Boattail beauty
As a newcomer to American cars Adam realised that finding some experienced and professional businesses to undertake the mechanical jobs he couldn’t do himself would be a priority. This has brought him into contact with NAMCO (North American Motor Co. www.namcoamerican. com) and RPM (www. rareperformancemotors. com), who’ve helped out with various jobs, including the springs and shocks and hence why it may look like it’s sitting a bit high in the pictures at the moment, something that will settle down with time. They also confirmed that his purchase is as nice as he thought it was and the goal has been to keep the car as original as possible, with occasional concessions to modernity, such as the Bluetooth interface fitted to the original radio so it can interface with other devices, or switching the clock to a Quartz movement. Even the aftermarket floormats from American Custom Carpets (www.accmats.com) are in the original style and look as if they were factory fitted.
It’s amazing to think the Riviera is Adam’s first American car – he’s really jumped in feet first and luckily for him, the experience has turned out to be a happy one. Adam’s story proves that if you’ve ever wondered what it takes to get into the American car scene, then wonder no more: buying, owning and running an American car has never been easier, especially now there are online forums and WhatsApp groups, as well as plenty of American specialist garages and parts suppliers, all of whom advertise in this magazine. What are you waiting for?!
There’s no missing a 1972 Buick Riviera, wearing as it does that distinctive boattail styling at the back and that very distinctive V-shaped side-spear that echoes those worn by 1956/1957 Buicks. Penned by Ned Nickles as one of Bill Mitchell’s last hurrah designs at GM, it was a controversial design from the get-go. Originally it had been envisioned on a smaller platform, but divisional cost savings meant it utilising Buick’s full-size platform.
Whether it would have been a more attractive vehicle on a smaller scale is debatable – the ’63 Corvette, which also wore a ‘boattail-esque’ back-end and was another Mitchell-inspired creation, is almost universally acclaimed as a styling triumph. Nevertheless, Mitchell’s design persevered, with 1971 being the purest form of the design. In 1973 Federal 5mph bumpers were introduced, which added almost six inches to either end of the car and destroyed its painfully crafted profile. The following year, the boattail styling was toned down, with it disappearing entirely by 1974.
Pictured here is the Buick Riviera Silver Arrow III concept car which foretold the ’71-’73 Riviera. Lower than the production car, it sported a cut-down roof, a B-pillar and triple headlamps to further enhance the ‘lower, wider’ look. The Buick side-spear made it on to the production models, but wasn’t as exaggerated.