1973 Buick Riviera, Gateway Classic Cars - Denver #653

To purchase this car or for more information: https://www.gatewayclassiccars.com/DEN/653/1973-Buick-Riviera To view 3,000+ classics or exotics For Sale: https://gatewayclassiccars.com/ To Sell your classic or exotic call (866) 430-2345 or visit: https://www.gatewayclassiccars.com/sell Gateway Classic Cars of Denver welcomes this 1973 Buick Riviera! The Buick Riviera is a personal luxury car produced by Buick from 1963 to 1999. GM's first entry into that prestige niche, the Riviera was highly praised by automotive journalists upon its high-profile debut. While early models stayed close to the original form, eight subsequent generations varied substantially over the Riviera's thirty-year lifespan. In all, 1,127,261 were produced. The Riviera name had been used by Buick starting with the 1949 model to designate a hardtop body style, right through a large top-of-the-line six-window 1962 Electra 225 hardtop. The crisply styled, ground-up design that debuted 1963 was Buick's first unique Riviera model, and pioneered the GM E platform. The Riviera name was resurrected for concept cars displayed at auto shows in 2007 and 2013 in hopes of reintroducing the marque, but no plans to do so are currently in place. Unlike its subsequent GM E platform stablemates, the Oldsmobile Toronado and Cadillac Eldorado, the Riviera was initially a standard front engine/rear-wheel drive platform, only becoming front wheel drive starting in 1979 as part of a sweeping move in that direction by the American automobile industry. The Riviera was radically redesigned for the 1971 model year with flowing and dramatic "boat-tail" styling.[21] Designed under Bill Mitchell's direction, it was penned by Jerry Hirshberg, future head of design for Nissan, mating the two-piece vee-butted[8]:792 fastback rear window, inspired by the 1963 Corvette Sting Ray split window coupe, to the Riviera's platform. The design was originally intended for the smaller GM A platform, and the use of the Riviera's body—expanded for 1971 by 3 in (76 mm) in wheelbase and more than 120 lb (54 kg) heavier—produced controversial looks. (Collectible Automobile ran an article about 1971-76 full-sized Buicks in which one sketch design for their 2-door coupes which was rejected resembled the 1971-73 Riviera). This generation introduced a much more visual representation of the "sweepspear", with a more faithful representation to the version that appeared on 1950s Buicks in both the side molding and beltline. The 455 engine had a lower compression ratio to meet EPA emissions requirements, reducing power to 255 hp (190 kW), with 265 hp (198 kW) in the Gran Sport. Performance remained reasonably brisk, with a 0-60 time of 8.1 seconds for the GS, but the Riviera's sporty image was rapidly fading. One noteworthy advance was Buick's Max Trac limited-slip differential.[22] The 1971 Riviera also features GM's "Full-Flo" ventilation system and two large deck lid louvers are prominent on the trunk lid. (Unfortunately, under certain conditions a vacuum was created that sucked rain and exhaust back into the car and the "Full-Flo" ventilation was redesigned and the louvers were removed from trunk lid for the 1972 model year.) For 1973, the 250 hp (186 kW) engine became standard, with 260 hp (190 kW) with the Stage One package, which also included a limited slip differential and a chrome-plated air cleaner. The "Gran Sport" package was still available as a separate option package consisting of a ride-and-handling package that included a rear stabilizer bar, JR78-15 whitewall steel-belted radial tires, a specially tuned "radial roadability" suspension, additional sound insulation and special "Gran Sport" badging. Sluggish sales of the third generation Riviera led GM to believe that the boattail deck lid was too radical for most customers' tastes, so in 1973 it was blunted and made slightly shorter. The design change however only led to a marginal increase in sales, with 34,080 being produced for the model year. (Source WIKIPEDIA) Don't miss your opportunity to own a piece of American Muscle history in our Denver Showroom. It can be seen in greater detail including 100+ HD pictures and a HD video at www.GatewayClassicCars.com. For additional information please call our sales staff at (303) 872-4722 or email us at Denver@GatewayClassicCars.com. If you would like to see it in person, come to our Denver Showroom located at: 14150 Grasslands Drive Suite A, Englewood, CO 80112.

Added 13 Jul 2026