I’ve never heard a negative opinion about the Buick boat tails. I always thought they were universally loved.

One of the most beautiful cars I have ever seen !!

My grandfather had a 1973 in green with the 455. He loved the car and I was a fan too. He had it from new until rust really began to claim it, despite him keeping it garaged as much as possible. It still ran and drove perfect. I remember when I was in my 20s he asked if I'd be too upset if he didn't give it to me but instead sold it to someone that planned on doing a full restoration. While I would have loved to have the car, I didn't have the resources to restore it or anywhere really to keep it. I already had 2 cars that I struggled to keep going. So, reluctantly, but because I loved my granddad and felt that the car deserved better than to rot away in my apartment's parking lot, I let it go. It still makes me a little sad, but I know it was the right decision at the time.

Back in my elementary grade school a teacher drove one of these new. I thought it was the wildest car I had ever seen at that time. RIP Mrs. Hunter.

My uncle, the absolute coolest man I knew growing up, had a '73 with the 455. If I had to have a road trip car...that would be it.

That Silver Arrow 3 is gorgeous, ain't no other epithet fit to describe it. Absolutely stunning.

I never knew there was any controversy. I’ve always loved the looks!

My dad had a black over red...I fell in love with cars ever since

Oh Adam , this is one of my true ALL-TIME: Favorite cars! A big, LUXURY Corvette type car!

As a teenager, I had the opportunity to drive a 72 Riviera from rural Maryland to Ohio and back. It had plenty of power, and it was a smooth ride. It felt like a souped up land yacht, but way more nimble than my Mom's mark 3 Lincoln. Thanks for refreshing my recollection of those good old days!

Boat tail Buick is the coolest thing that they ever built. Thousands of low riders were built from them. I had a friend in the 80s who would buy them here in Canada and ship them south. He made a small fortune. I always wanted one,but couldn’t afford one.

A friend of mine bought the '71 as a present to himself upon getting his first job. Your video highlights the beauty of it's exterior (which certainly desrves praise and attention - it retained more of the lines from the concept clay models than most vehicles), but what blew my mind he first time I sat in my friend's car was the luxury feel of its interior. It felt SO high-end - no doubt a call back to it's planned LeSabre roots. I consider it to be one of the most beautiful car designs of the 70's - even more than the Old's Cutlasses of the same years.

Me and my dad are restoring a 72 and I love how it just floats on the road and you can just steer it with your finger

The boattail designs are sporty, progressive, and elegant. Two thumbs up!

im a die hard ford guy but i would kill for a boattail riviera, one of the coolest cars ever built

The 71-73 Riviera was and still is one of the best and most beautiful car designs. I remember when they came out. Loved it the first time I saw it, still do.

Even in the '80s, seeing one on the street was a rare occasion. They did stand out, as they do today. Design was primarily about beauty back then, not about being "aggressive."

I remember Dan Franklin came to see my Dad in a boat-tail Riviera in the mid-70s. I was just a kid, but still appreciated the design of the boat tail.

Great looking car, if only cars would look as good as this today?.

My parents had a 1972 Riviera. It was a beautiful bronze with beige top and leather interior. 455 engine. It got up and went, I remember. I'd love to have that car!!!

I've wanted one for 40 years. I've got it all rebuilt in my head.

Absolutely Gorgeous! Have never heard anyone say these were anything other than gorgeous...Back when Detroit still knew how to design cars (and were briefly allowed to in 1971)...

The boat tail has always been one of my favorite cars.

In my opinion, as I have had many of these boat-tails in the past. They are the best looking and the ride is and has been unmatched. I would love to have another one someday.

Beautifully designed car...not like the boxes they're designing and selling now. I was privileged to 'babysit' one of these for an uncle when I was 18. OMG! I've never forgotten how wonderful it was to drive, to be seen in. It was a dream! The car was so 'futuristic'.

A masterpiece!!!!

Haven't seen one in years. They were/are a badass car. Beautiful machines.

Love these Rivieras. Thanks for the clarification on E bodies in relationship to B bodies

Excellent video, Adam!

Nice piece! I still enjoy taking my 1972 Cop Riv for a drive, or to car shows. My father bought it new in 72 and used it as a Sheriff's Dept patrol unit for it's first 2 years of life. Now it's my family heirloom!

Fantastic design!

I have always LOVED the 1971! Thunderbolt and Lightfoot!

I had a 71 and it drove like a dream. I bought it used in 1984 and it was very reliable. It broke down once on me and it was just a bad external fuel pump which was easy and cheap to replace. What a great cruiser.

This is a fantastic looking car. I love it.

My best friend in high schools Father had a 1971 Riviera GS. He used to let us borrow it on Weekend nights. Man, we had a great time in thar car! Smooth, fast and comfy interior for the girls. The girls loved it!! You could smoke the tires at will in that car. This was in 1974/1975. We thought we were so cool!! His Father was just about the nicest, coolest adult I had ever met at that time. I stayed friends with my friend's father for decades.

I love them. For those who do not, drive one, that experience might change your mind.

My Dad drove the boat tails as demos, he was GM at a Buick dealership in Memphis. As kids we loved these cars, UTTERLY COOL.

Very nice Baroque styling

My father had a new '71 Riviera. It was copper with Buick road wheels. Over the years he was often asked if he would sell it. He refused until December '79. He should have slept on it because the next morning he regretted having sold it.

My best buddy’s Dad owned a 1971 Boat tail Rivera, I loved that car, it was handsome. Still is.

Watching Mr. Burns our middle school math teacher roll into the faculty parking lot in his cranberry red ‘71 this car looked massive. As young boys we didn’t realize the boattail was inspired by previous designs. We called it “puckerback”-with a rear looking like it was getting ready to kiss the car behind it. 😄

There's no way one of those cars could be nearby without drawing attention. They sold prolifically in Detroit. I think they also received favorable contemporary press for overall handling and braking as well. Fifty years later, they still shine bright.

A totally impractical design, and a magnificent one. I was a high school Senior in 1971, and a big fan of the Toranado. But the boat tail Riv was just about its equal. The stories about Bill Mitchell's "objections" were great! He was the type of company man that companies would no longer tolerate, and that's a shame. He was absolutely right about the vinyl top. Put one of those god-awful things on a boat tail Riv, and the top is all you see.

Beautiful

I was in my early 20's and these Rivieras were popular amongst those of us who were finishing college, had our first jobs, needed a stylish but sensible replacement for our GTOs, Malibu Super Sports, Cutlass 442s, and were looking for mates. These were extremely reliable cars.

someone gave me a 72 Boattail, it was one of the best cars I ever owned... thank you Dottie xo

My uncle had an all gold boat tail Rivera and I remember the first time I saw it - WOW! I was 16 and he taught me how to drive in it.....a fond memory of a time gone by! Great informative video - thanks.

I remember when these first came out. To say they were shocking is an understatement. Like the bustle-back Seville, you either loved it or hated it...There really was no in-between!

'm from Germany and have a 73 Buick Riviera Boattail. The best car I've ever had. Top condition with original 84,000 miles

Excellent , Excellent .... Sharp Classic Buick Style , Luxury & Swagg In 73 .... I Was In Junior High School , When I Saw 1 Of These In My Neighborhood & To Me That Was A Nice Looking Buick 👍 👍

These cars pack a powerful punch. I say that from experience. Back in the 70’s, I was sitting at a light, in my 65 ford wagon, behind a flatbed. A 1972 Buick Rivera came flying around a bed and slammed into me. I only had time to turn my wheel. He pushed me past the truck and he ended up further than I. He said he worked a double shift and was tired. He never hit his brakes. I had a dent in my tailgate, he had front damage and broken motor mounts. I drove home, he got towed.

Wonderful and insightful video. Gerry Hirshberg said the upsizing of this design was the most painful experience in his career. RIP Gerry Hirshberg.

I'll never forget my first glimpse of the '71 through the window at Wallace Buick in Portland. Dad bought a '71 Centurion coupe -- an excellent car -- but the Riviera was the stuff of dreams. During the years that followed, I often said that the boattail Riviera was one of the last of the genuinely distinctive larger American automobiles. And I found myself thinking during the 1980's and 1990's that it would be wise to scoop up a fine example of the '71 Riviera. I was right -- prices for quality '71 and '72 Rivieras have risen rapidly during the last few years.

Love the boat tail Riviera, a design classic. Thanks for the video Adam!

What a neat looking car! They still look fantastic. With the 455 4 barrel it moves. Thanks for a great video!

I've had both a 1972 and a 1973 Riviera. They are fantastic driving and comfortable cars

I love these. We had an elderly neighbor and her daughter would come from out of state to visit and always had beautiful cars. In 1971 she and her husband arrived in a brown 1971 Riviera and I was hooked! Thanks for this video, Adam, a treat like all your others. I need to add a couple of things re this Riviera. The daughter and her husband ordered and bought what they wanted, it wasn't to a price: 1) Their Riviera was a slicktop so they obviously agreed with Bill Mitchell. 2) This was the only car they owned in my memory with blackwall tires. Why they went that look I have no idea. I just remember the car got your attention in a good way. I remember my mother, who cared nothing about cars, commenting that she really liked it. I hate when I get started on cars! LOL

Lemme tell you, I am a huge '63 Corvette, so it was easy to completely be bowled over in love with my first view of the car, a 1971 Silver Metallic one as the main attraction in the Buick dealership. It was like what A BENTLEY Continental S2 would look like if it was transported from the 50's. Stunning, with those beautiful chrome spider wheels. I'd love to find one now, with the monster motor. And, yes, I HATED vinyl tops on this car.

The nationwide UAW strike of 1970 resulted in total production shutdown just as the all-new 1971 GM full-sized cars were being rolled out for distribution. The local Buick dealer took out an ad in the newspaper to announce delivery of the only 1971 Riviera in town. It remained the only '71 Riviera until Thanksgiving 1970. Dad and me - we both loved that boattail Riv!

I guess it's just one of those things you either love or hate right off the bat. I personally think it's absolutely beautiful! 🔥

This was such a unique car. Gm had some cool design's back in these years. The Eldo, the toronado, and the coupe deville, and many Pontiacs.

Once owned a 73 boat tail. One of GM's best designs ever!

My grandfather worked at Buick all his life as an executive (his father was a chassis engineer for the company when it was founded). In 1971 he ordered a custom Riviera before he retired. He actually walked the car down the assembly line. It was painted a bronze color (no vinyl top) with a white interior and had a special HO 455 engine with a flip pitch torque converter and heavy duty TH400 transmission. I remember the dash inserts were like a brushed aluminum and were really showy and the outside of the car was smooth without an accent stripe and it had wire wheel hubcaps instead of the stamped steel wheels most had. The entire car was special order. Years later I got the car from my mom and kept it for several years. It was an incredibly fast car for its size and on several occasions I stuck the speedometer needle down into the turn signal hole, well past the 120 MPH mark. My only regret was letting my mom have it back and her alcoholic boyfriend destroyed it.

The boat-tail makes an awesome low-rider, and the GS was a monster with that 455 cid V8.

That thing is soo exaggerated, that it actually looks good. It surely made a statement back in the 70s, as it does today.

Few cars could boast asphyxiation as a no-cost option! I only have to look at a boat tail Riv to go breathless, what a beauty!

From the day that I first saw one I became a huge fan. True, I have heard many times that you either love it or hate it. Put me down as loving it!

They are the most beautiful Rivieras ever made. i owned two 1971 Rivieras back in the day that was my favorite because it had the vents in the trunk lid which the '72 did not have. And the '73 boattail wasnt pointy enough.

Drove a 72 for several years. Loved that car and so did all who saw it. Achilles heel for mine was the fuel pump. I had to change it so often, I kept a spare in the trunk along with the tools to change it. Got really good at it and could do it in less than 10 minutes on the side of the road. I could never find a long and straight enough piece of road to wind it out. Going over 100mph was a regular event!! 😁😁😁

You are approaching the title of professional narrator. Your videos are rapidly increasing in professionalism.

Those boat-tail Buicks were beautiful!

Probably my favorite design

Love it! Love it! Love it! The MOST creative and beautiful design ever to come out of a GM factory in recent times!

I was working a part time job in 1992, the other fellow co- worker and I in that hardware store on break ( meal) gave me a ride in a rather ratty looking ‘73 , maroon color. Even beat up and rough , it still looked impressive with that tail . It was probably beautiful brand new . Thank you for bringing this car up in an episode, brings back memories!

A stunning piece of art.

I really loved the styling of the ‘69 and ‘70 model years the most. 👍👍👍

Such a fantastic style! Daring & elegant.

My first car was a bright red 72 Rivera. The car was 10 years older then me. Loved it.

I was *smitten* on first seeing a '71 in my early teens. Beside a '55 to '57 Buick Roadmaster, its sweep-spear lineage is striking. I for one (only one?) love its size and visual heft.

A beautiful wonderful automobile! Its looks were fantastic and it road and drove great! The rear window made the stereo sound excellent.

Thank you SO MUCH for including the images of the original A-body proposal! For years I've heard this story but was never able to find any photos or drawings.

Loved the sound opening up the quadrajet in my '71. My first car in 1987.

That prototype is unbelievably sleek and cool.

I graduated from highschool in 1979. That summer a friend and I were sitting on the wall across the street from the pizza and grinder shop in our town. Up pulls a boat tail Buick. One of our classmates got out of car. We got up to get a look at the car. I noticed that the cat had a 4 speed manual. 3 pedals confirmed this. The hood was opened to show off the motor. 421 cid Pontiac with (3) two bbl carbs. Alan bought the car from a widow in his neighborhood. His Dad called the garage he trusted for a tow truck. Dad didn't trust the brakes because the car sat for a few years. The garage owner wanted the 455 cid motor. Traded the Pontiac motor and manual trans. This car was now what it should have been: Big block with a 4 speed.

I had a '72 boat tail in '72. It was the best "road car" I've ever owned. The oil embargo in the '70s caused me to sell it to a co-worker. I still think about how much I loved that car.

I love the "computer" font for the "ADVANCED DESIGN" sign.

I remember walking to school and spotting this model for the first time at a local garage. I had to take a couple laps around it .

As a teenager at the time, I remember not being a big fan of the boattail Riv. But in retrospect, I have come to appreciate how different it was in an erra when cars were starting to all look the same. The front and rear ends looked best in 1971, the car looked best without rubstrips, and Mitchell was right... it looks much cleaner without the vinyl roof. I actually like the Silver Arrow III concept better than the original A-body concept. And I still remember how torquey the Buick 455 felt even as a low compression smog motor. Thanks for the memories Adam!

As a previous owner of a '72 I can say that the '71 and '72 did indeed use the same bumpers, although the optional bumper guards would make them look different.

I had a '73 Riv. One of the BEST cars I have ever owned !

Bill Mitchell was also responsible for the full-size Clamshell wagons 71 - 76

The Boattails were the best looking Buicks ever.

My dad special ordered a '72 Riviera from the dealership in Newburgh, NY. It was our family car for 9 years and the first car I started driving when I turned 16. I topped out the 120 mph speedometer and it was still accelerating on the unrated Firestone whitewall tires. . .

I FREAKIN' LOVE IT, ONE OF MY ALL TIME TOP FAVS!!!!! GORGEOUS!!!!

Gorgeous car. I’m glad it ended up exactly as it did. I love it.

My grandfather only bought Riviera's from sometime in the mid 60s until he died. When I was really young, we ended up with the 68 Rivvy when he bought a boattail in 73 (I think, I was pretty young). He kept that for many years but traded it in for a box job in the early 80s. I wasn't old enough to drive yet but damn I would have liked to have that baby. It was even worse when my grandmother (on my dad's side) had a 67 Impala she wanted to give to me and my dad told her "Ahh..he doesn't need it" and she sold it for $250 to a neighbor. I loved that car, too.

My dad recalled getting rides to school in a neighbor's Riviera in the 70s and noting how hot it was sitting in the back seat under that big wraparound window.

Definitely a risky design, personally really like it. I'm a fan of Bill Mitchell's designs and vision. God help the collector/owner who has to replace that back glass, talk about a unicorn or the cost to have one fabricated.

One off the most beautiful cars ever made.

One of the few cars where the production car looks better than the studio versions. Love all three yrs.