1990 Buick Reatta with just over 30,000 miles. ALWAYS garaged in climate-controlled environment. Car is in great shape and reliably drivable. I have taken interstate road trips in this beauty and it has always performed great. It’s a real head-turner and I always receive comments and compliments on it.
The Buick Reatta was marketed as an advanced offering by General Motors after they had carried out a series of taser questionnaires regarding the acceptance of a two seater roadster offering from the company. Initially there was to be a convertible as well as an option for a manual transmission - the convertible option did not appear until the 3rd year of production and the manual transmission was never offered. Some say that this was what led to the demise of this amazing entry into the sports car world from Buick. Others may remark that it was a result of the fact that the Reatta was more a luxury car. The realities are that, considering the roadability combined with the comfort of the ride in this little machine, it was truly a hybridization of both a sports car and a luxury car. The Reatta had a short production run from 1988-1991. During that time, the Reatta even had its own dedicated factory for development and manufacturing in Lansing. If visiting this factory, one would have found that this car was practically hand built. By the end of production, 21,751 Buick Reattas were sold with only 2,437 of those being convertibles! This is indeed a RARE automobile!
Despite the nimble looks, as well as it’s roadability, Buick chose to emphasize the maturity of these small two seaters over their sportiness during their advertising campaigns. As a result, their advertising campaign missed an important buying segment, younger buyers truly interested in a 2-seater sports car.
The paint is original as is the saddle convertible top which is manually raised and lowered to hide under a matching tonneau cover that gives the car a very clean look. The 1990 convertibles, (the very first year of the convertibles), featured a manual roof which was really a better option since the screw drive tops frequently failed and usually at the worst times. In 1990 Buick also moved away from the high-tech dash which was so far ahead of it’s time that it was overly complex and was of course subject to failures. It was replaced with an electronic digital dash which is very reliable. Under the hood is the renowned LN3 3.8l V6 engine, used extensively in GM's small and mid-sized vehicles in this era. Similarly, the 4-speed 4T60 automatic transmission is a tried and tested unit that completes the Reatta out on the open road.
Anti-lock brakes and front/rear independent suspension help the Reatta to feel safe and provide an optimal operating experience. Inside this low-production classic you will find saddle tan leather seating and as you look at the dash configuration, you can tell that GM's engineers spent a lot of thought and effort to maximize both utility and driver convenience. Climate control, power seats/windows/locks, driver air bag, cruise control and electronics are all fully functional as are the pop-up head-lamps.
Disclosures - The radio works great, but the cassette player does not. The rheostat control for the dash lights does not function so you cannot brighten nor dim the dash lights but the lighting is set at a level that is perfect for both day and night driving. Horn does not work. There are minor cosmetic paint scratches consistent with a car of this age.
The uniqueness and legacy of the Reatta lives on and has attracted significant collector attention recently. It's time to make a move on this impressive 2-door convertible before someone else does!
