UPDATE – We featured this sleek ’67 Buick Riviera GS in August and it’s being listed for sale again. Maybe this time around it’ll find a new home. The seller shares a bit more information in the new post saying it was purchased about a decade ago, maybe 500 miles have been added to the odometer since, it stays in a warm, dry garage under a cover, and this beautiful Riviera has a name: Gloria. One reader commented from the previous post that this Riviera originally came with a vinyl top since the moldings are still in place. I think this Riviera looks sleeker without a vinyl top. Miss Gloria is still a peach and is residing about an hour east of Atlanta, Georgia and is for sale again here on eBay. As of this writing, 31 bids had been submitted with the highest bid standing at $11,300. Another shout out to Larry D. for spotting this Riviera and sending it our way to feature again.
FROM 8/4/2022 – No, you’re not looking at a mild custom, this is exactly how a sleek and sexy ’67 Buick Riviera GS left the factory. What a gorgeous piece of sculpture on four wheels. Styling Boss Bill Mitchell and his GM design team were on top of their game when they created the second generation Riviera in 1966. No wonder it was recognized as the “Handsomest Car of 1966” by Car Life magazine and “Best Full-Sized Sports Sedan” by Car and Driver. Cosmetic revisions were minimal in 1967 and this clean example with the Gran Sport (GS) option has only 57,800 documented miles.
This Riviera looks terrific from every angle. It was longer, wider, and more curvaceous than the first generation. The headlights were still concealed but were now horizontal and pivoted behind the grille when not used and nd the new roofline flowed into almost a graceful fastback. Nothing is shared by the seller about the history of this fine example or what it’s been doing the past 55 years. Based on a paint chart I found online, I’m guessing it is finished in Platinum Mist, one of fifteen paint colors available on the ’67 Riviera. In reviewing the photos, I’m not seeing any major flaws or concerns. As the seller says, “Just a clean machine. Nothing else to elaborate on.”
Inside, Buick’s idea of a personal luxury car (and GM’s answer to the Ford Thunderbird) didn’t disappoint. These came loaded and this one was ordered with optional power windows and factory air conditioning as well. Front seat options were bucket seats or the Strato-bench seat seen here with the large armrest. Based on the photos, the interior is well preserved. I see a little discoloration on the rear seat, but overall it looks very nice.
About the biggest change to the Riviera in 1967 is what was under the hood. The legendary 425-cu-in “Nailhead” was put out to pasture and replaced with a new 430-cu-in V8 that generated 360 horsepower at 5,000 rpm when it left the factory. It is paired with a 3-speed Super Turbine transmission. This low-mileage one is said to be original and check out that wild looking factory air cleaner. Although this Riviera came out 10 years before the movie, that air cleaner is referred to as “Star Wars.” It really does look like something Han Solo and Chewy would pilot around in a galaxy far, far away.
The public obviously liked Bill Mitchell’s restyled Riviera with then record-setting sales reaching 45,348 units finding new homes in 1966. For 1967, sales dipped slightly to 42,799 units with only 4,837 being ordered with the Gran Sport package which included a 4-barrel Quadra-Jet carb, special suspension, Posi-Traction differential, red-line or white-striped tires, and special GS badging outside and inside. We haven’t featured many ’67 Riviera GS examples over the years here on Barn Finds and I think this is the prettiest of the bunch. I envy the lucky next owner of this sleek silvery sculpture on four chrome sports wheels.
Great looking car with a great looking air cleaner.
That is such a gorgeous car. Nice write-up, Ron, and good find as always, Larry!
Thanks, SG. I owe ya one…
67 GM knocked it out of the park with the Riviera and tornado, the GTO, 442, ss396 got the press but the rib and tornado were styling winners IMO
1966-67 Riviera is arguably the best-looking American car of all time, and that’s a fact.
You can look it up.
I always liked the 71-73 but I think these are even better looking cars.
It certainly has withstood the test of time. Simple beautiful!
This car has been up for sale for quite a while. The give away is the radio antenna on the right rear of the car. All Riviera’s had the antenna on the right front fender. The car has been repainted if I remember correctly. It’s very nice, my farther had one and they are great cruisers.
Good observation! So there are a few other things I noticed as well, the biggest alarm bell is the odometer. Clearly looks like it’s been turned back. The numbers are misaligned – never happens on it’s own or from factory – and looks like it was rolling backwards when they stopped it. If they roll forward about 100 miles the numbers might straighten out and align again, many mechanical odometers work this way. Other than repaint,antenna if you look real close head on front end the gaps between the left right side have pretty big differences, maybe not to the regular “Joe” but to a trained eye it’s big. Of course these observations are very general because you can NEVER tell from these type of pictures. You really need to inspect up close and live. Not a bad car though, i’d say it’s a good #3 driver.
These are beautiful cars. My favorite feature is the headlights that retract upward and rest under the leading edge of the hood. Very clever!
I owned a 1967 Riviera like this, and seeing those headlights staring up at you when you opened the hood could be a bit startling, if you hadn’t seen it before! LOL! Also, the Speedometer was very unique. It was a rotating drum that showed the speed, and you could set a Max Speed Alert that would Buzz if you went too fast. This car could leave lots of rubber, but it could be launched to just leap off the line. With 445 ft-lbs. of torque, it moved very quickly. Wish I still had mine. Had a 1966 Buick Skylark GS too! Mom had a 1969 Riviera. Guess you couldn’t tell we liked Buicks! 🤣
The speedometer was circular in the dash and it rolled over as speed increased.
I have a 67 Riviera GS bought on the night of Desert Storm,from original owner, has 88K miles, all Buick options,Uniroyal tiger paw redlines,star wars air cleaner,never had to recharge ac ,blows ice cold in 98 degree summer heat! Also original owner of 87 Buick Grand National 33K miles,some bolts on’s not afraid to run with Dodges or Mustangs! Just a guy’s who love stylish, fast, GM Muscle!
Beautiful Car…These are SO cool!
While the ’67 and, subsequently, the ’69 were the best of this generation Rivieras, the “GS” claim needs to be documented. The ONLY indicator is the emblems on the front fenders and, at least one of these (driver’s side) appears to be crooked. This is a HUGE red flag that, like many of these that claim to be GS models, this one could be a total fake. The 3.42 Posi would be a good indicator if someone could inspect it in person. Even then, it’s an easy swap. The lack of a vinyl top but the fact that they left all of the trim there says to me that this is a low-end “refurbishment” and not a restoration. There are two kinds of Rivieras out there…nice ones, and not nice ones. This example appears to be leaning toward the latter.
Bravo, I totally agree with your analysis and would like to add, the “GS” badges were on the glove box/dash and the door cards, maybe even the steering wheel center. Someone upgraded to that starwars air cleaner as I am almost 90% sure Riviera did not get it from factory and it was an option on the Skylark GS.
Stunning!
I do believe the year was 1975 when my second ex-wife’s brother was given one of these. It was in need of a valve job so off came the heads and were reconditioned at a local shop, then re-installed. The car ran beautiful but he always had problems with the taillights. It was a printed circuit and a short in the system caused multiple problems. It was a gold colored car with bucket seats an center consul. I don’t know what he did with the car, probably sent to the scrap yard years ago.
God Bless America
I was impressed with the car until I saw the antenna on the right rear. EWWWW! That alone sends me packing. This was before windshield antennas so I don’t know what happened to the one on the right front fender; doesn’t appear that there ever was one but hard to tell. That’s the only place they were, power or manual.
And, also as someone else said, looks like there was a vinyl top at some time in its life.
No thanks.
i thought most gs had bucket seats i had several thru the years and never saw a rear mont antenna
Of this body, I prefer the 69, with the headrest seats, smaller steering wheel, and ignition on the column, just sharper, the my love jumps to the boat tail 71/73s