1991 Buick Reatta

1991 was the final year of production for the Buick Reatta, introduced in 1988 and produced in low numbers during that time. They were offered as a coupe from 1988 to 1991 and a convertible from 1990 through 1991, Buick's first convertible since the 1985 Riviera. Design difficulties delayed the introduction of the convertible. When the top was lowered, it was protected by a rigid tonneau cover. The 1990 Convertibles had a manually-operated top designed by ASC and offered in vinyl or cloth with a glass rear window and an electric defroster. The 1991 convertibles had power pull-down motors to assist in tightening the rear bow of the top to the tonneau cover. This would be the final Buick convertible until the introduction of the four-seat Buick Cascada in 2016.

The front-engine, front-wheel-drive two-door, two-passenger grand tourer came equipped with the 'Buick 3800' V6 delivering 165 horsepower and 210 lb-ft of torque. They had four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, a fully independent suspension, and a top speed electronically limited to 125 mph.

Buick had hoped the Reatta would be a halo car for the company with a production of approximately 20,000 units per year, but sales never reached those figures, with the highest number of 8,515 examples built in 1990. In its final year, 305 convertibles and 1,214 coupes were built. The total four-year production was 21,751 units. Production of the Reatta was limited due to its steep factory base price, with the 1991 coupe selling for $29,300 and the convertible at $35,970.

The interiors featured twin bucket seats with optional 16-way power seats in place of 6-way power seats, and a storage area behind the seats with two lockable bins and a lockable access hatch to the rear trunk. The interior was redesigned in 1990 with the addition of a driver's airbag and an optional CD player.

The base engine in the 1991 Buick Reatta was a 231 cubic-inch, overhead-valve V6 with sequential Tuned Port fuel injection, and delivered 170 horsepower at 4,800 RPM and 220 lb-ft of torque at 3200 RPM. The engine was backed by an electronically controlled 4T60-E four-speed automatic with overdrive. Standard equipment included the Gran Touring suspension, and the TwilightSentinel was a new standard feature, which automatically raised and turned on the car's retractable headlamps at dusk. Anti-lock brakes, driver's side airbag, a theft-deterrent system, leather-wrapped steering wheel, foglamps, and remote keyless entry were standard equipment.

By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2019