The Buick division of General Motors first used the name “Riviera” in 1949, as a subseries of the Buick Roadmaster. Latin for “coastline”, at that time the French Riviera was considered on of the most beautiful and luxurious places on the globe, and company executives hoped to create that visual image with an upscale Roadmaster series. The company continued using that name until the middle 1950’s.
In the early 1960’s, General Motors was lacking an entry in the personal luxury car segment pioneered by Ford’s Thunderbird. A prototype vehicle was commissioned by GM’s top-of-the-line Cadillac division but in the end Cadillac executives passed on the idea, tossing the option open to other divisions. Buick then took over the project and eventually produced the Riviera, a name which was seen every year from 1963 to 1999 in the Buick line-up with the exception of the 1994 model year.
Introduced to the public in October 1962 as a 1963 model, the Riviera drew high praise from the automotive press and was a success with the public. Production was limited to 40,000 units for the first year of production. The Riviera marked GM’s first use of the “E-body” platform that would later be shared by GM cousins Oldsmobile Toronado and Cadillac El Dorado but while the latter cars were front wheel drive the Riviera retained the traditional rear wheel drive configuration until 1979.
The car’s knife-edge design was much different than previous Buick designs. Power for the Riviera came from Buick’s legendary 401 cubic inch “Nailhead” engine and was backed by a two-speed automatic as standard equipment. The cabin consisted of front bucket seats and console shift with bucket-style seats in the rear to accommodate four people. A variety of interior options were available including vinyl, vinyl and cloth and leather.
There were a wide range of options and standard equipment available for the Riviera, as one would expect from an upscale auto company. In every sense of the word, the Riviera was, in fact, a personal luxury car and was well-accepted by the public as the 40,000 unit sales proved.
Very little cosmetically changed for the 1964 model year, with additional badging appearing on the car. The standard engine was upgraded to Buick’s Wildcat 465 powerplant, a 425 cubic inch design named so for producing an impressive 465 ft/lbs. of torque with an optional Super Wildcat 425 cubic inch engine featuring dual four-barrel carbs. A new three-speed automatic transmission with variable pitch torque converter replaced the previous two-speed automatic.
This 1964 Buick is a stunning example of a first-generation Buick Riviera. Finished in Bronze Mist (paint code S) with an optional Fawn (code 613) vinyl and cloth interior, this exceptional car has had one respray at some point in its’ life in the proper factory color. The car is well-equipped featuring air conditioning, power steering and brakes, power windows and power=adjustable driver’s seat. One of the few concessions to originality are the later model Buick rally wheels that were not available at the time the car was manufactured. The car has been in the portfolio of the present owner for five years and purchase documents indicate the car was owned since new by an Oklahoma family. While we believe the 28,000 miles showing on the odometer to be correct, because of statutes regulating Missouri licensed auto dealers the car will be sold “mileage exempt” due to age.
Evergreen Digital Showroom offers this 1964 Buick Riviera for sale at $49,900 USD. Pre-purchase inspections are welcomed and encouraged. We will gladly make transportation arrangements at buyer’s expense or will work with any shipper the buyer chooses. Financing may also be available for individuals with approved credit. Financing information can be located under the “Financing” tab on our website, www.evergreendigitalshowroom.com. To discuss this car or to make an offer, call sales manager Steve Russell at 417-532-8000.
NOTICE
Because of the number of vehicles we represent we cannot drive every vehicle for long distances. These vehicles have been part of static displays for long periods of time, in some cases for decades, and are subject to the flaws and imperfections consistent with that. While we do our best to disclose all issues we known about a vehicle in our advertising, these are old cars and something that has always worked in the past might not function properly today. Please check the requirements of your state regarding the licensing and registration of classic vehicles and make sure the vehicle you are looking at meets those if applicable. Unless otherwise noted, all vehicles represented by Evergreen Digital Showroom possess a clean (non-branded) title which will be provided the new buyer when purchase funds clear our financial institution. Virtually all our vehicles are sold as mileage exempt due to their age. We do not warranty any vehicle, nor any part of the vehicle including air conditioning systems, brake systems, electrical systems and gauges, fuel systems, accessories or powertrain components.
These are old vehicles and it is very common for them to require certain maintenance and upkeep for them to be operational. In many cases issues with leaks may develop when being driven after a long period of not being used. This is common, as classic cars at some point will leak fluids. For this reason, we do not encourage buyers to attempt driving their purchase home as we cannot guarantee functional reliability of these vehicles. We strongly encourage prospective buyers to be sure they are comfortable with these issues before purchasing a classic car.
Descriptions of vehicles represented by Evergreen Digital Showroom are intended to be informational in nature and do not in any way constitute any sort of warranty, expressed or implied. Again, these vehicles are presented “as-is, where-is” without guarantee or warranty. Vehicles manufactured prior to 1981 will likely not be included in the databases of companies such as CarFax and AutoCheck that provide vehicle history information to consumers. If you have specific questions regarding a vehicle we urge you to contact us at 417-532-8000.
