1985 Buick RIVIERA COUPE

This Rivi is powered by the ‘best’ engine, which in the American parlance means the largest available at the time. It’s a 5-litre 307cu Oldsmobile V8. That’s right, the one that’s very distantly related to the famous ‘Rocket’ engine from the 1940s, which kickstarted the muscle-car movement. Don’t get too carried away though, it only makes five more horsepower than it did in those early days, due to its ‘smog’ fighting emissions gear. On the plus side, it’s quiet and effortlessly smooth in operation.

Having been kept inside, out of the worst of east coast winters for over three decades, the condition of this Buick is truly remarkable. On top of this, it’s loaded with every conceivable extra money could buy in 1985. Air-conditioning, cruise control, premium Bose audio and six-way electrically adjustable front seats, all are present and all still work. This Rivi easily lives up to the luxury reputation forged by its forebears.

Black paint with a matching black Landau hardtop made this Riviera rare and desirable right out of the factory. Both remain in near showroom order to this day, which is certainly unusual. The environmental impact of older paints was being combatted in the era when this Buick was made and GM had little choice but to employ some trial and error to get the new water-based finishes dialled in. Think Mercedes-Benz in the late 1990s; it’s the same thing.

The mirror-like polish seen on this Buick has certainly stood the test however, likely in part down to its Pada paint sealant surface protection. The chrome also has survived in a comparable, near blemish-free condition. Looking at the listing from this car’s sale Stateside, the seller (Millford Auto Sales in Hopedale Massachusetts) mentioned that the previous two owners kept this Riviera garaged since new. The condition it presents in here certainly speaks volumes as to the validity of that statement.

The wheels are wire-wheel lookalike caps rather than the real deal, but they’re hugely convincing and are in excellent order, with attractive R for Riviera chrome-capped centres. The white wall radial-ply tyres are in good condition with lots of tread and no visible signs of damage. Though they are old – unlikely to be the original set – there’s no date stamp visible .

This is really where the Riviera impresses. Even by 2020 standards, the comfort level remains extraordinary. The cabin is trimmed in an appealing combination of rich walnut and quality cloth. The carpet has a deep pile that welcomes the driver’s feet as the big door swings open and the split-bench front seats, with centre armrest, are some of the most comfortable we’ve sat in recently; new or old.

Continuing the theme of cossetting its inhabitants from the outside world, the car’s rear suspension uses compressed air with a self-levelling function. Together with the power steering, column-shift automatic transmission and heavily-servoed brakes, the driver has to employ minimal effort to get this Buick down the road. Our test drive was carried out in complete comfort and, unlike many American cars on UK roads, this Riviera didn’t seem unduly huge. In actual fact it was easy to place.

Most of the tech in the cabin is obviously of its era but some stand out features were a long way ahead of the curve, especially for us in Europe. There’s a premium Bose audio system with cassette and FM/AM stereo functions. The latter receives its signal via a huge, metre-long, powered antenna that rises with a whirr from the offside front wing. There’s even an owner’s manual on cassette included within the car’s history book and an audio demo tape that shows off its capabilities, helping you set it up for peak fidelity.

More impressive still (even more so than the electrically operated front windows and six-way powered seats) are the air-conditioning and heater controls. The Electronic Touch Climate Control features a buttonless facia that responds to touch. Seriously fancy tech for the mid-1980s. The same can be said of the powered boot release with its working soft-close function.

It’s a real treat to come across a car that’s appeared to have survived unrestored in the kind of condition that this Buick has managed. The factory underseal coverage is almost total, with just a few small patches toward the rear of the chassis legs starting to show the very lightest of surface corrosion, with the same minor weathering also visible around the front of the jacking points.

There’s a near new exhaust system fitted that’s given away by its bright silver finish and stickers remaining in place. The sills and floors remain straight, untarnished and free from any weld repairs that we could find. There’s the odd bit of cracked rubber here and there, the worst of which appears to be limited to the original drop-link bushes for the front anti-roll bar.

It looks like there’s been a fairly consistent oil leak from the engine that’s coated the front subframe. The area under this leak (offside) is like new with the other side (nearside) beginning to show some light surface corrosion. We didn’t see any pools under the car so we don’t think it’s a serious leak, which would explain why it hasn’t been sorted to date. It was also noted as an advisory on the latest MoT certificate.

Built in 1985 at the Linden GM plant in New Jersey, this Riviera remained on America’s east coast for the majority of its 35 years. With a total of just two owners during that time, the first picked up the car from the supplying dealer, Baldwin Buick-Opel in Shillington, Pennsylvania – just two hours down the road from where it was made.

More recently, the car found its way to Millford Auto Sales in Hopedale Massachusetts, where the current (and first UK) owner purchased this Riviera. The car was imported in September 2020 and the history confirms that HM Revenue and Customs were satisfied at that time that the correct duties were paid. Shortly after, it was registered correctly for UK roads and was issued the plate it currently wears.

There’s a limited amount of history with the car from the US but it does have its original build sheet, listing all its options, paint codes etc. There’s a sticker in the windscreen indicating that the car was last given an oil change (with 5w30) in May 2020; its next isn’t due until the car reaches 85,760 miles. The car also comes with all four (yes that’s right) keys.

This Riviera appears to be an extremely well cared for and original example. The extensive array of comfort options all appear to work as they should and the driving experience is sublime.

With just 140bhp you’re not going to win any drag races, but you will get to where you need to go, confined within the lavish surroundings we’d usually associate with a Cadillac.

For these reasons and more the Riviera, especially in this colour and with these options, was popular with ’80s mobsters. So, if you fancy wafting around like Tony Soprano’s dad, why not be a wise guy and make us an offer we can’t refuse? We think this example will sell for around £7,000 - £13,000.

Viewing is encouraged (within Govt. guidelines of course), and this particular car is located with the owner in Spalding, Lincolnshire; to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

This vehicle is not with us at The Market’s HQ, which means we have had to rely on the owner’s description of it, in conjunction with the photographs you see here, to compile the listing.

With this in mind, we would encourage potential bidders to contact the owner themselves and arrange to view the car in person, or to arrange a dedicated video call in which they can view the car virtually and ask questions.