BUICK Riviera 1986-1993 Photos, engines & full specs

The seventh generation of the Buick Riviera Coupe started its journey in 1986 and featured advanced amenities and smaller engines for better fuel-efficiency.

The Riviera Coupe started its career in 1963 and it was a luxurious, potent, car. It was a true Grand Touring vehicle, with up to seven-liter engines and over 5.5-meter long. After the oil crisis, its dimensions started to shrink. The downsize affected also the engines and, in 1986, no V8 engines were available anymore.

Buick hoped that what it will be lost from the drivetrain will be gained from the technology inside. But the 4.7 meter (187.8") long car was not a GT anymore. The design was in time with the era it was launched, but while all the other predecessors had enough rear room for passengers, the seventh generation had only the rear seats and almost no legroom. Due to the transverse front-engine layout, the front overhang was big.

Inside, the Buick Riviera featured a high-tech dashboard, with CRT display on the center console and touch-screen! And that was in 1986. The instrument cluster featured a digital display as well. It wasn't enough to convince buyers.

The small V6-only engine was upgraded up to 170 hp in the last years of production, but that was shy when compared with its predecessors. Moreover, the base engine from 1986 offered a mere 140 hp from the 3.8-liter unit. The sales were slow and in December 1992, the seventh generation of the Riviera was axed.