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Buick never marketed the Riviera as a muscle car, but tucked under its elegant hood sat a 425-cubic-inch Nailhead V8 with a nickname that hinted at something more aggressive. Here’s the story behind the Wildcat 465, the rare dual-quad Super Wildcat option only 2,122 buyers ordered, and why this personal luxury coupe deserves a second look from muscle car fans.
Jim Kolich has owned this 1966 Buick Riviera since 1991, the same year his daughter was born, and more than thirty years later he is still showing it off at events like Wisconsin’s World of Wheels. Finished in gold with Buick’s distinctive 425 Nailhead V8 underneath, the car draws comparisons to some of the cleanest American designs of its decade. Watch to hear Jim’s full story behind three decades of ownership.
Only 5,718 Riviera Gran Sports were built for 1966, a personal luxury coupe hiding a 425-cubic-inch Nailhead V8 rated at 340 horsepower, with an optional twin-carburetor setup pushing it to 360. Buick marketed the GS around ride and handling rather than what was under the hood. Values have historically trailed flashier muscle cars despite genuinely rare production numbers. Read on to find out why the overlooked Riviera GS may be the best value in sixties Buick performance.
Tim Hall says he bought his 1971 Buick Riviera because he “liked the backend on it” — a reference to the polarizing “boattail” design GM design chief Bill Mitchell pushed through against dealer skepticism. Lou Costabile catches up with Tim and the Sandpiper Beige coupe at a small-town Illinois car show, where decades-old opinions about the shape are still being argued out in the comments. The 455 under the hood is almost an afterthought.
By 1967 Buick’s personal luxury flagship was hiding something the badge never advertised: an entirely new big-block V8 that quietly retired an engine family the division had built since 1953. The switch happened with almost no fanfare, buried in a model year better known for the Riviera’s sculpted sheet metal than for what sat beneath it. The engineering behind that swap is the more interesting story. Read on to find out what made Buick walk away.
A muscle car forum debate over whether a Buick Riviera is a 68 or a 69 usually reveals more about the car than any spec sheet could. This particular Riviera wears a mismatched blend of grille and bumper styling from both years, the kind of detail only a handful of Buick devotees would even notice. Read on to find out exactly what separates a 1968 Riviera from a 1969 one, and why the two years get confused so often.