1971 Buick Riviera
Seldom was General Motors (GM) following in the automobile market, but the success of the medium-size T-Bird starting in 1958 caught them off guard. The closest thing to a “personal luxury car” GM had was the Grand Prix. Head of Design Bill Mitchell pushed for a new-style luxury car that was smaller than the full-size Buicks and Cadillacs—something like the 1958-60 T-Bird. Since both Olds and Cadillac were developing a front-wheel drive coupe for the middle 1960s, it left Buick as the de-facto division to get the all-new 1963 Riviera. The Riviera name was first used in 1949 by Buick for their first hardtop Roadmaster.
Buick marketed the 117-inch wheelbase Riviera as limited to 40,000 units, which helped sell every one they made. The razor-sharp styling and overall unique body, plus the standard features that were mostly high-price options for other luxury cars made the Riv unforgettable. And uniquely, it was a single-marque body—no other division had their own version—unheard of in a company that thrived on shared bodies and components. The price was similar to Ford’s T-Bird, attesting to what GM came gunning for.
Both Buick’s 401ci Nailhead (standard) and 425ci Wildcat (optional) engines were available. The 360hp Super Wildcat Nailhead was available in 1964. 1963 was the last year for the Dynaflow two-speed automatic, replaced in 1964 with the GM 400-Turbo Hydramatic.
The body ran for three years, with the slight restyle for 1965 featuring the showcar-like clamshell headlights which had grilled covers that opened clamshell-style concealing the headlights. The taillights were also moved to the bumpers to clean up the rear. Total production was 112,000 Rivieras for all three years.
The 1966-70 Rivieras were placed on the new E-body platform, shared with the Olds Toronado and Cadillac Eldorado. While those sister cars were front-wheel drive, Buick’s version retained conventional rear-wheel drive while sharing frame, cowl, A-pillar/windshield and other internal stampings. Throughout this 2nd-gen lifespan it saw numerous interior options added every year, and compliance with the new crash, safety, and emissions standards mandated by the government. In 1967 the old Nailhead V8 was replaced by an all-new 430ci big block. Sales during this period were around 50,000 units each year through 1969, dipping to 35,000 for the less-popular 1970 model.
In 1971 the “Boat Tail” Riviera, with unusual tapering top that ended in a sharp point at the bumper was introduced. Again sharing the new E-body platform with both the Eldorado and Toronado, it kept the traditional rear-wheel drive layout. The wild sculptured bodies caused an immediate reaction—some loved them and others hated them. Slower sales led to GM blunting the tail in 1973, but otherwise saw little change from the previous two years. In the end sales were around 34,000 each year for the boat tail.
By the fourth generation it was decided to retain the existing E-body platform, but completely redesign the back end and top to get away from the boat tail and also better comply with the new federal roll-over standards. You can see the front of the Riv resembles the boat tail era, but with a more conventional tail. Sales for these next three years averaged around 20,000 units.
For 1977-78 the Riviera was placed on the new, smaller B-body platform—the newly downsized full-size GM platform, while the Toronado and Eldorado remained on their front-wheel drive E-body platform. On a 115.9-inch wheelbase, the B-body was engineered for the 350ci small block Chevy engine, a marked reduction from big block Buicks of the past. In many ways the new Riv was just a slightly different Buick LeSabre. With 26,000 units sold in 1977 and then 20,000 in 1978, it looked like the Riviera might be on the way out.
In 1979 the Riviera was grouped again with the Toronado and Eldorado E-body, with its formal backlight and chiseled bodies. Proportioned nicely and sharing the front-wheel drive of its siblings, power was the Olds 350ci V8 or a turbocharged 231ci Buick V6. The handsome Riviera was Motor Trend Magazine’s Car of the Year, which helped to propel production to over 100,000 units for the next two years. A convertible Riviera—a first, came along in 1982, and in 1985 sales alone exceeded 65,000.
1971 Buick Riviera
All new was the “boat tail” Riviera, with its wrapping rear window and tapering top that ended in a peak at the rear bumper. Some likened it to an overblown Stingray Corvette, but any way you looked at it you couldn’t deny its unique design. A three-inch longer wheelbase and extreme rear overhang put the length at 218-inches. Unusual vents in the decklid announced the new “Full Flow” ventilation system many new GM products featured. The 455ci engine came standard with 310hp, and with the Gran Sport option increased to 335hp. Sales dropped precipitously to about 34,000 Rivs.
AVAILABLE MODELS:
1971 Riviera
- Engine Options
- 455-4bbl cubic inch V8, 310hp
- 455-4bbl cubic inch V8, 335hp
1971 Riviera VIN Decoder:
First Character: Identifies Division
Second and Third Characters: Identifies Series
Fourth and Fifth Characters: Body Style
- 37 ~ 2-Door Hardtop Coupe
Sixth Character: Model Year
Seventh Character: Identifies Assembly Plant
- H ~ Flint, Michigan
- C ~ South Gate, California
- Z ~ Fremont, California
- X ~ Kansas City, Kansas
- Y ~ Wilmington, Delaware
- X ~ Fairfax, Kansas
- 1 ~ Oshawa, Canada
Eighth-Thirteenth Characters: Sequential Production Number
Basic production numbers for 1971 Riviera.
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