1985 Buick Riviera: A Brougham in Autumn

Last year, we had a particularly pleasant and warm October in Iowa. As a result, the weekly cruise-in on the Davenport riverfront endured at least two weeks beyond its normal course. And it was at one of those that I saw this absolutely immaculate and gorgeous Buick Riviera.

I miss Buick cars. I know I beat the “I don’t want SUVs and crossovers” drum over and over, but I can’t help it. Look at a car like this: Elegant, classy, comfortable, silent, and with definite presence—whether in the showroom, at the country club, or in the driveway of a happy owner.

And in 1985, Buick had a full roster of coupes, sedans, and station wagons to tempt you. Even a Riviera convertible, though at a princely sum of $26,797 (a whopping $79K today). A standard Riviera coupe like today’s featured subject was a bargain by comparison—$16,710 (about $50K). Of course, many tempting comfort and decor options could push that sum much higher.

Even the 1985 brochure was impressive. In a bout of good karma, about three weeks before I saw our featured Light Brown Firemist Riviera, I found the deluxe 1985 Buick brochure at Source Book Store, a venerable rare book emporium in downtown Davenport. For a mere five dollars, I had to take it home with me.

In a glossy light blue folder, there are three separate brochures within, titled “The Art of Buick,” “The Science of Buick,” and “The Buying of Buick.” I miss brochures, don’t you? I have a vast amount of them in “the vault” at home, and love diving into them. I should do a separate column just on classic American car brochures sometime soon!

As the intro to the brochure conferred, “Welcome. You are about to take an unusual and, we think informative trip through the world of Buick…we think there are no other cars in the world more beautiful than the 1985 Buicks, and in this book we will show them to you in exquisite photographs.

“But it is not all beautiful pictures. There are words pointing out important facts about each model, facts you want to know, facts to help you make an intelligent purchase decision.

And of course, the Riviera was the glamor queen of the lineup, and had been since 1963. Front-wheel drive since 1979, 1985 was the final year for this downsized, yet attractive generation.

Buick had announced this would be the final year of this generation well in advance of the even more downsized 1986 Riviera appearing in showrooms, and many folks rushed over to their Buick dealers to get one of the last before the changeover. The same thing happened to the E-body Oldsmobile Toronado and Cadillac Eldorado siblings.

Sales, as a result, were healthy. There were three Riv models: The aforementioned standard Riviera coupe, the convertible, and the T-Type, which sported a turbocharged V-6 engine. The T-Type based at $17,654 (about $52,600).

Production for the model year was 63,836 coupes, 1,069 T-Type coupes, and a mere 400 convertibles. I was surprised to learn so few T-Type coupes were made. Perhaps most Riviera buyers wanted the V-8, which the turbocharged V6 T-Type lacked, or folks who wanted a sportier Buick just went to the Regal T-Type instead.

The standard Riviera coupe (and the convertible, as well) was equipped with a 140-hp 5.0-liter V-8 with a four-barrel carburetor, while the T-Type had the turbo V-6 with 200 horsepower. A 5.7-liter diesel V-8 was also available, but by 1985 I imagine the take rate was very slim indeed.

Again referring to my brochure (it is so cool!), Buick had, naturally, high praise for its personal luxury coupe. “After all those ‘practical’ cars, those four-door sedans, and station wagons you had to have for all the time-honored reasons, it is time for something special—a car you actually want.

“Riviera. The name is special, and for over 20 years the name has stood for the most special Buick of them all. And Riviera for 1985 is every inch a statement of classic style, but at the same time so very, very contemporary with four-wheel independent suspension, front-wheel drive and engines with the latest high-technology features. Even turbocharging is available.”

And with a 206.6-inch length, 114-inch wheelbase, and classic looks, the 1985 Riviera was, in many ways, “just right.” And come 1986, a smaller, even more modern and technologically advanced Riviera would appear, even available with an early version of a touchscreen, believe it or not.

I like those cars too, especially the T-Types with their subtle two-toning, alloy wheels and ’80s-modern luxo-interiors, despite those who think it’s somehow a thinly disguised N-body Buick Somerset. But the 1979-85 Riviera was a truly pretty car, not too big and not too small, and loaded with lovely little touches inside and out.

Getting back to our featured subject, I saw it pull up and was immediately smitten. The owner, a very tall older gentleman, appeared to be perhaps the original owner. I chatted with him a bit, and he confirmed it was a 1985, the final year of this classy body style. And from the remarkable condition, I believe the 5-digit odometer showing 23K miles and change could be correct. The car was that nice.

I took far too many pictures of it, because it was such a nice car. A fine example of the last year of the maybe not big, but fair-sized Riviera.

And even with zero options, these cars were well-equipped. Standard features included the V-8 (excepting the T-type), four-speed automatic with overdrive, electronic level control, torsion bar front suspension, six-way power driver’s seat, cornering lamps, ample chrome trim, and more.

Today, Buick offers no sedans, no coupes, and certainly no personal luxury cars. It makes me sad, because if they did, I’d probably have to visit my local dealer, Key Buick in Moline, and place an order…