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
What did this one sell for?
Make a guess, then reveal one identity-matched completed auction result. It is a comparison point, not a price promise.
Reveal the auction result
Based on a completed sale at Bring a Trailer, an estimated value for this vehicle is $32,500.
Why this sale: Exact 1963 U.S. Riviera two-door sport coupe, chassis 7J1067961, in Bring a Trailer lot 264645, with the standard 401-cubic-inch Nailhead V8 and two-speed Turbine Drive automatic; not the optional 425-cubic-inch engine. Modified with 20-inch wheels, air suspension and Flowmaster exhaust and repainted black. The electric seat, clock, radio, air conditioning and horn were inoperative, and the fuel gauge was inaccurate; 88k miles were shown and total mileage was unknown.
Winning bid; the lot's fee panel specifies 5% with a $250 minimum and $7,500 maximum, giving a $1,625 buyer service fee on this result. The displayed value excludes that fee, taxes, transport and remedial work. One auction result is a reference, not an appraisal; condition, history, options, location and market timing can change value. An exact standard-401/two-speed completed-sale comparable verified in a bounded review, not a claim about the globally latest sale. Major wheel, suspension and exhaust modifications, repaint, equipment faults and unknown total mileage limit comparison with a stock Riviera.
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 ↗The launch-year cockpit, with an engine caveat
The licensed 1963 Riviera cabin view brings the round driver instruments, full center console and floor selector into focus. Its source describes a 7.0-litre option car, so Joyride uses it only for model-year interior context; it does not establish the profiled standard 401 V8 or Twin Turbine drivetrain.
Source: Charles · 1963 Buick Riviera interior, CC BY 2.0 ↗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
- Wikimedia Commons · 1963 Buick Riviera interior
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed October 1, 2026.