BUICK RIVIERA

Year of manufacture 1965 Recorded mileage 51,700 Asking price £49,950 Vendor The School Garage, Whaley Bridge, High Peak, Derbyshire; 01663 733209/07767 617507; classiccarshop.co.uk

WHEN IT WAS NEW

Price $4318 (GS) Max power 325bhp Max torque 445lb ft 0-60mph 7.7 secs Top speed 124mph Mpg 11

There’s just one thing about this glorious machine that disappoints me: the price-tag. I’ve always been reassured by the fact that, in this country at least, American cars tend to be a bit of an acquired taste, with the happy result that values have remained relatively attainable. But even my first – and so far only – ownership experience, a 1967 Mercury Cougar, has risen out of reach since I sold it 17 years ago and this Buick, my dream Yank, is further still.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying it doesn’t deserve to be a £50k car – if anything it’s still a bargain at that price, bearing in mind the blend of style and performance (not to mention the sheer volume of metal) you’re buying. For me, the first-generation 1963-’65 Buick Riviera is the most beautiful US car of all and, while purists opt for the original ’63, I reckon the sensational ’65 is the cleanest of all, with its crisp lines augmented by the headlights hiding behind vacuum-assisted panels (as per my much-missed Cougar).

This ‘445 Wildcat’ version is the second rung on the ’65 Riv ladder, sharing the 401cu in (6570cc) ‘Nailhead’ of the base model, but with power up to 325bhp and a thundering 445lb ft of torque. You can get more from the 425cu in ‘Super Wildcat’ and range-topping GS (Gran Sport), but this personal luxury coupe is more about effortless posing pace than tyreshredding performance, so this one will do me just fine.

As will the fabulous colour. I like Rivieras in black, but for something a bit less Goodfellas this vivid metallic blue/green is pretty special. Most of the paint is original according to vendor Martin Daly, with this 50,000-mile car never having been fully restored. Despite that, having lived most of its life in California – where else but Los Angeles? – it’s reportedly rust-free, too.

It’s also said to drive perfectly, and the original interior looks sumptuous with its blend of cream leather, black vinyl and the finest fake wood. You can picture yourself kicking back, enjoying the scenery while the Super Turbine 400 three-speed auto and power steering do the hard work for you.

The only flaw is that to complete my fantasy I’ll have to ship it back to the States. Then I can rumble out of LA, drop the windows, point the scope-like bonnet crest north and take the coast road to San Francisco, passing Big Sur and calling in on Monterey Car Week along the way. It might not headline the auctions held there every August, but it’ll make me feel like a million dollars.

SUMMARY

CHOSEN BY Alastair Clements

FOR Sensational styling, rarity and mighty performance

AGAINST Outrageous thirst; large for British roads

WHY SHOULD I BUY IT?

Just look at it! If that doesn’t do it for you, then perhaps American cars aren’t your bag…