Buick Riviera Photo Print

The third generation boat-tail Riviera is not a favourite back in the day. It seems that its distinctive design is not well-accepted by the public and the sales of the US manufacturer plummet. But today Buick Riviera is a collectable vehicle that many adore. How did this transformation happen?

This Buick Riviera photo art is an American design statement

The first generation of Buick Riviera debuts in 1963 and is an immediate sales success. The second model which premiers in 1966 is just as popular. In 1970, the third generation of Buick Riviera is displayed for the first time as a 1971 model. It features a spectacular boat-tail design, created by Jerry Hirshberg under the guidance of Bill Mitchell. They search for inspiration in the `63 Corvette Sting Ray split window coupe and try to implement it in a bigger scale in their new project. The car also inherits the carrier of the Buick`s Sweepspear, a curved trim line running almost the length of the car and emphasizing its thrilling styling.

It is known that the initial Riviera design was intended for a smaller platform. The original sketches were based on that assumption. But when Buick`s new general manager Lee Mays saw the plans, he refused to spend resources on the new body shell, forcing boat-tail design to be upscaled to share as much of the body of full-sized LeSabre as possible. That is why at some angles the boat-tail Buick Riviera looks kind of strange and unusual. Let us say this is just like a movie star that begs to be shot from certain angles, and not others.

Now you can have an interesting reminder of this spectacular story without showing it. Connoisseurs will get it from a single glimpse. The mass will pass. Make yours the artwork of the gifted photographer Alexander Nikolov and carefully issued as photo art print by Simply Petrol.