60,531 original miles. Lifetime Texas car. Extremely clean throughout, everything works, drives very well. One older repaint in the factory color, beautiful original interior, optional 5.0 liter V8. Loaded with options and ready to enjoy!

The light gray color will always be in fashion, particularly on a luxury coupe like the Riv. With so few miles in a warm climate, the sheetmetal is in great shape and the repaint about 10 years ago accurately reproduces the original finish. There’s a great shine with only a few signs of use and age, but no damage or other issues. Panel fit is excellent and even the plastic extensions behind the bumpers are in fantastic shape with no cracking or fading. The long hood/short deck profile works as well on a luxury car as it does on muscle cars and that vertical rear window adds a formality that’s quite appealing. Details like the chrome and stainless trim, name badges, taillight lenses (with delicate little “R” logos in the back-up lights), and even the padded vinyl roof are in great condition. If you’re looking for an affordable luxury car, this one seems to have led an easy life.

The plush gray velour interior is 1980s American luxury at its finest and it, too, is extremely well preserved. The comfortable bucket seats are firm and supportive, which might be a surprise for those of you used to these cars feeling mushy. The carpets are deep enough to lose your shoes in them and the dash pad hasn’t been baked by the sun. This Riviera is loaded with virtually every single option you could get, including automatic climate control (A/C is ice cold), power seats, power windows, locks, and mirrors, cruise control, rear defroster, tilt steering column, and a decent-sounding AM/FM/cassette stereo that’s the same Delco unit found in every GM car of the period. All of it works properly, top to bottom. The instrument panel covers only the basics of speed and fuel level, but the markings are bright and crisp and the lens is crystal clear. The only possible demerit inside is that the sun visors are showing some deterioration, but on the plus side, the headliner is in great shape. The trunk is unmarked and includes the original space-saver spare and jack assembly.

There were a variety of engines available in the Riviera, but the one you want today is the reliable, smooth, and torquey 5.0 liter V8. It’s actually a 307 cubic inch Oldsmobile V8, but in the Buick it provides the kind of effortless thrust that you’d expect from a top-of-the-line luxury coupe. Examine the photos closely and you’ll spot nothing that wasn’t there in 1982, with only maintenance items being changed. There are fresh fluids inside the engine and the A/C system has been converted to R134a to make it easy to service in the future. Turn the key and it starts as easily as a modern fuel-injected car (the Riv still used a 4-barrel carb in 1985) and immediately settles into a smooth, almost imperceptible idle. No fussiness, no waiting for the choke, just a luxury car acting the way it should. It pulls with ease on the road and thanks to thick, supple weather seals, you won’t hear it running at speed. The only transmission available in the front-wheel-drive Riviera was a 4-speed automatic with overdrive, making this a superlative highway cruiser that pulls down decent fuel economy. The all-independent suspension isn’t sporting but it’s competent and swallows bumps large and small without any drama, just a distant “thump-thump” from the tires. The underside was treated to a light dusting of undercoating when it was new, but has otherwise never seen any inclement weather. Steel wheels with wire wheel covers were a very popular option and it sits on 205/75/15 whitewall radials.

Smooth, quiet, and competent, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to discover how comfortable vintage American luxury can be. Just a clean, well-maintained, no-stories Riv that’s ready to enjoy. Call today!

Harwood Motors always recommends and welcomes personal or professional inspections of any vehicle in our inventory prior to purchase.