The Riviera, dating back to 1963, was a revered (do you see what I did there?) name for many decades in the personal luxury car segment, but it wasn’t until 1982 that you could get a Riviera as a convertible. And even then, the drop-tops were produced in very limited numbers: That year, Buick built 1,248 convertibles out of 42,823 total Rivieras – a mere 2.9 percent of production.
The percentage stayed about the same for the following model year, when this car rolled off the assembly line in Linden, New Jersey.
The Pick of the Day is a low-mileage 1983 Buick Riviera listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Hampton, Virginia. (Click the link to view the listing)
“Turn-key,” the listing says. “Drive it home, and by the time you park, you’ll be completely in love. This 1983 Buick Riviera convertible has power everything and luxury features that rival modern cars.”
The sixth-generation Riviera was produced from 1979 through 1985. It was underpinned by the General Motors E-body platform – the same chassis that was shared with the Cadillac Eldorado and the Oldsmobile Toronado. This generation was important because it was marked the debut of the first front-wheel-drive Riviera. According to production figures published by GM, for 1983 there were 50,234 Riviera manufactured, but only 1,750 of them were convertibles like this one.
Buick invested a lot of effort into details on the Riviera. A few things that stood out to me while browsing the photos included the scripted “R” logo in each taillight, the hood ornament, the scripted fender emblems, and a “Riviera by Buick” logo embedded into the grille. There was no doubt that Buick wanted people to know the identity of the car from any angle of the exterior.
The burgundy-themed cabin looks like a comfy place to hang out, complete with leather upholstery, lots of wood veneer, a fold-down driver armrest, power windows, and automatic climate control. The factory radio has been replaced with a modern unit, but the photo gallery shows that the original Delco radio is sitting inside the trunk and will presumably be included with the sale.
“This Buick is highly original and has spent most of its time garage-kept,” the listing concludes. At only 57,707 miles on the odometer, this Riv has led a 42-year life of leisure. Here’s your chance to snag it for some luxurious top-down road trips this coming summer.
The asking price is $12,000 or best offer.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, stop by Pick of the Day.
