Vehicle Description
1958 Buick Super Riviera 2 Door Hardtop
It's no wonder this car threw us for a bit of a loop. Very few '58
Rivieras have come through our door and it turns out that only
13,928 2 door hardtops model 56Rs were produced in 1958. What's
more apparent is that all Buick models for '58, from the Roadmaster
to the Century, shared much of the same profile and none of them
were small cars. The rear quarter trim is shared throughout the
line and is almost as distinctive as the previous year's Bel Air,
even if lacking the longevity of recognition.
For consignment, a 1958 Super Riviera 2 door hardtop with a title
verified 54,353 actual miles. This car exemplifies 50's styling
with enormous chrome features, fins, long stretches of polished
trim, fender ornaments, and a grille that is a masterpiece of
design. With a 127 � inch wheelbase, its size is as impressive as
its features.
Exterior
If you slowly pan this car from front to back, you can stop every
few inches to point out an interesting feature. The grille is a
series of floating chrome squares, seeming suspended in mid air in
a grid over a massive front bumper. Above it, dual headlights
reside under a chrome brow and a V-emblem on the nose which is
repeated on the fender ornaments. Along the back, the quarter panel
is adorned with a spaceship shaped chrome leaving a trail of
aluminum trim that stretches all the way to the back of the car
where it meets a substantial piece of fin trim that takes in a
larger than life tail light over another massive rear bumper with
more detail than your company's spreadsheet. The curved glass at
both ends is boldly bordered by more shiny metal and the C-pillar
has additional chrome bars to fill the canted space. The paint is
in nice shape but much of the chrome is pitted and there's surface
rust on the bumper guards.
Interior
The brochure touted "custom quality interiors" and indeed, there is
attention to detail on the inside as well. The door panels
alternate two hues of blue vinyl with a strip of metallic trim
around the stitch patterned insert. We note some separation and
warping of the header on the driver's door panel, but all else
seems to be intact. Cloth and vinyl covers the split bench while a
similar but different pattern of cloth covers the rear bench where
we note patina on the metal ashtray and some separation on the
sidewall. The once white plastic rim of the steering wheels is
heavily cracked and yellowing but its central components, a horn
ring around a hefty metal "T", are in good shape. As the dash cover
curves towards the doors, a switch panel with electric window
toggles is uniquely placed in a metal base which shows patina. In
front of the driver, rocket inspired switches and an instrument
cluster behind more gleaming metal and configured horizontally.
Some of the switches are large dials and levers, unlike most
everything you've seen and despite the patina on the dashboard,
it's still a treat for the senses. There's a pushbutton AM radio
and clock on board, helping complete a jukebox-like persona. Blue
loop carpet below is in good shape and the headliner is intact but
showing some age while the enormous trunk is lined with carpet and
contains a spare in a hard case with, yep, more mirror-like
metal!
Drivetrain
Under the big hood is a clean 364ci V8 rated at 300 horsepower
which Buick proudly touted in numerous places on the '58 brochure.
It has a 4-barrel carburetor and a Dynaflow 2-speed automatic
transmission with 3.23 gears in the back. Power drum brakes are on
all four corners and you'll need them to stop at gas stations along
the way.
Undercarriage
Fairly clean for its age, there's plenty of patina and surface rust
underneath but nothing invasive or structural, however one tailpipe
has a hole. A big X-frame dominates the underside, not an easy task
and there are some large components there. The dual exhaust goes
wide, then comes closer together just before exiting out the back
via steel pipes. Suspension is configured as coil springs up front
and torque tube and radius rods which the brochure explains,
"counteracts side motion on turns, curves, and uneven roads."
Drive-Ability
It's big on the outside and feels big on the inside and the bench
seat provides plenty of space and these cars were promoted as 6
passenger vehicles for a reason! The big V8 fires up and we shift
into Drive to roll this land yacht onto the test loop. The ride is
indeed soft, and visibility is surprisingly good as long as you
have spatial awareness of your width and length. Bus drivers will
have no problem. The cruiser tracks straight and has plenty of
power, but we found ourselves begging for another gear or two. Even
so, the ride was pleasurable, and all functions operated as
advertised. 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.
If you love this era of automobiles, here's one you don't see often
and checks all the boxes for things that were cool in the 50's from
big chrome to the early days of space age influence to every piece
of accent the designers could conjure and get past the bean
counters. It's all here. With some TLC, you'll have something very
special that you'll be proud to show, and the active Buick Club of
America will not only welcome you with open arms, but help you
along the way if further restoration is the route you take.
5E1067347
5-Super
E-1958
1-Flint, MI Assy Plant
067347-Sequential Unit Number
TRIM TAG
1958 MOD 58 56R-1958 Super Riviera 2 Door Hardtop
STYLE 58 4537-1958 Super Riviera 2 Door Hardtop
BODY NO G4590-Flint Body #
TRIM 511-Blue Striped Cloth & Blue Cordaveen Bolsters
PAINT 22-Blue Mist
ACC
D-Sonomatic AM Radio, Manual Antenna
B-Heat & Defrost
F-Safety Group
G-Windshield Washer
I-EZ Eye Glass
U-Power Windows
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.
There is no guarantee of mileage. A $299 Dealer Administrative fee
is not included in the advertised price.
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
in each week to the Classic Auto Mall Podcast wherever you enjoy
listening. You can also watch on YouTube!
