wears Carlsbad Black paint, and while it has accumulated a few defects, it still manages to shine impressively. Black paint always looks stunning, but it is also the perfect shade for revealing dings or bruises in the steel beneath. That doesn’t appear to be an issue because the panels look surprisingly good for a car with sixty-five years under its belt. Perhaps the best news revolves around that ever-present question of rust. It appears that the news here is nothing but positive. Externally, the car looks clean. The lower body extremities and rear quarter panels are rust-free, while the underside shots reveal little more than some accumulated surface corrosion. With that thought in mind, the buyer will probably find themselves tempted to perform a cosmetic refresh on this car. Certainly, the foundations are there for it to be a pretty straightforward process. The exterior trim, including the distinctive four Ventiports that separated the Super from its cheaper siblings, is in good condition, as is the tinted glass. The owner admits a crack in the lower windshield, but this doesn’t obscure or interfere with vision. The owner’s decision to fit wide whitewall tires adds the perfect finishing touch to this classic.
The original owner ordered this Buick with its interior upholstered in Trim Code 531 contrasting Black and White cloth and vinyl. I would describe its condition as serviceable, but the buyer will probably decide to perform some restoration work to lift it to the next level. Probably the most pressing need will be to address the significant wear and tear on the driver’s side of the front seat. It has deteriorated beyond repair, but their approach will be determined by their budget. I performed a relatively brief online search but had no success spotting replacement seat upholstery. If the buyer delves deeper, they may get lucky. Otherwise, they could face the cost of employing an upholsterer to create new covers using the existing upholstery as a template. The headliner has some stains, but it isn’t clear how these might respond to a deep clean. The rest of the upholstery and the dash look good, and this Riviera comes with a power front seat, an AM radio, and a clock.
Buyers in 1957 ordered their new Super Riviera with a single drivetrain combination. For their money, they received a 364ci “Nailhead” V8 that produced 300hp, a two-speed Dynaflow automatic transmission, and power brakes. At 4,450lbs, the Riviera is a relative heavyweight. That makes its ¼-mile ET of 18.2 seconds look respectable for a car where its leanings were more towards luxury than outright performance. The owner supplies a single shot of the engine bay, which shows a nice view of the power steering pump, but little else. However, this underside shot tells us a lot. Apart from the previously mentioned surface corrosion, there is no evidence of long-term fluid leaks or problems. The list of recent work performed by the owner is pretty comprehensive. It includes fitting a new exhaust, a battery, a water pump, a fuel pump, and a recent oil and filter change. He didn’t spare the cash on the braking system. This Buick features a new master cylinder, booster, and wheel cylinders. The owner says that it runs and drives well, so it could be a case of the buyer flying in and driving this baby home.
I’m not surprised that the bidding on this 1957 Buick Super Riviera has been intense because it is a car with plenty of positive attributes. Possibly its most significant, especially for any car of this type emerging from the 1950s, is that it remains rust-free. With the mechanical details already covered, the buyer can decide how they would tackle this project. A complete cosmetic refresh is warranted, but it isn’t essential. It would be tempting to address its interior shortcomings and leave the exterior untouched. It is guaranteed to turn heads, whether fully restored or retained as an original survivor. Which approach would you take?
Even if it’s the wrong year, this still makes me think of my favorite Stephen King “haunted car” book which is not Christine, but instead has never been made into a movie and is entitled “From a Buick 8”.
I’m with you there, 370zpp. I love that book and have read it several times. Let’s hope that nothing nasty pops out of the trunk of this one as it did in the book!
Adam, I have also long ago worn out my paperback copy. You either love that one or hate it.
Looking further, I see there is in fact a movie in the works in the next couple of years and hopefully it will follow King’s version.
Looks like something Dan Matthews would be driving in Highway Patrol.
2150 out.
I’m a big 1950’s Buick fan. We live up the block from the old 1950’s main drag before the highway was built. It’s a straight line up and down for miles, still with many neon signs. This car would be the perfect cruiser for that. I love it.
You say, “drive this baby home”.
It’s definitely not a baby— a behemoth might be more accurate.
I haven’t seen many 57 Buicks often although I saw lots when I was growing up in the 50’s. When I see them now my first reaction is shock at how big these cars were. A 57 Chev is a much smaller car. These were land yachts. These were truly aspirational cars.
Lots of moisture damage to interior chrome and fabrics. Staining everywhere. I thought the ’57’s had the three piece rear light, but I guess not all models.
As Buick says Wouldn’t you really rather have a Buick… nice car to take to the next level…
Just curious, I don’t see a column shift. Was this push button shift? Didn’t think GM did that
The gear selector lever is either on the left or right side of the steering wheel as per the pictures. I would think that it would be on the left and the right would be for indicators.
The gear selector is on the right; turn signal lever on the left. No push buttons. Chryslers and Edsels cornered the market on these. (How well did that work out for them?) Unless this car was never driven in the winter, as a Cleveland car, the ’56 and ’57 Buicks rusted terribly especially around the doglegs near the rear wheels. You really need to know the history of this vehicle; hopefully, it came from a dry part of the country.
The gear selector is on the right of the steering column. The left side has the turn signal stalk.
Drove a 57 special for years into the 80’s. Back and forth to work 130 miles.. Up into northern Manitoba to fish. Black. The windshield wrapped around very far. If you had long legs or didn’t pay attention you hit your knee coming in and out. Lots of swearing and bruises. Thin wiper switch knob that broke off easily. Pot metal as we used to call it. Anyone remember driving one. I have 2 model 75’s in the woods. Limited top of the line edition. 4 and 2 door. Both pink.
Oh does this car bring back memories. An elderly lady in our neighborhood had an identical car, right down to the color. It always sat in the garage, and one day when she had the garage door open, I told her I loved her Buick. She offered to let me sit in the driver’s seat, and even start it up [that was when I learned that unless the GM ignition key had been turned to the “lock” position and removed, it didn’t require the key to start the engine], and that was when I saw the odometer reading and I remember it was under 3,000 miles!
A couple of years passed, and our neighbor passed away. Not long after, I was notified she had willed the car to me, and the attorney handed me the title and her death certificate.
Problem was, I already had 2 Packard cars, and living at home, I had no place to park the Buick. A friend in high school named Tim, needed a car, so I sold him the Buick for $100. Tim and I created many great memories running around in the Buick.
I was “invited” by the President of the United States to enter the Army, and when I returned to the USA in 1975, Tim had moved away and the Buick was gone. Never saw either again.
You could fool people by letting them take it for a spin. Didn’t need the key if it was in the off position like you said but what fooled them was you stepped the gas pedal to the floor to engage the starter. How much gas was wasted over time by having the accelerator dump a full load of gas down the intake everytime you started it?
Some friend.
When better cars are built, BUICK will build them.
I see the saler has only few pictures . He wants to show. Their was a Buick just like this one. Sitting at the mall in Summersville,W.Va awhile back. Same description,but had some rust under neith needed looked after. Even both bumpers were crooked. Someone is gonna buy themselves some work . The important areas are NOT shown. I hope who buys it. Knows also the laws about people not being completely honest about the vehicle. I started to buy it,but closer inspection–I drove away. Good luck.. Also, the 57 Buich back glass IS a three(30 ) piece set.
The three-piece back glass was utilized only on the Special and Century models, which shared inner body structures and rooflines with Oldsmobile. The larger Super and Roadmaster series cars shared inner body structures and rooflines (and glass) only with Cadillac. This model used a one-piece rear window.
I had the same model while in high school. Light blue. I lived in Southern Calif.
50 miles east of L.A. The Buick made many trips to the beach on week-ends.
Great car. Eventually traded car for a ‘40 Ford coupe.
SOLD for $18,625.
I owned a 55 Roadmaster but always longed for the 57 Super 2 door.