| The Buick Riviera that was released and sold | | | | |
| in the year I was born, 1965, was quite a | | | | *Air conditioning |
| vehicle. It was the last year for the "first | | | | |
| generation" Riviera model - and by far the | | | | *AM/FM radio with power antenna |
| best. A unique, recognizable body style that | | | | |
| encompassed a spacious cabin and housed a | | | | This 1965 car had more stuff than my 1985 |
| powerful V8 engine has now become a | | | | Toyota did! I can remember cranking up the |
| sought-after gem of classic car collectors. I | | | | radio with the cruise control on doing 75 |
| was fortunate enough to have one for a few | | | | while adjusting my power seat, the tilt |
| months in my youth. Here are some of its | | | | wheel, and the power wing windows. Ah to be |
| power stats: | | | | young again - those were the days. |
| | | | |
| *0-60 in 8 seconds | | | | But the real feature that made the 1965 Buick |
| | | | Riviera stand out from all the other years |
| *Quarter mile in 16 seconds | | | | were the hidden headlights. Tucked out of |
| | | | sight by the clam-shell covers that opened |
| *Top speed observed 115 MPH | | | | and closed automatically on the outer edges |
| | | | of the vehicle, they were moved back into the |
| *Mileage 13.2 MPG | | | | grille for all future body styles (where they |
| | | | had been the previous 2 years. |
| With a 401 Wildcat under the hood, I had no | | | | |
| trouble getting where I wanted to go. And | | | | Back in the mid-80's these cars were a lot |
| while the body was large, it was quite | | | | easier to find, but there are some original |
| maneuverable thanks to the standard equipment | | | | vehicles still sitting in driveways out there |
| power steering and stiff heavy-duty | | | | is suburban and rural America. You might be |
| suspension. And who says getting there fast | | | | able to pick one up for $1,000 if you do your |
| can't be in style? Check out some of the | | | | homework. Less populated areas away from big |
| features it came with: | | | | metro cities are your best bet for |
| | | | discovering one of these hidden gems. |
| *Front bucket seats | | | | |
| | | | Find one, invest some time and/or money into |
| *Bucket-style rear seats | | | | restoring it, and you will have something |
| | | | special. It's a good investment too; you just |
| *Cruise control | | | | can't lose restoring classic American cars. |
| | | | |
| *Tilt steering wheel | | | | There is another unique Riviera worth |
| | | | mentioning here, and that is the 1972 model, |
| *Center console floor-shifter & storage comp. | | | | otherwise known as the "torpedo back." A |
| | | | neighbor-mechanic of mine told me they love |
| *Power windows, including wing-window! | | | | those things in Las Vegas (this was in 1985). |
| | | | I have never owned one of those - not yet |
| *Driver side 4-way power seat | | | | anyway! |