1965 Buick Riviera walkaround
As originally drawn out on the XP-715 concept car design, concealed headlamps arrived on the Buick Riviera in 1965. Operated by a single electric motor mounted under the hood, top and bottom clamshell doors would open and close to expose or hide the headlamps.
A re-designed rear bumper housed the taillights, and the fake side scoops found on the1963-1964 models were deleted. The 401-cid Nailhead V-8 was back as the standard engine, with both Wildcat and Super Wildcat engines optional. This was also the first year of the popular chrome "road wheels".
The Gran Sport option, available two months into regular year production, included the dual-quad 425-cid Super Wildcat V8, free-flowing dual exhaust, posi-traction differential with a 3.42 ratio, and wider 8.45x15" tires. A total of 3,354 Rivieras were so equipped.
The optional Ride and Handling package featured stiffer front and rear springs, firmer shocks and quicker steering ratio. The R/H package was offered on every Riviera, and was often selected in combination with the Gran Sport option.
A 1965 Riviera equipped with the Super Wildcat engine was faster than any Thunderbird, with 0-60 times in about seven seconds, and a top speed of nearly 130 mph. With the optional suspension package, the Riv could out-handle the Bird as well. Stopping the 4,000 pound car were finned-aluminum 12-inch drum brakes on all corners. These aluminum/cast-iron drums were some of the best ever produced for passenger car use.
Buick sold slightly over 112,000 Rivieras between 1963 and 1965. In those same three years, Ford sold over 230,000 Thunderbirds. A second-generation Riviera, which had been in the works for several years, would debut for the 1966 model year.
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