A 1963 Buick Riviera in Photos
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This example of a 1963 Buick Riviera sold in 2016 for €22,400 (about $23,700 today) at an RM Sotheby’s auction in Paris.
The tasteful interior could be upholstered in all-vinyl, cloth and vinyl, or leather, and front bucket and rear bucket-style seats comfortably accommodate a party of four occupants.
This example features a 425 cubic-inch V-8 engine making about 335 hp.
Although this particular car was unrestored, expect to pay $60,000 to $70,000 for a concours-quality 1963 example.
While the Buick Riviera is not rare by any standard, the reality is that far fewer first-gen examples exist today than the 112,244 that were made up until 1965.
The Buick Riviera was GM’s first “personal luxury car,” going head-to-head in the market with Ford’s Thunderbird.
Buick’s concept car was penned by GM stylist Ned Nickles, and the near-identical production version of 1963 carried on with minor changes through 1965.
For Buick’s seminal 1960s model, the name Riviera—Italian for “coastline”—was chosen to evoke the luxurious spirit of the most exclusive towns in Italy and Southern France.
