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