1985 Buick Riviera Convertible

Speaking of the 80's, here's another gem that just popped up on my radar. It's an '85 Buick Riviera, and while it's not quite as visually appealing as the stunning '71 boattail, it's still a pretty cool example of the 'personal luxury car' that so personified American auto manufacturers in the 20th century.

Powered by a 125 HP 4.1 L V6, the sixth generation Riv' was significantly lower powered than its predecessors, and is an example of what was then a dying breed of car. small personal cockpits surrounded by acres of good 'ole Detroit iron had been a staple for American auto companies since the 50's, or arguably earlier. They signified the power and dominance of booming America, and all the extravagance and wastefulness it brought with it. But with the first and second oil crises taking their toll on gas prices, Americans could no longer afford personal land barges like the Riviera, and they began to fade into eventual extinction.

This Riviera then shows some of the death pangs of personal luxury cars. With a small wheezy V6 attempting to push around 4,000lbs of America's ego, it was a mere shadow of its  former glory days.

Depressing, isn't it? You too can be reminded of the lost days of American prosperity every day of your life for only $4,900. It's pretty clean, inside and out, and with only 75,000kms on the clock, you'll have plenty of depressing, top-down days of puttering around town showing off how great things used to be. Isn't that worth living for? Isn't that worth dying for?

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