Vehicle Description
1990 Buick Reatta Convertible
The Buick Reatta was originally penned as a two seat sports car for
Buick. After much contemplation and focus on the brand's buyers, it
was decided to come out with an older luxury minded buyer's car,
with front wheel drive, a 2 door coupe, comfortable interior and
soft ride. Today the Reatta stands out for its "futuristic" styling
and driver interface. It was one of the least expensive handmade
modern cars produced at the Lansing Craft Center, with each car
including a "craftsman's log" of its builders.
For consignment, a 1990 Buick Reatta convertible owned by our
consignor for 15 years. Over four years, Buick produced just 21,751
Reattas. That's about the same amount of Grand National produced in
1987 and as those are considered uncommon, the Reatta is bordering
on rare. Which one have you seen in the wild most recently?
Exterior
Bathed in its original Bright Red paint and accented by a gold
pinstripe, the uniquely shaped Reatta is instantly recognizable
with hidden headlights and flush wraparound tail lights that span
the entire width of the car with a reflective band. A newer tan
canvas convertible tops this 2 seater and has a glass window with
defrost feature. Side moldings just below the belt line with a
chrome thin topper both race around this rounded car to create some
interest on the red. 15-inch aluminum wheels are on all four
corners showing some delamination and wearing gold striped tires
with a mid 2022 manufacture date. On this car, the exhaust exists
as twin oval chrome tips. Imperfections include various scratches
and some of them are touched up, a hole in the hood where perhaps
an ornament was once added, multiple scuffs on the chin, a scuff on
the right front corner bumper, and the clear lens of the rear light
bar is scratched and cracked but not broken through.
Interior
Handsome door panels covered in tan with black panels and multiple
controls on hand. These show some wear with chipping paint, and
duct tape covering a switch. The passenger side fares better and
hints of the luxury this car was to bestow. Tan leather buckets
have complex patterns and stitching, and the driver's side shows
significant wear with creases and a small tear and again, the
passenger side is in better condition. Compartment doors behind the
seats are covered in low plush carpet which continues on the
footwell floors in decent albeit slightly soiled condition,
especially where the center console meets the sidewall. Our
steering wheel has an aftermarket cover and fronts a flat dash
panel that sports nifty vacuum fluorescent gauge displays and a
blue LCD mileage readout. The center stack is canted slightly
towards the driver and contains the A/C controls and a new AM/FM/CD
unit. Below is the shifter in the center console over a plastic
panel in good condition. A shout out to the trunk, which is also
well preserved and lined with cloth gray panels.
Drivetrain
Driver quality conditions prevail under the hood where we find the
3.8 liter V6 which is horizontally opposed, and fed fuel with fuel
injection. A 4T60 4-speed automatic transmission is on board and
keeps power at the front wheels and 2.97 gearing. Power disc brakes
are equipped on the front and rear and ABS.
Undercarriage
This car appears to have had an oil undercoating treatment and as a
result, everything is glossy black and there's very little surface
rust on flat surfaces or major components. There is a long drop of
oil on the pan coming from the drain plug unrelated to the surface
treatment. The single exhaust snakes its way to the back where it
meets a stock style muffler then exits as two tips. Coil spring
suspension is up front while the independent suspension at the back
is equipped with a transflex leaf.
Drive-Ability
A quick starter, and a smooth ride, good handling and bias free
panic braking. There are some rattles normally associated with high
mileage cars of the era, but overall a decent ride and adequate
power from the venerable V6. While the digital dash is working as
it should, we note the power lock are finicky, the "Service AC"
light is on and the AC doesn't blow cold, the "Antilock" light is
on, and the passenger's power seat tilt functions are not working.
While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were
working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these
functions will be working at the time of your purchase.
Here are two things we know. Reattas are on the uptick for
collectability. Their oddness was once a liability but is now
clearly seen as an asset. It also doesn't hurt that they are prime
Radwood material, but are welcome and seen at all car shows now.
The second thing that among consistent sellers at Classic Auto
Mall, Reattas make the list. They always find a new owner. Here's
one that can use a little cosmetic TLC but is certainly drivable
and show worthy as it sits.
1G4EC33C9LB905376
1-USA
G-General Motors
4-Buick
EC-Reatta
3-2 Door Convertible
3-Manual Belts, Drivers Airbag
C-3.8L V6
9-Check Digit
L-1990
B-Lansing, MI Assy Plant
905376-Sequential Unit Number
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and
collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate
controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8
acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic
and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the
I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit
www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us
anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in
person.
With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and
we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host
Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends
in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and
automotive professionals about amazing cars and their history. Tune
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