1963 Buick Riviera Silver Arrow I Sedan

Looking for a possible revival car for GM's shuttered La Salle brand, GM's Vice President of Design Bill Mitchell envisioned a personal luxury coupe that would both 'have the Rolls-Royce's stately presence, but with the sporty lines of a Ferrari grand tourer.' Originally proposed to Cadillac, and picked up by Buick, the production 1963 Buick Riviera wasn't quite the car that GM Design's Vice President Bill Mitchell had in mind when he penned the original design. Looking for more style and sport, Mr. Mitchell pulled an early Riviera from the assembly line for modification. The show car was named Silver Arrow I, and became Mitchell's personal transportation when not on the show circuit. He had the roof lowered, the hood and front fenders lengthened. Bill Mitchell's original design called for hidden headlamps and he wanted this feature on the show car. The headlamps were mounted behind translucent lenses on the front fenders, the parking lights and directional signals were relocated below the front bumper. Although the 1965 Riviera's front lighting would differ mechanically, the appearance of the car's front end would be strikingly similar to the Silver Arrow I show car. The custom silver leather interior was one more reminder that his was one special Buick.

Buick's iconic 1963 Riviera luxury sport coupe actually began as a Bill Mitchell concept attempting to marry the high-end sporting character and passion of an Italian Ferrari to the shear-edged luxury look of a British Rolls-Royce.

He thought of it as a Cadillac, maybe a rebirth of the division's former junior-series LaSalle. But when Cadillac turned it down, he offered it to GM's other divisions. Buick eventually won the competition, and it evolved almost intact into the first production Riviera.

Mitchell loved the leading-edge 1963 Riviera so much that as soon as its production began, he grabbed one fresh off the assembly line and had it converted into a tarted-up show vehicle, which he enjoyed driving regularly. Among other modifications, its roof was lowered more than two inches and its special interior was trimmed in silver leather.

Silver Arrow III, Mitchell's third chopped and stretched Riviera showpiece, was based on the new-for-1971 third-generation 'Boat-tail' Riviera, and it marked the beginning of his 1970's fascination with modern interpretations of classic prewar proportions. Beyond the lowered roof, its design features included high-level warning lights doubling as secondary turn signals, redesigned bumpers and quarter windows, a plush silver leather interior, and real wire wheels.