1969 Buick Riviera Hardtop
For consignment, a 1969 Buick Riviera hardtop with a title verified 53,980 actual miles. In 1969, Buick’s tag line was “Wouldn’t you really rather have a Buick?” and the ad for the Riviera claimed, “the look is new, personal, and impressive.” And we have to agree. There’s something special about this era of Buick, and the Riviera design does not go unnoticed, more often than not finding a new home, courtesy of Classic Auto Mall.
Exterior
A luxury car combined with a sports car is the mantra for this 1969 Riviera and the fascia, redesigned for ’68, is striking in its uniqueness which is quite the feat because ’67 was unique in its own right. Inboard hidden headlights become part of the grille while bold marking lights provide square beacons on the outer edge of a chrome bumper that is as much an aesthetic frame as a safety device. Our car wears a coat of Copper Mist, the color it was born with, and is dressed up with a polished rocker panel, wide window trim, and Riviera spelled out on each of its four sides. Polished 15-inch chrome steel wheels and adherent shiny hubcaps add even more flash to the fastback-like profile that ends with a tail that rivals the front for interest, inset longitudinal tail lights appear to squint at the base of a sloping deck lid and flow through vents, and they’re embedded in a chrome bumper that wraps around and contours along a circular side marker. The paint and panels are excellent and we could not find any glaring exterior flaws.
Interior
Black vinyl door panels are button tufted as was common in the era and these show some patina and could use a careful detail to bring them back to life. Cloth buckets with similar button tufting with the driver’s showing some age but are in very good condition considering the soft texture of the velour, while the back bench and passenger seat are in great shape. A simple black steering wheel fronts a gauge cluster that is all squares, also period popular, and has a mid-panel that is adorned with woodgrain applique that surrounds several toggle switches and the climate panel. To the right, an AM radio with the imaginative feature of having BUICK spelled out on the five pushbuttons resides in its factory home. Although the woodgrain vinyl is peeling from the center console, the shift plate is chromed and arched and putting it into gear is akin to nose up in an airplane, pulling through the half circle until it clicks into D. Talk about party tricks and conversation pieces! Meanwhile, black loop carpet covers the floor, the stitch ribbed headliner is in nice condition, and the trunk shows usage and would benefit from some new finishing mats.
Drivetrain
Surface rust makes an occasional appearance on an otherwise clean engine, this one is a 430ci V8 rated at an impressive 360 horsepower, fueled by a 4-barrel carburetor and backed by a TH400 3-speed automatic transmission that sends power to the 10 bolt rear axle with 3.07 gears. Power assisted drum brakes are noted on front and rear wheels.
Undercarriage
The underside has its share of surface rust and patina, but it’s all there and sound in structure. Dual exhaust flows through glasspack style mufflers before finding their way to the back where they terminate behind the rear bumper. The pans are dry and so is the rear differential. Suspension is your basic coil springs up front and a 3 link with coil springs and panhard bar out back.
Drive-Ability
A few taps with the right foot primes the pump and we start the big 430 which sounds muscular upon firing. The moment we’ve been waiting for, moving the shift lever into drive is half the fun of driving this car! It’s about as fun as when we got a Big Wheel with the hand brake! Meanwhile, the car tracks straight on 60 series tires and has good visibility outside of the broad C-pillars, while delivering brisk acceleration and decent handling as well. Some things we note as not working include the horn, the A/C, and the epic headlight doors are not opening. Also, the power windows are very slow. All other gauges, lights, and functions work as they should. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your purchase.
This is a stunning car that will absolutely turn heads wherever it goes. There’s a list of incredibly daring cars that were released in the 60’s and the Riv ranks right up there as one of the most unique. Less than 54,000 miles with solid bones and body makes this a worthy candidate for your consideration. Rivs are special and forever cool and this car will likely still be turning heads in 100 years. Buick needs to bring this shifter back, but for now, you can own the original!
494879H939542
4-Buick
94-Riviera
87-2 Door Hardtop Sport Coupe
9-1969
H-Flint, MI Assy Plant
939542-Sequential Unit Number
TRIM TAG
ST 69 49487-1969 Riviera 2 Door Hardtop
BODY EUC236238-Flint Body #
TR 698-Black Vinyl
PAINT 85B-Copper Mist, Black Top
04B-2nd Week April
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that’s more than 8 acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit or call us at 855-201-7026. Contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person. There is no guarantee of mileage. A $299 Dealer Administrative fee is not included in the advertised price.
Price: $28,000
More info: Click here to see original eBay auction and get more information (Affiliate link)
Seller's other items: classicautomall
