12 Cars That Make Awesome Lowriders – SlashGear

Hemmings called the 1963 Buick Riviera, “one of the most beautifully designed vehicles ever.” The 1964 model was equally as graceful, maintaining the same body style before a remodel in 1965. Sales in 1964 confirmed the design’s success, with more than 37,600 vehicles sold, nearly equal to the 1963 figures. Only competition from the Chevrolet Impala, Oldsmobile Delta 88, Pontiac’s Grand Prix, and Bonneville prevented record Riviera sales in 1964.

The Buick offers the lowrider enthusiast an upscale vehicle for conversion. The luxury car came from the factory with a plush stylish interior, making an upgrade straightforward with merely the addition of style embellishments and a custom sound system. According to Top Speed, lowrider tuners acknowledged the Riviera’s lighter weight and performance capabilities as two features that made the vehicle a desirable lowrider option. Buick equipped the model with the same engine as other models, but the lighter weight gave it better performance. The uniquely pointed front end distinguished the Riviera from other lowriders.

The 1964 Buick Riviera with a 2-door hardtop coupe body came with a 425-cubic-inch V8 coupled to a three-speed automatic that generated 315 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque. The car accelerated to 60 mph in a respectable 8.2 seconds, reached the quarter mile in 16 seconds, and achieved a top speed of 126 mph (via Automobile Catalog).

[Featured image by Greg Gjerdingen via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 2.0]