1953 Buick Special Riviera 2 Door Hardtop
"It's a feast for the eyes, this big, beautiful, budget priced Buick Special for 1953. All the swift, clean lines of the Golden Anniversary Buick styling are here. All the distinctive dash of silvery sweep spears and fender ports is very much in evidence. All the wide visibility of sweeping glass areas and the rich touches of fine fabrics and fittings are here to please the most discriminating tastes. But beneath this cloak of beauty is a combination of features that produce the most sensational performance in Buick Special history." From the '53 Buick Sales Brochure
For consignment, a 1953 Buick Special Riviera 2 door hardtop with a title verified 38,517 actual miles. If you like large puffy ride cruisers, more chrome than you can shake a stick at, a luxurious interior with plenty of conveniences even for 1953, and don't want to have to get a second job to afford it, then you should come to Classic Auto Mall's halls, and have a close gander at this beauty.
Exterior
With its smiling toothy grille sporting more chrome than the actual value of this car, and in great condition, all dressed up in two tone Terrace and Ridge Greens, the long roof beautifully accented in the lighter of the two greens. The strong shoulder line of the car flanks rising and somewhat bulbous horizontal panels, normal for the time, and has a slight rise at the same point that the machete shaped body trim heads south to meet the rocker panel brightwork. But there's more in profile including the legendary fender portholes and decorative trim at the gas door. In back, the stacked double tail lights with a third small circle between them are endlessly simple and cool and cut right into the bodywork as opposed to being housed in an assembly. In front, the droopy eyed look of the headlights is made possible by the elongated bezel to collect the smaller marker light. Big teeth seem to grin in the robust grille and bumper ornamentation, BUICK stamped and painted on the top edge of the grille. The torpedo hood ornament is also sculpted into the hood's nose, not perched on top of it in a rather complex bit of artful engineering. Paint and metalwork are fantastic. Only two minor imperfections were found in the form of unevenness in the paint over some filler.
Interior
The big doors enjoy a panel dressed in two shades of gray in cloth and vinyl coverage, sandwiched by a black header and lower panel, and intersected by polished trim. The split bench seat is covered in a different shade of gray, more of a taupe in this case, with a patterned face and solid cloth sides, and the rear bench is essentially a twin of the front and benefiting from great leg and head room. Try as we might, we couldn't find the name of the beautiful steering wheel, which resembles a 2 spoke banjo style wheel. This was the standard wheel for 1953 and has been photographed as art by many. Beyond it, two gauges are in front of the driver beside the center vertical ribbed knob emblazoned speaker panel, polished and pretty. The dash top is painted black and is home to the AM radio with BUICK spelled out on the five push buttons! Black carpet covers the floor and a mohair-like gray headliner domes over the occupant's heads.
Drivetrain
The Fireball straight eight has 263ci and wears its own shade of green while a 2-barrel carburetor delivers the dino juice. A 3-speed manual transmission delivers horses to the rear axle where they find 3.90 gears. All this comes in a very nice engine bay, looking very original. Drum brakes are supplied to all four wheels.
Undercarriage
Amazingly clean under, uniformly black, with no surface rust to note. There is a drop or two of oil on the pan and transmission and a bit of fresh grease on the knuckles, but not enough to deter from the overall cleanliness. The single exhaust encounters a stock style muffler before exiting out back where a decorative exhaust deflector rides the pipe like a chrome hat. Suspension consists of coil springs in front and a 3 link, coil springs and panhard bar in back. An X-frame spans the entire undercarriage.
Drive-Ability
With a car this size, don't expect to rocket up to speed in record time, as this car is definitely a cruiser. And it does not disappoint in this area, as you could literally fall asleep at the wheel, it drives that smoothly. No power steering, so the winding back roads will give you a workout, and keep you awake to boot. We ran this car through the knob turning and lever moving paces, and everything worked except for the left turn signals, so a straight arm out an open window will have to do. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your purchase.
Overall, a beautiful example, smooth driver, and all buttoned up visually. A super car, that harkens back to an era when Detroit built them, your status in society reflected in them, and size mattered. Whether you're a fan of Buick or a fan of the period, this '53 giant of a car is sure to please. It needs nothing other than a new garage.
TRIM TAG
1953 MOD 53 45R-1953 Buick Special Riviera 2 Door Hardtop
STYLE NO 53 4337-1953 Buick Special Riviera 2 Door Hardtop
BODY NO BL2034-Linden Body #
TRIM NO 41-Gray Pattern Cloth & Dark Gray Broadcloth
PAINT NO 68-Ridge Green Roof, Terrace Green Body
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8 acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person. There is no guarantee of mileage. A $299 Dealer Administrative fee is not included in the advertised price.
With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and automotive professionals about amazing cars and their history. Tune in each week to the Classic Auto Mall Podcast wherever you enjoy listening. You can also watch on YouTube!
