Tom Gidden, courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
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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.
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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.
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This example features a 425 cubic-inch V-8 engine making about 335 hp.
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Although this particular car was unrestored, expect to pay $60,000 to $70,000 for a concours-quality 1963 example.
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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.
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The Buick Riviera was GM’s first “personal luxury car,” going head-to-head in the market with Ford’s Thunderbird.
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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.
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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.