Text by Patrick Bell.
Our feature today is Rivieras on the road in the sixties with one from the seventies for good measure. The Riviera was GM’s answer to the successful Ford Thunderbird in a segment that became known as the personal luxury car. The early editions were popular in the used car market when I was in that business in the early to mid seventies. By that time they were six to eight years old and many of them were pretty well used up. They impressed me and have grown on me more as time has passed. Let’s take a look at a few samples.
The first photo for today is located in a small town with a touristy vibe on a warm summer day. Front and center is a ’63 model in silver from New York with a couple of youngsters inside. The production numbers were 40,000 during this first year, while the Thunderbird did over 63,000 with four body styles/trim levels. In front of it is a ’58 Cadillac, and further up are two dark red Volkswagens; a Type 3 Squareback and a Type 2 Transporter. Across the street is another red Volkswagen, a ’66 or ’67 Type 1. Further up is a light blue ’61 Ford Falcon Deluxe Tudor Sedan, light green ’57 Studebaker Champion Custom or Commander Custom 4 door sedan, black ’63 or ’64 Chevrolet Chevy II 4 door sedan, and a dark blue ’65 Plymouth Fury III wagon.
Here we have another representative from the ’63 model year and also from New York. This time we are on a residential street possibly in the spring. Across the street on the right is a ’57 Cadillac, and further up on the left a ’60 Rambler Classic.
A gentleman posing with a ’63 or ’64 model that looks nice and clean. He looks like the young professional type of buyer that Buick was aiming for. Production figures dropped to about 37,650 for ’64, which was a year the Thunderbird had a complete restyle.
Silver was a popular color, and this ’63 or ’64 from California is also dressed up with the optional wire wheel covers. It looks new or close to new, is clean and shiny and posing with its windows down.
White looks good as well, as this ’63 or ’64 can attest to. The stylish lady in this waterfront location fits right in with the car.
A rear view of a restyled ’66 model equipped with the Super Deluxe wheel covers and an Arizona license plate. Production for ’66 was over 45,000 and down a bit in ’67 to about 42,800. Meanwhile, Thunderbird did just over 69,000 for ’66 and in ’67 they replaced the convertible with a four door and a restyle and those figures increased to almost 78,000.
Someone was so proud of this ’67 model from Ohio that they took two different views. It is equipped with a vinyl roof and those classic Buick Road Wheels, with aftermarket wheel ‘spinner’ type center caps and a trailer hitch. The ’66 restyle boosted production up to over 45,000, while the ’67’s settled back down to nearly 43,000. In front of it is a ’62 Pontiac Bonneville.
This lady looks like she was caught laughing while posing with a ’67 GS from Michigan. In the background from the left is a ’55 Ford Customline Fordor Sedan, ’62 Pontiac 4 door sedan with some rear end damage, ’64 Plymouth Valiant V-100 2 door sedan, ’65 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu Super Sport convertible, and a ’63 Mercury full size.
Let’s swing through New York City and visit the Little Italy area. Pulling out and turning left is a ’68 or ’69 model. To the left is a GMC School Bus and to the right a ’68 International Travelall.
Green was a popular color in the late sixties and early seventies and this ’69 model from California wears it well along with the popular road wheels and vinyl roof. Thunderbird production dropped for some reason to just over 49,000 and made it the only year (while they were direct competitors) that the Riviera came out on top with nearly 53,000 units. A casually dressed lady is posing with it in a residential neighborhood.
Another California car, this one a ’68 model in silver or light gray again with the road wheels and a vinyl roof. A pair of couples look like they are about to go for a ride. Production numbers increased with this restyle to just over 49,000, but the Thunderbird still came out ahead with nearly 65,000. To the right is a ’67 Oldsmobile Cutlass.
We have one representative from the boattail era with this final year ’73 model with the still popular road wheels. Production dropped into the mid to low 30s after ’69 and the ’73 was the best of the boattails with just over 34,000 units. This one is the dirtiest of the day in this winter shot and still has some leftover snow on it. On the left a ’74 or ’75 AMC Gremlin with Michigan plates and in the center a ’72 Chevrolet Impala Custom Coupe with fender skirts.
Thanks for riding with us on our Riviera grand tour!
6 to 8 years and used up? Was reliability and quality that bad in those years? Or were they just rough on this class of cars?
It’s a broad generalization that would apply to cars with perhaps somewhat higher annual miles driven than average, which was more likely in the case of a Riviera. Cars with 100k miles on them were generally considered to be a risk to buy used.
Also rust was a serious issue in many locales.
I grew up in Anchorage, Alaska. Between the extreme weather, poor roads, and the effects of two military bases in town, cars did not last very long.
When I was a kid, maybe 8 years old, we had an HO racing track with several cars including a 65 or so Riviera. I was just starting to have an interest in cars and I was sure the Riviera was a Chevy Impala with some custom details. Kind of the way Hot Wheels would mod some of their cars.
Don’t see much in the way of Rivieras out my way despite the good weather and the saving of old cars. The last 1st Gen I saw, and the only one moving on the road in decades, was the one below six years ago at a show. Hundreds and hundreds of cars of all makes. One of the largest most diverse shows I have ever seen locally. The owner of this car I talked to extensively.
I’m always quite impressed how you can ID every car in these old photos, even the blurry ones in the far background, right down to the trim levels and sub models.
Neat feature! I’ve always loved the 1st gen Riv. Old generations not so much. Very cool to see period photos of these fine cars!
I follow the Facebook group “Remember in Abilene when…” for my hometown in Texas. A post last fall featured a cafeteria in what was then a tony part of town that I remember going to with my family in the early 70s. This picture is probably from the mid 60s and features a ’64 Riviera parked out front.
I had a ’68 plastic model at the time, and I’m still partial to that year, but no vinyl roof, please.