If Buick were to offer a big coupe again, do you think it would sell?

http://www.facebook.com/autotrader

http://www.autotrader.com | http://www.autotraderclassics.com | http://www.autotraderlatino.com

As I had first hand expierence with a 2003 Buick Century, and thoroughly disliked every aspect of it.

"I don't know how America made it past the civil war without Excursions to haul their kids." - Phreestyle

edit: pic of said computer dealy

Modified by Bonfire at 11:17 PM 1-16-2005

I don't think so, there's no one at McLaren who can weld that badly.
Gordon Murray, designer of the McLaren F1, on if it would resemble the Ferrari F40.

Wow. Come to think of it, we had a 90 Park Avenue beater one winter with an automatic climate control system. I thought that was cool, till I saw the touch screen computer deal!

02 A4 1.8T Quattro
02 GTI 337 (For Sale)
Bianchi DISS
Cannondale 1FG ( 1 flippin gear)

Oh, yeah! And don't forget the Olds Toronado Troféo of the time, which had a COLOR touch screen!

Sorry about the picture - it was all a quick GIS turned up.

"I don't know how America made it past the civil war without Excursions to haul their kids." - Phreestyle

you my friend, have forgotten about the black car

Nice

Quote, originally posted by Bonfire »

had that in a rental car once! As an 8yr old kid - I thought it ROOOLED!!

(ps - is "GAGES" correctly spelled?? )

lol, I was thinking the same thing.

I sitll think it rules. In fact, I would go as far as to buy a car just because it had a touch screen computer.

By the mid eighties coupe sales were in steep decline. People had just had enough of the big personal/luxury cars that so defined the disco era and the early 80's. They were moving on to SUV's like the Cherokee and Minivans like the Caravan as they got kids.

The Riviera was refreshed for 1989 on the same platform but with styling that resembled an aerodynamicized version of the 1979-1985 Riv. This did net some new sales but not enough to recover from the precipitous drop of 1986.

The Riviera was again renewed for 1994 on the same platform as the Olds Aurora (which replaced the Toronado/Trofeo in Oldsmobile's lineup). It was a great platform but the new coupe was in a declining segment. Like most of the other Personal/Luxury coupes that had managed to survive that long, it didn't live through the 90's, and when it came time to replace it Buick didn't think there was enough demand to develop a whole new car. The spot in the lineup was occupied (eventually) by the Rendezvous and now the Rainier.

Similarly, 2-door sedan versions of most American cars also disappeared during this period. The market for larger 2-door cars just evaporated in the 80's and 90's, even when they came with a price-break from the four-door versions. Most telling is the end of the full-size 2-doors. Chrysler Cancelled RWD two-doors in 1983, Ford and GM cancelled their big coupes after 1987 - but by then they were down to only the Caprice, Crown Vic, and Grand Marquis. The Electra, LeSabre, 88, Town Coupe, Bonneville/Catalina, etc. had already been consigned to history.

The end of the Riviera is down less to being a bad car and more to being a car without a market.

The Elwood Engel '61-64 Lincoln Continentals stole the thunder from these modern classic Rivieras, IMO. Same goes for the equally sleek and elegant '63 Pontiac Grand Prix. The simplicity of their design is their genius.

Please read my latest article in Automotive Traveler! Link: http://automotivetraveler.com/jump/1364 Thanx, and leave a comment at the end! ☺

The best part was, coincidentally, the tail design, also. The "razor cut" of the fenderline, with its subtle and gracefully Jaguar-esque tapering hips, where the rear end tapers notably on the way to the taillamps, is really kinda sexy and v. individualistic. Look at one next time you're behind it at a stoplight. It's a car with sexy "hips" that look way cool, IMO.

It's the kind of sexy-for-the-people design that Americans have always done best.

Please read my latest article in Automotive Traveler! Link: http://automotivetraveler.com/jump/1364 Thanx, and leave a comment at the end! ☺

"Instead of haters or trolls, I'm calling you all ex-girlfriends. Because all you do is whine, *****, start fights, and never add anything positive." - Best description ever of the average Car Lounge member.

NOTE: Disagreeing with the majority opinion in a given thread is considered trolling in the Car Lounge.

When to use your rear fog light.

My new Office Neighbor has NT A QTRO parked outside.

Achtung Ingolstadt, (München, Stuttgart, Trollhättan, Detroit, Göteborg, somebody!?!?!?) I like station wagons with a manual transmission.

I'll let you drive MY Buick and I'll let you get back to me on that one

Not this again. Let's not start fighting as there was much of this going on in the other thread about the BIG3. If you don't like american cars please don't post anything ignorant or stupid in order to provoke a fight. I personally do like buicks since they are darn comfortable.

I checked it out up close and aside from some cracked bondo from a slap-dash repair job on the hood, it was pretty clean and damn does it ever look mean. 454ci V8, 300hp/500lb-ft of torque. I would love to bag it and roll on some 20" dubs.

you're right, I was thinking only of the first pictured car and the cars sold under the name since perhaps the 1980s......

When to use your rear fog light.

My new Office Neighbor has NT A QTRO parked outside.

Achtung Ingolstadt, (München, Stuttgart, Trollhättan, Detroit, Göteborg, somebody!?!?!?) I like station wagons with a manual transmission.

"I don't know how America made it past the civil war without Excursions to haul their kids." - Phreestyle