1978 Buick Riviera

The 1978 Buick Riviera two-door coupe with seating for six had a base price of $8,080, well above the 'entry-level' Buick Skyhawk which listed in the low $4,000 range. Only the Electra Park Avenue four-door sedan was higher, but only about $5. By the end of the model year, the cost of the Riviera had risen to over $9,200.

Beneath the long and graceful bonnet was a standard 350 cubic-inch V8 engine with a four-barrel carburetor, overhead valves, a cast iron alloy block and head, five main bearings, and hydraulic valve lifters. It produced 170 horsepower at 3,700 RPM and 275 lb-ft of torque at 2,000 RPM. An optional 403 cubic-inch Oldsmobile-built V8 with a four-barrel carburetor boosted output to 185 bhp at 3,600 RPM and 320 lb-ft of torque at 2,000 RPM.

The Buick Riviera was given a new and smaller GM B platform in 1977 with a wheelbase size of 115.9-inches and length of 218.2-inches, shorter than the previous platform which had an overall length of 226.4-inches and a 122-inch wheelbase). Styling elements included the quarter windows which were borrowed from the Cadillac Eldorado, along with design inspiration sourced from the Buick LeSabre coupe, however, its front fascia was vertical as opposed to slanted. Minor styling updates were applied in 1978 including spoked-look road wheels and updates to the taillamps and grille.

The 1976 sales for the Buick Riviera was 20,082 units, increasing to 26,138 units in 1977 before dipping again to 20,535 units in 1978. That was the same year that Buick introduced a special 'LXXV' edition to commemorate Buick's 75th anniversary on the market. Introduced in February of 1978 at the Chicago Auto Show, a total of 2,889 examples were built and they wore silver & black paint (silver on the bottom and black on top - the hood, vinyl top, and trunk lid were also black) with gray leather seats with black trim, brushed silver trim plates on the dash, a sport steering wheel with brushed silver accent, and special LXXV name plates. The interiors received deep pile carpeting and disc brakes could be found at all four corners. This special edition package added $586 to the base price.

Standard equipment on the 1978 Buick Riviera included power front disc brakes, power steering, custom wire wheel covers, padded Rallye three-spoke steering wheel, cut-pile carpeting, and velour 50/50 seats with dual front armrests.

Among the options list were chrome wire wheels, a padded Landau roof that added coach lamps on the roof pillars, and a new electrically-driven height control system with a sensor mounted on the car frame.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jul 2022