Buick's 3rd and 4th generation Rivieras - 1971-73/1974-76

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About Buick's 3rd and 4th generation Rivieras - 1971-73/1974-76

Images of Buick's third- and fourth-generation Rivieras (1971-73) and (1974-76). All used the same basic body-on-frame E-body chassis and powered by 455 cubic-inch V8s mated to Turbo Hydra-matic 400 transmissions.

The 1971-73 (third-generation) models were the famous boattail models with the wraparound rear window similar to Plymouth's 1964-66 Barracuda and the 1964-67 Corvette Sting Ray with the '73 Riv' boattail rear somewhat similar to the Corvette Sting Ray.

The 1974-76 model (fourth generation) due to the flat chopped-off rear and notchback roofline with side opera windows. The front end design included grille and fenders (at least on the '74) similar to 71-73 models and the drivetrain/chassis were the same as before. Interiors were somewhat more luxurious with new trim options including velour and leather not previously offered. The '75-76 Rivieras were among the first GM cars to feature the new rectangular headlights replacing the longstanding round lights common to American cars since the introduction of sealed beams in 1940.
Year-by-year changes for the 1971-76 Riviera included:
THIRD GENERATION
1971
Riviera was radically redesigned for the 1971 model year with flowing and dramatic "boat-tail" styling, and larger and heavier on longer 122-inch wheelbase and an overall length of 217 inches - similar to a full-sized 1971 Chevrolet Caprice. The previous X-frame chassis was replaced by perimeter frame with side rails similar to the full-sized Buicks and full-coil suspension was retained.
Under the hood, Buick's 455 cubic-inch V8 returned, but with a lower compression ratio (8.5 to 1 vs. 10.25 to 1 in 1970) in order to meet a GM edict that all 1971-model engines be designed to run on regular leaded or unleaded gasoline of 91 research (87 pump) octane or higher. Horsepower for the standard 455 dropped to 315 gross horsepower or 255 net horsepower, while the GS's Stage 1 455 was rated at 330 gross or 265 net horsepower. Performance remained reasonably brisk, but the Riviera's sporty image was rapidly fading.
One noteworthy advance was Buick's Max Trac, a traction control system that prevented wheelspin during acceleration on slippery surfaces. It was initially offered only on the Riviera but soon became optional on the full-sized Buicks.
The 1971 Riviera also features GM's "Full-Flo" ventilation system and two large deck lid louvers are prominent on the trunk lid. Unfortunately, under certain conditions a vacuum was created that sucked rain and exhaust back into the car, leading to many complaints from owners and dealers.
Inside was a new wrap-around cockpit instrument panel with horizontal speedometer and engine-turned trim similar to Pontiac's Firebird Trans Am, with all controls and instruments in easy reach of the driver, while the passenger side had a curving section of its own but with only a glove compartment and AC vents. Seating choices included a standard split bench in cloth or vinyl or no-cost Strato bucket seats in vinyl with an extra-cost choice of a short consolette or a full-length operating console slanted toward the driver with upside down "L" shaped shifter replacing the horseshoe shifter of previous years. A Custom interior option came with plusher cloth and vinyl or all-vinyl notchback bench seats with armrest or no-cost Strato buckets, along with upgraded door panels with door pulls and upgraded armrests.
Despite these features, Riviera sales for 1971 dropped to 33,810, not only due to intense competition from an equally restyled Olds Toronado and Cadillac Eldorado plus increasing dominance of the smaller and less expensive Pontiac Grand Prix and Chevrolet Monte Carlo; but also a 67-day corporate wide strike at General Motors that shut down production just in time for new-model introduction in late September, 1970.

1972
The 1972 Riviera was little changed, with the 455 engine switching to net power ratings per industrywide trend, 225 hp (168 kW) or 250 hp (190 kW) with the Gran Sport, although the actual drop in net power was only 5 hp (3.7 kW). Exterior changes included a new egg-crate grille and revised taillights along with the addition of bodyside moldings in response to complaints the '71 looked too slab-sided. The '71 trunklid vents were eliminated for '72 as a result of a revised "Full-Flo" ventilation system in which the vents were relocated in the doors and the system was much improved over the troublesome ventilation setup of '71.
Interior trims remained unchanged from 1971 aside from the mid-year addition of a "FASTEN SEAT BELTS" light and buzzer per federal mandate.
Sales remained moribund at 33,728 against an similarly unchanged Toronado and Eldorado - both of which set new sales records for 1972, and a newlly-restyled Thunderbird.

1973
The '73 Riviera would be the third and final year for the boattail design. Changes this year included a larger Federally-mandated front bumper designed to withstand 5 MPH impcts and a toned down boattail effect in the rear somewhat similar to the Corvette Stingray of a decade earlier.
The standard engine for the base Riviera was a 250 net horsepower 455 cubic-inch V8 with four-barrel carburetor and dual engine and the 260 net horsepower Stage 1 455 was available on the GS, which also included a Positive Traction differential and a chrome-plated air cleaner. The "Gran Sport" (GS) package was still available as a separate option package consisting of a ride-and-handling package that included a rear stabilizer bar, JR78-15 whitewall steel-belted radial tires, a specially tuned "radial roadability" suspension, additional sound insulation and special "Gran Sport" badging.
Interiors were revised with instrument panels now shared with other big Buicks and woodgrain trim replacing the engine-turned swirl trim of 1971-72. Seating patterns for both bench and bucket seats were revised in both the standard and Custom trims.
Riviera sales for 1973 increased slightly over 1972, but still below that of corporate siblings Toronado and Eldorado, along with Ford's Thunderbird; and well below that of the mid-sized personal luxury cars, Chevrolet Monte Carlo and Pontiac Grand Prix, both of which were completely restyled for 1973 with new "Colonnade" styling and set new sales records.
Even before production of the 1973 Riviera ended that summer, Buick had already pulled the plug on the Boattail design as departing general manager Lee Mays, who became head of Buick in 1969, had an objectionable dislike of the design and ordered a complete styling redo of the car for the 1974 model year around the time 1971 model was introduced.

FOURTH GENERATION
1974
Although carrying over the same platform, mechanicals, and some body panels seen on the 1971-73 models, Buick introduced a restyled fourth-generation Riviera for 1974 in which the semi-fastback roofline and boattail rear were replaced by a more conventional-looking "Colonnade" roof with opera windows, turning the car from a hardtop coupe into a pillared coupe, as it featured wide B pillars and fixed quarter opera windows. A landau half-vinyl roof option was available.
The rear was now flat with horizontal tailights similar to previous Rivieras - plus new supplemental tailights at roofline level similar to the Olds Toronado, all hanging over a new federally-mandated 5 MPH rear bumper to match the big front bumpers of 1973.
The first "Bobtail" Riviera did retain its forward-jutting grille, albeit in slightly modified form. Thus modified, the car looked far less distinctive than its predecessors, and even its platform mates, the Oldsmobile Toronado and Cadillac Eldorado.
The tamer-looking Riviera was no lighter, and its standard 455 V8 lost more power, dropping to 230 net horsepower in standard form and 245 for the Stage 1 option. Max Trac was still available but dropped from the option list after 1974 due lack of buyer interest.
Inside, the wrap-around instrument panel returned from previous years but with a revised passenger side, again similar to other big Buicks, in which the glove compartment was moved to the upper section, and the driver's side got revised controls and instruments. Interiors were restyled and now only offered in Custom form with a standard cloth-and-vinyl or all-vinyl notchback bench seat featuring a folding armrest, with options including a split 60/40 bench with armrest in the same upholstery choices along with new options of velour and leather - the latter returning to Riviera's option list for the first time since 1963. Also still available were the 40/40 Strato bucket seats with all-vinyl upholstery and optional choices of a short consolette or full-length operating console with floor shifter. The front seat and shoulder belts were revised with a new integrated design for lab/shoulder belts in one unit. And speaking of seat belts, all 1974 Buicks and other American cars featured an interlock system that required the driver and front seat passengers to buckle up in order to start the car.
Another new option for the '74 Riviera (along with other big Buicks, Oldsmobiles and Cadillacs) was a driver-side airbag - the first production cars to offer such safety device. When the airbag was ordered, a unique steering wheel was included.
The revised styling did nothing for sales, which plummeted to 20,129 in 1974, which was also the year of the Arab Oil Embargo that began in October, 1973 just weeks after the 1974 models were introduced - which led to gasoline shortages and long lines at service stations for several months, and much higher pump prices becoming a permanent part of the American landscape - leaving few Americans interested in buying a 455-V8 powered Riviera or other Buick that delivered only 8-10 MPG.

1975
The Riviera received an updated front fascia, which lost its forward-jutting theme but gained rectangular headlights along with other top-line GM cars, and a new vertical-bar grille. The one and only four-barrel 455 V8 was rated at 205 horsepower was standard and the Stage 1 option was discontinued. New features for 1974 included a catalytic converter that not only mandated a single exhausts system (a first for Riviera) but also the exclusive use of unleaded gasoline; plus a High Energy electronic ignition and standard radial tires on both base and GS models - all of which were designed to improve driveability and fuel economy and still meet increasingly stringent Federal and California emission requirements.
The Gran Sport option was still offered as a handling package, but this would be the last year. Content was similar to previous years.
Inside, a new flat-instrument panel with horizontal sweep speedometer similar to other big Buicks replaced the previous wrap-around cockpit dash. Upholstery/seating trims and options only received minor revisions, but door panels completely redone with revised armrests. Power windows became standard equipment this year. Early models had the infamous seat belt interlock system carried over from 1974, but discontinued after Congress nixed that federal safety mandate in response to widespread public discontent and opposition.
The appearance and mechanical changes to the 1975 Riviera didn't help sales, which dropped to an all-time low of 17,306 units - or half the rate of the 1971-73 boattail models and a mere fraction of the 49,000-50,000 rate of 1968-69.

1976
The most notable change to the 1976 Riviera was a new crosshatch grille insert. The Gran Sport handling package was replaced by an 'S/R' package that had similar sporting pretensions along with velour bucket seats and console. The standard Riviera carried over with only minor trim/upholstery revisions.
The 205-horsepower 455 four-barrel was the standard and only engine offered this year, receiving only minor revisions to meet this year's federal and California emission requirements and to improve fuel economy.
Sales rallied slightly to 20,082 for 1976, but that was still below other personal-luxury cars in the same or higher price range including Toronado, Thunderbird, Eldorado and Continental Mark IV. Greatly outpacing Riviera and its competitors on the sales charts were many mid-sized personal cars with comparably luxury for thousands of dollars less including Grand Prix, Monte Carlo, Mercury Cougar, Ford Elite, Chrysler Cordoba and Dodge Charger SE; not to mention Buick's own Century Regal, which used a formal roofline with opera windows similar to Monte and GP, and offered affordable personal luxury that rivaled the Riviera for far less dough.
1976 was the final year for the fourth-generation Riviera, which was not a whole new car but a major sheetmetal change of the 1971-73 "Boattail" model - which was neceesitated not only by Lee Mays' dislike of the design but by prerequesits in the luxury car field such as formal rooflines, opera windows and Landau vinyl roofs. With GM scheduled to downsize all its full-sized cars for 1977 to intermediate dimensions, Buick decided that the next Riviera would be smaller in size despite the fact that the other E-body cars including the front-drive Olds Toronado and Cadillac Eldorado would retain the oversized dimensions for two more years as the downsized E-body would not be ready until 1979.
Buick would move the Riviera to the downsized B-body platform of the LeSabre for 1977 not only due to the sagging sales of the 1974-76 models; but also the absence of an engine to power that large and heavy car as Buick was set to drop its big 455 V8 after 1976. Continuing the '77-78 Riviera on the old E-body platform would have forced Buick to either downsize its engine compartment to their 350 V8, which was too small and underpowered for a 5,000-pound car - or "import" larger engines from other GM divisions including 400s from Chevrolet and Pontiac, Oldsmobile's 403 or Cadillac's 425 - each of which would have limited sales and production as each division gave first priority to its own vehicles before selling engines to other divisions.
With that Buick, temporarily switched the Riviera to the LeSabre platform for 1977-78, which was intended as only a stopgap model to keep the nameplate alive until the downsized (and switched to front-drive) '79 model debuted. The downsized 77-78 'Rivs would be powered by a standard Buick 350 V8 or optional Olds 403.