1982 Buick Riviera

Over the eight generations of Buick Riviera production, it witnessed numerous changes, with perhaps its most significant arriving with the introduction of its sixth generation in 1979, taking the Riviera (and Buick) to front-wheel drive. This drastic change earned the Riviera Motor Trend's 'Car of the Year' and rewarded the company with sales more than doubled.

The first generation of the Riviera was produced from 1963 to 1965 and used a cruciform frame with a 117-inch wheelbase and 'Coke bottle' styling with flaring fenders and a tapered midsection. Engine options included the 401 or 425 CIV 'Nailhead' V8 and standard features included power steering and power 'Al Fin' (aluminum finned) drum brakes. 34,586 examples were built from 1963 to 1964. 227,669 examples were built during the 'second generation' from 1966 to 1970. The Third Generation received dramatic 'boat-tail' styling penned by Jerry Hirshberg under the direction of Bill Mitchell. Equipped with many new features, the public did not agree with the new styling direction and sales dropped to 33,810, the lowest to date. Many revisions were made for 1972, but sales remained stagnated with 33,728 units built. Believing that perhaps the boattail was the reason for the sluggish sales, it was shortened and blunted for 1973, with negligible changes to production, with 34,080 units built.

Conventional styling returned in 1974 with the fourth generation, but sales continued to fall, now to 20,129 units. Sales remained slow, with 17,306 in 1975 and 20,082 for 1976, convincing Buick to downsize the Riviera for 1977, moving to the new GM B body platform. Sales rose modestly to 26,138 for 1977 before falling to 20,535 for 1978.

The fifth generation had been a stopgap model while the company worked on its all-new E-body cars for 1979. The Sixth Generation, produced from 1979 to 1985, introduced the first front-wheel drive Riviera. It used the new E-Body platform on a 114-inch wheelbase with an overall length of 206 inches and a width of 72.8 inches. Sales would fluctuate from 44,071 in 1982 to 65,305 in 1985, with a total production of 370,282 units.

The Seventh Generation was built from 1986 to 1993, and the Eighth Generation from 1995 to 1999.

The 1982 Buick Riviera
The 1982 Buick Riviera was similar to the prior model year, with the largest update arriving mid-year - a limited-production convertible. This was the company's first drop top since 1975. Color options on the convertible were limited, either Firemist red or white with a white convertible top, red leather seats, locking wire wheel covers, and four-wheel disc brakes. The convertible was actually a conversion, with the work performed by American Sunroof Corporation and built to Buick specifications. Despite having aftermarket work, they were sold with a Buick warranty. For 1982, a total of 1,248 examples of the convertible were built.

The other available body style was a coupe with seating for five passengers, and a total of 42,823 of those were built. Another late-year addition was the T-Type which was introduced near the close of the 1982 model year. The T-Type came with the turbocharged V-6 engine, four-wheel power disc brakes, a Gran Touring suspension, aluminum wheels, and tungsten-halogen high-beam headlights. Again, color options were limited, with T-Types receiving a Firemist gray exterior, twin-styled remote-control outside rear-view mirrors, and a custom blacked-out grille. They also had amber turn signal lights and a Gray interior with cloth bucket seats.

Cars fitted with the turbocharged engine had insignias on the deck lid and front fenders which indicated the Turbo V-6. The rear axle ratio was 3.36:1. The base engine was an overhead-valve V-6 displacing 262.5 CID and offering 125 hp and 205 lb-ft of torque. Other options included a 5.0-liter and diesel 5.7-liter V8. Standard equipment included resume-speed cruise control, overdrive automatic transmission, cornering lights, automatic level control, power steering, and power brakes.

The bumpers were given new black protective strips. The steering column received a new multi-function lever that controlled the turn signals, headlights, windshield wipers, washers, and the resume-speed cruise control.

by Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2019