1971 Buick Riviera marked the first year of the Boat Tail design, and it remains one of the most distinctive shapes Buick ever put on the road. Steve Magnante takes a closer look at an early example, shaped by Bill Mitchell’s Stingray influence and built on a longer 122-inch wheelbase.
This car carries several details that make it especially interesting, including the early two-piece rear glass, 1971 deck lid vents and Buick’s 455 cubic-inch V8 with 330 horsepower.
Power goes through a Turbo 400 automatic, while the interior uses a split bench seat. Rust has taken a serious toll underneath, especially around the rear suspension mounting area.
Even in rough condition, the Riviera still has plenty of presence. Its mix of big V8 power, unusual engineering and bold styling says a lot about the era it came from. Would you choose this Boat Tail, or spend a little more for the Corvette?
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Buying a classic Cadillac for just $300 sounds like an easy win. But after 12 years of abandonment, the condition of its 7.0-liter V8 quickly changes expectations and raises one question: can this Coupe DeVille ever run again?
