Buick Riviera
Buick wrapped a powerful V8 and four-seat cabin in crisp bodywork inspired by both Rolls-Royce and Ferrari.
1963 Buick Riviera (9844912434).jpg · Greg Gjerdingen · CC BY 2.0
Research pending
A matching completed auction sale has not been verified for this exact year, body, trim, engine, transmission and market.
Joyride shows this gap instead of substituting an asking price, unsold bid or mismatched special vehicle.
More than a set of wheels.
Buick introduced the Riviera on October 4, 1962 as a 1963 model, aiming it at Ford's Thunderbird. GM design chief Bill Mitchell wanted the elegance of a Rolls-Royce and the forward-leaning energy of a Ferrari. The result had its own Buick body, four individual-style seats and a short 117-inch wheelbase by full-size American standards. Buick limited first-year production to 40,000 cars.
Look a little closer.
The Henry Ford sums up Bill Mitchell's design recipe as Rolls-Royce elegance plus Ferrari aggressiveness.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
A 1963 model born in 1962
The production Riviera debuted on October 4, 1962 but was sold as a 1963 model. That is normal model-year practice, not a contradiction. Keeping both dates visible also separates this launch car from the lightly changed 1964 and hidden-headlamp 1965 versions.
Source: MotorCities · A Timeless Design: The 1963 Buick Riviera ↗What 'Twin Turbine' means here
Buick marketed the automatic as Twin Turbine or Turbine Drive, part of the Dynaflow family. Sources disagree when they compress it into a simple gear count: The Henry Ford lists a three-speed automatic while specialist records describe a two-range Dynaflow. The profile therefore uses Buick's transmission name and explains the torque converter rather than asserting a misleading modern gear count.
Source: Riviera Owners Association · Evolution of the Riviera: 1963 ↗Where these facts come from
- The Henry Ford · 1963 Buick Riviera Coupe artifact record
- The Henry Ford · Ferrari Plus Rolls-Royce Equals Riviera
- Riviera Owners Association · Evolution of the Riviera: 1963
- MotorCities · A Timeless Design: The 1963 Buick Riviera
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed October 1, 2026.