1996 Buick Riviera Hardtop
"Styling was a relative revolution for a contemporary Buick, with flowing curves and an imposing look overall. The Riviera wore more upscale styling than it had in a long time, and now had more performance to back up the looks. All final gen Rivieras were powered by two versions of the Buick 3800 V6, and that was a very good thing. The dealer's training film touted, "Riviera has the highest structural integrity of any personal luxury coupe."
For consignment, a 1996 Buick Riviera hardtop with a title verified 89,958 actual miles. This one is equipped with the desirable supercharged V6 and of course, the interior that was designed for ultimate luxury comfort, even as the sporty forced air induction is poised to move you with confidence.
Exterior
Curves started appearing more in the early 90's and the Riviera was a trendsetter, essentially lacking any right angles and retaining a rounded, wind defying profile. GM's boxy designs would take a back seat to this more modern approach, here in Silver Teal Metallic. The long doors are matched by extended rear quarter and overhangs that hint at trunk capacity while up front, flush headlights keep the curves intact and an oval grille defies the rectangular intakes of the past. Even the rear light bar is oval, framed by a bulbous rear bumper, valance and decklid that suggests a soft edged spoiler at the end of a sloping rear window and long trunk lid. 16-inch alloy wheels carry 225/60R16's with a mid 2023 date code, connected visually by integrated and color matched mid panel molding. Imperfections on this garage kept beauty include dulling paint on front bumper and roof, chips, scratches, surface abrasions throughout, delaminating chrome, divots in the molding, and some scuffs.
Interior
The blue interior begins with monochromatic door panels with a leather insert, carpeted pocket, and black switchgear and both appear in good condition. The driver gets vents but the passenger gets an individual temp control and digital monitor. Up front, heavily padded blue leather bucket seats offer an inviting perch and electronic controls, and the configuration is mirrored with less usage wear in the rear where the leather remains wrinkle free. A handsome blue steering wheel with thumb controls fronts a simple gauge cluster in a blue faceplate which stretches the width of the dash, taking in the woodgrain rimmed center stack with A/C panel and AM/FM/Cassette radio, both with GM's familiar green digital illumination. There's a remnant of a dash mounted accessory on the pad but the rest appears clean. Woodgrain also dresses the center console where the shifter and a pair of cupholders reside over, yes, deep blue carpet in beautiful shape. The headliner and overhead console also presents cleanly and the trunk is completely finished with gray panels.
Drivetrain
GM venerable transverse mounted 3.8 liter V6 is under the hood, supercharged and producing 240 horsepower with fuel arriving via injection. It's mated to a 4T60E 4-speed automatic transmission that keeps power up front and through 2.93 gears. The bay is super clean and original.
Undercarriage
Clean underneath with the typical surface rust and some advanced surface rust on the bump out for the spare tire. A single exhaust runs down the center, splits, and runs through stock style mufflers before exiting through unsurprisingly oval tips. Power disc brakes are on all four wheels and the fully independent suspension include Macpherson struts up front and coil springs in back.
Drive-Ability
Roomy and comfortable, the cabin is a nice place to be and includes a sunroof. The car handles our tarmac imperfections well, providing a spirited ride that is smooth as glass and straight. We note the traction control and ABS lights are on and the unlock function to the power locks is not working. Our consignor also notes that during hard rains, there's some leakage to the trunk. Beyond these things, all functions work as intended and it's back to the showroom for this Riv. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your purchase.
So unique is this generation of Riviera that there's no doubt you'll be asked what you're driving. Only about 17,000 were made in 1996 with low production through all the years, so people didn't get to know them all that well back in the day, and they're even more rare today!
1G4GD2213T4708837
1-USA
G-General Motors
4-Buick
GD-Riviera
2-2 Door Coupe
2-Manual Belts, Front Airbags
1-3.8 Liter L67 Supercharged V6
3-Check Digit
T-1996
4-Orion, MI Assy Plant
708837-Sequential Unit Number
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8 acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person. There is no guarantee of mileage. A $299 Dealer Administrative fee is not included in the advertised price. All prices are before state, city and county tax, tag, title and license fees. Out of state buyers are responsible for all state, county, city taxes and fees, as well as title/registration fees in the state that the vehicle will be registered. Classic Auto Mall is not responsible for errors and omissions. Please verify listings with dealer. Vehicles may require VIN verification and/or safety and emissions inspections to transfer ownership and register the vehicle in the declared state of residence. Please check with your local DMV office to ensure compliance with your states titling and registration process.
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