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| Razor Sharp, Razor Clean: The 1963-1965 Buick Riviera |
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| Written by Aaron Severson |
| Saturday, 17 November 2007 15:50 |
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From 1958 to 1977, the head of General Motors Styling was William L. (Bill) Mitchell, protégé and anointed successor of the legendary Harley Earl. Mitchell was just as contentious and flamboyant as his mentor, but his tastes were more restrained, bringing about a new era of crisp, confident styling that was perfectly suited to the prevailing mood of the early 1960s. SQUAREBIRDThe story of the Riviera began not at GM, but in Dearborn, Michigan in 1955, when Ford Division general manager Lewis D. Crusoe ordered the development of a four-seat successor to the new Ford Thunderbird. The original two-seat Thunderbird was never intended as a high-volume product; Crusoe saw it mainly as a way to draw traffic to Ford showrooms. While many buyers admired the T-Bird for its styling and sporty flair, its high price, minimal cargo space, and two-seat configuration limited its audience. Ford market research, however, suggested that if the Thunderbird had a back seat, the market might be as high as 100,000 units a year -- a far more profitable proposition. Crusoe's successor, Robert McNamara, championed the four-seater concept, and for the 1958 model year, the "Little Bird" was replaced by a significantly bigger model, with room for four and a then-novel combination of bucket seats and center console.
Although the "Squarebird" was far less sporty than its predecessor, its distinctive styling and relative practicality made it very popular. By 1960, the final year of the original Squarebird design, sales had reached 92,843. While buyers did not embrace the restyled 1961 "Bullet Bird" with quite the same enthusiasm, the Thunderbird remained a very profitable car, and an image leader for the entire Ford line. It took General Motors a curiously long time to respond to the success of the Thunderbird. More than 200,000 four-seat T-Birds had rolled out of showrooms before GM fielded its first rival, the 1961 Oldsmobile Starfire. The Starfire was essentially a fully loaded Olds Super Eighty Eight convertible, with sporty trim and bucket seats. It was nice enough, but it was not nearly as distinctive as a Thunderbird, and Oldsmobile only sold about 7,600 copies. The Starfire was followed by the 1962 Pontiac Grand Prix, a tastefully cleaned-up Catalina hardtop that sold around 30,000 copies -- far more successful than the Starfire, but still not a serious threat to the T-Bird. GM seemed to be sitting on its hands. LASALLE IIThe impression of idleness was not entirely accurate. Bill Mitchell, who became GM's VP of styling in December 1958, later told author C. Edson Armi that dealers hounded new GM president Jack Gordon relentlessly about the fact that they had no rival to the four-seat Thunderbird. By mid-1959, Mitchell had assigned designer Ned Nickles, then in a small Special Projects studio, to develop a sporty six-passenger Thunderbird fighter, initially intended for Cadillac.
  The Riviera's fender-mounted grilles (bottom) were intended to evoke the tall, narrow central grille of the 1939-1940 LaSalle (top). Bill Mitchell was the head of the Cadillac/LaSalle studio when the final LaSalle was designed. We don't know if the grille theme was his idea, but he certainly approved the design. (Top photo © 2009 Aaron Severson; bottom photo © 2011 Adam Bernard, used with permission) Nickles' rendering, labeled "LaSalle II," featured distinctive fender nacelles with horizontal grille bars, deliberately evoking the 1939-1940 LaSalle. Nickles was presumably aware that Bill Mitchell had a soft spot for the LaSalle, a GM line that had been discontinued in 1940. The original LaSalle, launched in 1927 as a less-expensive "companion make" for Cadillac, had been styled by Mitchell's mentor, Harley Earl, and its success had lead directly to the creation of the Art & Colour Section, as GM Styling was originally known. Furthermore, Mitchell himself had overseen the development of the 1939 LaSalle, early in his career. Nickles showed his watercolor rendering to Mitchell, who was quite taken with it, and told Nickles to keep working on it. Although Nickles' initial rendering was a convertible, Mitchell told him to make it a hardtop coupe, and suggested a theme for the roofline, inspired by a custom-bodied Rolls-Royce he had spotted during a recent trip to London. Nickles incorporated Mitchell's suggestions into a new rendering, which was given the project code XP-715. By the spring 1960, there was a full-size clay model of the XP-715, still labeled LaSalle II.  The inspiration for the Riviera's sharp-edge roofline was probably a Rolls-Royce with custom bodywork by Hooper and Co., a London-based coachbuilder that often worked with Rolls-Royce chassis. Hooper had used a similar roof crease since the mid-1930s. (Photo © 2011 Adam Bernard; used with permission) SEARCHING FOR A HOMEMitchell showed the clay model to GM president John F. Gordon and chairman Frederic Donner, who liked the design, and agreed that it could be an effective Thunderbird rival. The question was who was going to build it. The XP-715 clay was just a model -- it hadn't been designed with any particular chassis or running gear in mind. For it to reach production, it would first need a home.
Mitchell's first stop was Cadillac, where he pitched the XP-715 as a revival of the LaSalle concept and nameplate. He found little interest; the division was already selling all the cars it could build, and Cadillac hardly needed to worry about boosting its image or prestige. Furthermore, Cadillac's last attempt at a more exclusive 'personal' model, the lavish Eldorado Brougham, had lost a lot of money. Not dissuaded, Mitchell ordered the LaSalle II badges removed from the clay model, and tried again at Chevrolet. It seemed logical enough that Chevrolet should have a personal car to match its arch-rival in Dearborn, but Chevy was no more interested in the XP-715 than Cadillac had been. Aside from its full-sized line, Chevrolet also had the rear-engine Corvair, the Corvette, and the compact Chevy II/Nova, then being prepared for its 1962 debut. With production already split between four quite different car lines, Chevrolet management was loath to add yet another model.  The Riviera's curved, frameless side windows were still relatively novel at the time, and they presented a challenge for body engineers. To allow them to be fitted properly, unique bolt-on outer panels were designed that let the doors be finished after the glass and window regulators were installed. Every so often, you'll see a battered Riviera driving around without its outer door shell, an odd sight. (Photo © 2011 Adam Bernard; used with permission) THE COMPETITIONThe XP-715 found a warmer reception at GM's mid-priced divisions. In price and prestige, the Thunderbird was a greater threat to Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Buick than it was to Chevy or Cadillac, and all three mid-price divisions were interested. To Mitchell's annoyance, however, the managers of both Pontiac and Olds wanted to tinker with the design -- only Buick was prepared to accept it as it was.
Buick's enthusiasm for the XP-715 owed less to general manager Edward D. Rollert's aesthetic sensibilities and more to his awareness that he needed a hit very badly. Although Buick had been hugely successful in the mid-fifties, a nasty recession and a series of miscalculations late in the decade had sent sales plummeting to less than 300,000 units a year, well under half the division's 1955 peak. Ed Ragsdale, Buick's general manager since 1956, was forced into early retirement in 1959, while chief engineer Oliver K. Kelley was transferred to a non-automotive division. To replace Ragsdale, GM management had appointed Rollert, a brusque, hard-driving executive with an impressive record at Harrison Radiator Division and the combined Buick-Oldsmobile Pontiac plant in Kansas City (the predecessor of GMAD). Rollert knew that if he didn't turn things around in a hurry, both his future and that of the division were in jeopardy. Ironically, it was Buick's uncertain future that kept GM's Executive Committee from assigning the XP-715 to the division outright. Instead, they made the unprecedented decision to hold an inter-divisional competition, giving each of the three rival divisions 60 days to develop a complete presentation, including their technical plans for the car, budget projections, and marketing strategy. Ed Rollert was determined to put up a good fight, so he enlisted the help of McCann-Erickson, Buick's new ad agency, to help refine his pitch. Using an advertising agency to sell an internal proposal to upper management was a very unusual step, but McCann-Erickson's involvement -- and the hard work of Buick's own staff -- paid off. The result was an extremely polished presentation that senior executives privately admitted was by far the best of the three. Despite that, the Executive Committee continued to equivocate. Each of the three divisions was given an additional three weeks to develop a second proposal. Only after those were judged was Buick finally declared the winner.  The Riviera's rear fenders bulge out a bit further than the doors, creating a "Coke-bottle" shape in plan view. The flared-out fenders were a design cue borrowed from contemporary fighter aircraft; the fuselage of many supersonic aircraft narrows in the area of the wing roots to minimize changes in cross-sectional area, which reduces transonic drag. (Photo © 2011 Adam Bernard; used with permission) THE RIVIERABuick's proposal was officially approved in April 1961. To Bill Mitchell's considerable satisfaction, it involved no changes to the existing design. The one aspect of the XP-715 model that did not make production, at least initially, was its planned headlight treatment. The original clay had its headlights concealed behind the fender grilles, but cost concerns and technical problems forced the deletion of that feature at the last minute, in favor of conventional quad headlights, mounted in the grille. Buick decided to call the new car Riviera, a name the division had used since 1949 to describe its pillarless hardtop models.
Rollert wanted the new Riviera ready for the 1963 model year, which gave Buick chief engineer Lowell Kintigh and his team less than a year and a half to turn the clay model into a production car. That schedule left little time for mechanical novelty, so the Riviera rode a shortened version of the cruciform frame used by full-sized Buicks. It had a 117-inch (2,972 mm) wheelbase, stretching 208 inches (5,283 mm) overall, which made it about six inches (152 mm) shorter and some 200 pounds (90 kg) lighter than the contemporary Buick LeSabre. Interior designer George Moon borrowed much of the dashboard hardware from the Buick Electra, although in keeping with its role as a Thunderbird rival, the Riviera would have standard bucket seats and a center console.  The interior layout of the first-generation Riviera remained essentially similar through all three model years; this is a 1965 model. The twin-pod dashboard, shared with the Electra 225, looks like it should have more instrumentation than it actually does -- most engine functions are signaled by warning lights. Upholstery is vinyl; real leather was optional in 1963, but discontinued the following year. This car's stereo is obviously not original. Although he had Rollert's assurance that there would be no modification of the XP-715's design, Mitchell was still concerned that Buick wouldn't do it justice. Not long after the competition, Mitchell dispatched a messenger to Rollert with a note describing what he wanted the Riviera to be: namely, a cross between a Ferrari and a Rolls-Royce. That was a tall order, given that both of those cars were hand-built machines costing more than three times as much, but Lowell Kintigh's chassis engineers tried their best to make the Riviera more athletic than the Thunderbird, which had become a rather flabby boulevardier. The Riviera had a definite power advantage over the Thunderbird. The standard engine was Buick's 401 cu. in. (6.6 L) "Nailhead" V8, with 325 gross horsepower (242 kW) -- 25 hp (19 kW) more than the Thunderbird's standard engine. A bigger, 425 cu. in. (6.9 L) "Wildcat 465" engine was optional, making 340 gross horsepower (254 kW). The only transmission was the Twin Turbine, the final evolution of Buick's 1948-vintage Dynaflow. It was a two-speed automatic, but in normal driving, it did not shift at all, relying on the multiplication of its four-element torque converter and variable-pitch stator. The Twin Turbine was not the most efficient of automatic transmissions, but it was probably the smoothest in the business. RIVIERA DEBUTThe Riviera went on sale in October 1962. Although Buick general sales manager Rollie Withers estimated a potential market of up to 55,000 cars, he deliberately limited initial production to 40,000, judging that it was better to have buyers clamoring for more cars than to have unsold examples cluttering up dealer lots. Base price was $4,333, $112 cheaper than a base Thunderbird, but $271 more than an Electra 225, making the Riviera one of Buick's most expensive models.
The Riviera was a fast car. Even with the base engine, it was capable of reaching 60 mph (97 km/h) in around eight seconds, with a top speed in the neighborhood of 120 mph (193 km/h). Although no Ferrari, it was a good deal more agile than most American cars its size, and its big 12-inch (305 mm) finned drum brakes gave it respectable stopping power. It rode somewhat more firmly than a Thunderbird, but it was by no means uncomfortable.  GM stylists borrowed the subtle W shape of the Riviera's front end for many other sixties cars, including not only the second-generation Riviera, but the mid-sixties Buick, Oldsmobile, Chevrolet, and Pontiac B-body models. The automotive press was very enthusiastic about the Riviera -- it was perhaps the first model Buick had ever offered that was really their sort of car. While there was some mild nitpicking about the Riviera's numb power steering and less-than-comprehensive instruments, the reviews were exceptionally positive. Even the European press, which generally took a dim view of both the capabilities and the styling of American cars, judged it a decent effort. Sadly, like the acclaimed, award-winning film that fails to measure up to the mindless summer blockbusters at the box office, the Riviera could not approach the popularity of the Thunderbird. Despite being in the final year of a body style that buyers had greeted with some wariness, the Thunderbird outsold the Riviera by three to two, and probably would have, even without the artificial cap on Riviera production. On the face of it, that disparity is difficult to understand. The Riviera was faster than the Thunderbird, had notably better handling and brakes, was arguably better looking, and actually cost somewhat less. In those days, a Buick was theoretically much more prestigious than a Ford, and tended to have better fit and finish (at least after the dark days of 1957-1958). However, the Thunderbird was by far the stronger brand. Even the least-educated automotive consumer knew that the Thunderbird name meant something special. By contrast, Buick had applied the Riviera nameplate to a whole host of cars, including the base-model Special that had been the division's volume seller in the early to mid-fifties, so it connoted no particular distinction or prestige. Too, the Riviera's crisp, relatively unadorned styling may have been a little too subtle for Thunderbird customers, who seemed to relish that car's sometimes overwrought glitz and gimmickry. The Thunderbird's appeal was not so much that it was sporty, but that it had the sort of feverish detailing automakers generally reserved for show cars. EVOLUTIONThe 1964 Riviera looked little different than the '63, but under the hood, the 425 cu. in (7.0 L) engine was now standard, and a new 360-horsepower (269 kW) Super Wildcat engine was a new $139.75 option. (Despite their extra 20 horsepower (15 kW), Super Wildcat Rivieras were not usefully faster in normal driving -- the extra venturi area of the dual four-barrel carburetors hurt low-speed response, and the additional power easily overwhelmed the stock tires.) The Twin Turbine automatic, meanwhile, was replaced by the three-speed Super Turbine 400, Buick's name for the new Turbo Hydramatic, which would shortly become a GM mainstay. The ST-400 offered better off-the-line acceleration and much greater flexibility.
Even with those improvements, Riviera sales fell to 37,658, short of Withers' 40,000-unit cap. Ford had just launched the fourth-generation Thunderbird, known to modern fans as the "Flair Bird." The new Thunderbird returned to the more-popular styling themes of the 1958-1960 cars, with a full load of the space-age gadgetry that buyers seemed to love so much. The Riviera could leave the Flair Bird for dead in any objective performance contest, but it was no match for the Walter Mitty appeal of the 'Bird's flight-deck dashboard.  The '65 Riviera deleted the fake side scoop trim found on the 1963-1964 models. Styled steel wheels, a popular Buick accessory, cost $66.65. The 425 cu. in. engine reverted to the options list for 1965; standard power was the 401 cu. in. Nailhead, rated at 325 gross horsepower (242 kW) and 445 lb-ft (601 N-m) of torque. Both the Wildcat 465 and Super Wildcat engines remained optional, priced at $48 and $188, respectively. For '65, the concealed headlamps that had been part of the XP-715 design were finally added to the production Riviera. The 401 cu. in. (6.6 L) V8 again became the standard engine, but there were two interesting new sporty options: the $37.63 ride and handling package, which added a quicker steering ratio, stiffer springs, and firmer shocks for better handling, and the $306.38 Gran Sport package, which included fatter tires, free-flowing exhaust, and a Positraction limited-slip differential, with a shorter 3.42 axle ratio.  Some histories of the Riviera assert that the headlamp covers were vacuum operated, but they were electrically powered. Both doors are operated by a single electric motor, mounted under the hood, in front of the radiator. While the concealed lights the arms that moved the clamshell doors became obstructed, or not regularly lubricated, the motor would burn out; many survivors now have their headlamp covers locked in the open position. A '65 Riviera Gran Sport with the Super Wildcat engine was a formidable luxury GT, capable of 0-60 mph (0-97 km/h) in about seven seconds and a top speed of nearly 130 mph (210 km/h). With the optional suspension package, it had handling and brakes to rival any large car sold in America. Its only serious foibles were an exaggerated sensitivity to crosswinds and alarmingly heavy fuel consumption, which could drop below 10 mpg (23.5 L/100 km) if flogged. Reviewers were predictably ecstatic, although the Gran Sport accounted for only about 10% of Riviera sales. The Riviera's total sales were down again for 1965, to 34,586. For all its virtues, the Riviera was in an awkward marketing position. It was much too expensive for the performance-minded young buyer interested in a Ford Mustang or a Pontiac GTO, but it didn't seem to have the sheer ostentation necessary to lure Thunderbird or Cadillac customers. The Riviera was a fine car with a somewhat rarefied audience.  The Riviera was not Buick's only Gran Sport model for 1965; there was also a sporty Skylark Gran Sport (a rival for the mid-size Pontiac GTO). Both were good-looking, fast cars that unfortunately did not sell in impressive numbers. SECOND GENERATIONBy the time the first Riviera went on sale, GM was already working on the second-generation car, which bowed for the 1966 model year. It now shared its body shell (the E-body, in GM parlance) with a new Oldsmobile personal-luxury model, the Toronado, although the two cars had entirely different platforms, engines, and drivetrains. (Corporate management pressured Buick to adopt the Toronado's Unitized Power Package front-wheel-drive layout, but Ed Rollert refused.) Meanwhile, Bill Mitchell finally got his 'personal' Cadillac -- for 1967, the Riviera and Toronado would be joined by a third E-body, the new front-drove Cadillac Eldorado.
The second-generation Riviera abandoned the creased edges of the original, and it was bigger in every dimension. Since it was somewhat heavier, it was no faster, but a Riviera Gran Sport was still fairly athletic for a big car. Buyers evidently liked its more curvaceous styling, and it consistently sold better than its predecessor, although its sales were still eclipsed by the Thunderbird.  The second-generation Riviera retained a certain family resemblance to the '63-'65 cars, but it was bigger and substantially more curvaceous. Although it shared its E-body shell with the Oldsmobile Toronado and Cadillac Eldorado, it was structurally quite different. Not only did it retain rear-wheel drive, the Riviera rode a self-supporting cruciform frame, while the Eldorado and Toronado had a semi-unitized structure with a front subframe, analogous to the early F-body (Chevrolet Camaro/Pontiac Firebird). The Riviera would go through its ups and downs in the seventies and eighties, notably the controversial "boattail" model of 1971-1973. It switched to front-wheel drive in 1979, like its Eldorado and Toronado siblings, which it remained until the end of the line in 1999.  The final Riviera was one of its most stylistically accomplished iterations, with sleek, Jaguar-like lines. Now front-wheel-drive, it was still a big car, but had ample power from Buick's venerable 231 cu. in. (3.8 L) V6. With the optional supercharger, it had 240 net horsepower (179 kW) and 280 lb-ft (378 N-m) of torque. The original Riviera doesn't command the kind of outrageous auction prices of some sixties cars, but it still has a loyal following, thanks to its strong performance and sharp styling. As a piece of design, it's bold, confident, and risky. The fact that it made it to market practically undiluted is a testament to the artistic temperament and tenacity of Bill Mitchell -- an unusual and commendable thing in a business that tends to reward conformity and safe choices. # # #
SPECIAL NOTEBuick fan George Przygoda has translated this article (with our permission) into Polish for his own website. You can see it here: http://buick-riviera.pl/Historia-ciekawostki-wiesci/Historia-Riviery.html. (In the interests of full disclosure, we should note that George has made several voluntary contributions to support Ate Up With Motor, although we did not charge him for either the use of the article or this link.)
The author would also like to thank reader Adam Bernard, who provided photos to replace the rather battered white car originally featured in this article. NOTES ON SOURCESOur sources for this article included C. Edson Armi, The Art of American Car Design: The Profession and Personalities (University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 1988); Terry B. Dunham and Lawrence R. Gustin, The Buick: A Complete History (An Automobile Quarterly Magnificent Marque Book) (Kurtztown, PA: Automobile Quarterly, 1980); Jim Dunne and Jan P. Norbye, Buick 1946-1978: The Classic Postwar Years, (Osceola, WI: MBI, Inc./Motorbooks International, 1978, 1993, Second Edition); Michael Lamm, "The Car You Wear: 1963 Buick Riviera," Special Interest Autos #33 (March-April 1976), reprinted in Terry Ehrich, ed., The Hemmings Book of Buicks (Hemmings Motor News Collector-Car Books) (Bennington, VT: Hemmings Motor News, 2001); Chapter 10 of Dave Holls and Michael Lamm, A Century of Automotive Style: 100 Years of American Car Design (Stockton, CA: Lamm-Morada Publishing Co. Inc., 1997), pp. 172-187; and Ray Knott's articles "Evolution of the Riviera - Concepts and Design," The Riview, November-December 2001 (Vol. 18, No. 1); Riviera Owners Association; http://rivowners.org/features/evolution/evpt1a.html, accessed 16 November 2007); "Evolution of the Riviera - 1963," The Riview, January-February 2002 (Vol. 18, No. 2); Riviera Owners Association, http://rivowners.org/features/evolution/evpt63.html, accessed 16 November 2007); "Evolution of the Riviera - 1964," The Riview, March-April 2002 (Vol. 18, No. 3); Riviera Owners Association, http://rivowners.org/features/evolution/evpt64.html, accessed 16 November 2007); and "Evolution of the Riviera - 1965," The Riview, May-June 2002 (Vol. 18, No. 4), Riviera Owners Association, http://rivowners.org/features/evolution/evpt65.html, accessed 16 November 2007.
Background on the Ford Thunderbird came from Arch Brown, "1966 Thunderbird: 'Big Bird,'" Special Interest Autos #106, July-August 1988; Tim Howley, "1958 Thunderbird: Flying Off in a New Direction," Special Interest Autos #151, January-February 1996; and "Little Bird Meets Big Bird" from Special Interest Autos #11, June-July 1972, all of which are reprinted in Terry Ehrich, ed., The Hemmings Motor News Book of Postwar Fords (Hemmings Motor News Collector-Car Books) (Bennington, VT: Hemmings Motor News, 2000). Some additional details came from Josiah Work and Vince Manocchi, "SIA comparisonReport: Two Kinds of Personal Luxury: Riviera and Thunderbird for 1963," Special Interest Autos #94, August 1986, pp. 34-41. We also consulted the following period road tests: Bob McVay, "Two Buick Wildcats Road Test," Motor Trend, June 1964 and "Riviera Gran Sport," Road & Track, February 1966, both reprinted in R.M. Clarke, Buick Muscle Cars 1963-1973 (Cobham, Surrey: Brooklands Books Ltd., 2001); John R. Bond, "1963 Buick Riviera Road Test & Technical Review," Car Life, October 1962; "Buick Riviera," Car and Driver, October 1962; "Buick Riviera," Motor Trend, April 1963; "Buick Riviera Road Research Report," Car and Driver, December 1963; "Buick Riviera Gran Sport," Car and Driver, June 1965; "Buick Riviera (Autocar Road Test Number 2036)," Autocar, July 1965; "Grand design by Buick (Road Test No. 36/65 - Buick Riviera)," The Motor, 4 September 1965; "Buick Riviera: beauty only skin deep?" Road Test, July 1966; and Robert Cumberford, "1963 Buick Riviera: Almost a Classic, Certainly a Styling Milestone," Automobile, July 1988, all of which are reprinted in R.M. Clarke, Buick Riviera 1963-78 Performance Portfolio (Cobham, Surrey: Brooklands Books Ltd., 2000). This article's title was suggested by a lyric from the Shiny Toy Guns song "Le Disko." The song was written by Jeremy Dawson and Stephen Petree, and appeared on the band's 2006 album We Are Pilots.
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One of The most beautiful American cars ever. Aside from the Cord 810/812, the Auburn 851/852, the Oldsmobile Toronado, Studebaker 1953-1954 and the 1940-1941, 1961-1969 Lincoln Continental.