They say that in Michigan, when the days are long and temperate, there’s a car show every weekend. That’s probably true, but most of them are local cruise-ins where Gene Vincent’s “Be Bop a Lula” is still being cranked to 11 and guys of a certain temperament are still waxing their egos along with their fenders. That’s not to say that car show season is all about cynicism and platform burnout; there are still plenty of good cars to be seen out there. In Flint, the home of Buick and General Motors itself, a good venue for seeing GM’s finest is the Sloan Museum Auto Fair in June. Here are my top five cars, with an honorable mention thrown in for good measure. (Salient point – there is a DJ at this event, the music is too loud, and I guess I’m too old.)
Anybody who’s been paying any attention at all to me over the last eight or nine years on this website knows that the original Riviera is in a three-or-four-way deadlock as my favorite car. This silver ’63 therefore is the perfect first car on my list.
Its shape has been lauded here and everywhere for decades as the pinnacle of American automotive art. Odd point: I prefer the standard wheel covers on this car to Buick Rallyes, turbines, or wire wheels.
This one is almost a little too nice for my taste (my cars get peppered with chips and bugs and surface rust from cold storage and our silly, humid, changeable Michigan climate). The interior, however, could use a new set of seat covers, which are (last I checked) available from Clark’s Corvair of all places.
Please allow me to reiterate that, in my opinion, there isn’t a bad line or angle on the Riviera. The roof is obviously influenced by the Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, and I’m fine with that.
I prefer the 1963/’64 front end to the more widely lauded ’65, but I’ll take any of the three. When the right one comes along, I am willing to spend the money for the car and for storage. It’s out there somewhere, and I’m being patient; my kind readers will know as soon as it happens.
Of course, the wrench in my plans is the beautiful 1966/’67 Oldsmobile Toronado. I’ve been so distracted by Toronados lately that I’m having a personal luxury existential crisis. Do I get one or the other? Sell the T-Bird and get both? Keep the T-Bird, get both and go broke trying to play the shell game with too many old cars, simultaneously hating and loving the choices I’ve made?
Being driven to the brink might be worth the effort. Look at that smooth fastback, flat tail, chrome tailpipes, and bulging wheel lips.
And that copper interior. You know, it grows on you, but I can’t imagine it was the first choice among those who chose colors in the gold/tan slice of the color wheel. Like many Toronados, this one is loaded with air conditioning, power windows, and power antenna. As Oldsmobile’s halo car, the Toronado was unconventional but dazzling.
Three decades earlier, Buick’s comparatively conservative almost top-of-the-line model (I didn’t forget about you, Limited) was the Roadmaster. I admire cars from the 1930s and ’40s more than I truly want one, but this ’36 (the first year for the Roadmaster) was perhaps my favorite car of the show.
According to the sign in the window, the Roadmaster is unrestored, and its condition is almost unbelievable. It’s not, however, impossible-to-maintain shiny as is a 100-point over-restoration. It’s perfect.
Old Buicks are usually ostentatiously restrained; and the subtle art deco touches of the interior, such as the clock and speedometer, certainly angle toward restraint, but flashier and toothier Buicks were soon to come. The floor-mounted shifter for the three-speed transmission was soon to be replaced by a column mounted shifter, but by the late 1940s, the Dynaflow was the only transmission Buick offered on the Roadmaster.
The “big block” 320 was standard equipment on the Roadmaster all the way through the Nailhead’s introduction in 1953.
The 1936 GM grilles represent the vertical school of design at its finest. Even the grille badge is perfect – don’t change a thing, Mr. Earl.
If this car were offered for sale at a price I could afford, I may have to forgo my Riviera/Toronado dreams.
Diverging wildly from the Roadmaster ethos, and representing the “P” in BOP, is this first-year Firebird with base wheel covers and cool Firestone Wide-Oval tires. As the owner of a red ’74 Firebird, I have a soft spot for Pontiac pony cars of all stripes, but the ’67 and ’68 models may be my favorites.
This one is a bit of a puzzler with its “400” scooped hood.
Why the confusion? The automatic transmission quadrant indicates that a Super-Turbine 300 two-speed is doing the transmitting of engine power to the differential.
If an automatic was ordered with a 400, the buyer could only specify the three-speed “Turbo 400.” The shifter plate on those models indicated “P R N 3 2 1” (according to the Ames Performance Firebird catalog I just referenced).
On the other hand, although it’s difficult to see under the air cleaner, the familiar Rochester Quadrajet fuel inlet seems to be peeking out from underneath that chrome air cleaner.
The intake manifold number is of no help; I can only see the first three numbers, and there’s no differentiating among intakes using just those three numbers.
Ah, who cares? This is still a super cool Firebird with super cool, swoopy quarter panels. My uncle once had a beat-up ’68 Firebird 350 with a 400 hood, but maybe this one’s real. It’s easier to change a transmission shift indicator than an engine or a hood. It’s also easy to soup up a 326 using factory parts.
The final entry in my car show top five wasn’t in the car show at all, but in the museum collection. The museum has been closed for remodeling over the last few years and is scheduled to reopen soon. Therefore, car show spectators and entrants were allowed to wander around the nearly completed building. This ’65 LeSabre four-door hardtop is a part of the museum’s large collection of General Motors products.
I love all ’65 models, but there’s just something special about every single GM full size car from that landmark model year. They all looked great, and anyone getting into ’60s cars could hardly make a mistake in buying any of them. Most of the cars at any car show are the flashiest models from their representative manufacturers, but I always appreciate seeing the plain old base models, four doors, and wagons, because they’ve mostly disappeared.
I’m glad to see that this one’s survived and is being maintained by the museum.
How cool is this script? It’s a sabre, get it?
At the outset, I mentioned an honorable mention, and it’s this 1975 Camaro, which was not in the show but parked in the spectator parking lot. Because of my Firebird, I have a soft spot for stock second-generation F-Bodies, and this Camaro is another basic car that’s become uncommon these days.
Let’s hope the owner continues to drive and enjoy it just the way it is. Unfortunately, this Camaro has made me a bit of a liar, since it is a C to counteract my BOP favorites of the day. As you may have gathered, I prefer stockish old cars to perfect customized or hot rodded affairs, so my commentary tends to favor examples of cars that represent that predilection. With that being said, try to make it out to a car show or two this summer and see if there’s anything that suits your fancy, even if it wasn’t built by General Motors.
Outstanding choices, Aaron!
A well written and beautifully photographed entry here.
There is not a car in this article that I wouldn’t want to weigh down my carport & driveway.
The first gen Riv will always be my first automotive lust affair recipient.
Thanks Mark, I still love that ad picture. 🙂
I could easily plump for any of your choices shown here. My only caveat is that I like my cars stock, and not messed with. Almost all first generation Camaro’s and Firebirds that I see appear to have oversize tires wedged in, or are obviously messed with, and that ruins it for me. Your other choices are less likely to be modified. GM was at the top of their game circa 1965.
I’ll pick the 36 Buick as my favorite. I’d love to have a 1930’s car someday, although my 63 VW is really a thirties car at heart so that’s enough to scratch that itch for now.
Nice shot of the Riv roofline creases, I’d never noticed that before.
Totally agree on the 1963 Riviera Perfect roof line. Was my dream car at age 12.
Who knows what’s up with the ’67 Firebird. With Pontiac engines all being physically the same, that could have even been a 455 you were looking at; nobody would know the difference at a car show glance. That said, the ’70-71 Firebirds are my favorite gen 2 F body’s. They totally ruined those cars with the big back windows. I too, would make room for that ’36 Buick. Regardless, keep the T-Bird!
The odds of someone swapping in either the ST-300 or even just its shift quadrant are as close to nil as it gets. On the other hand, the odds of someone adding a 400 hood and the side trim to make their 326 Firebird look like a 400 are…very high.
I’m not a betting man, but if I was…
Even more likely, it’s a one-of-one factory special order 400 HO with a Super Turbine 300, ordered by an executive who thought an extra shift was a waste of time he could be spending making money. No lowballing, I know what I have!
I agree with Paul, pretty unlikely. It could have also been a 326 car originally, and now has a 400 swapped in place. They could have even also swapped a TH350/400 but used the original ST300 shifter. Who knows how original this car actually is, lots can change in 50 years.
CC Title “(Hope You Like BOPs)”
I do like old BOPs. But there’s a funny thing about the Sloan ladder.
I’ve driven a few Cadillacs when they were relatively new; I can recall a ’56 4 door sedan, a ’62 convertible, a ’63 CDV, and a ’69 CDV.
But, the most impressive car I drove in those long gone days was a black 1962 6 window Buick Electra 225 hardtop. It wasn’t nearly as flashy as a Caddy, but, it seemed more elegant. It was as if the Cadillacs were trying too hard to be the top rung of the ladder when the Buicks got to its own top rung with less effort and better taste.
I did understand the lower rungs reserved for Olds, Pontiac, and Chevrolet, and I have many favorites among all three of those brands. But for my own personal ladder, early 1960 Buicks were top rung.
That Toronado is just stunning. The color combo might not have been one of the more common choices but it sure works perfectly in my book. I can see the difficulty in choosing between the Riviera and the Olds, but the latter would be my pick.
Great observations and photos, as always Aaron, thank you. Really appreciate your expertise and POVs. No question, two of the best styled cars of the 60s, purest in their original forms. The Riv conveying so much masculinity. While the Toro looked so futuristic, as an engineering showcase. Quite disappointing, how GM applied so much heavy-handed overstyling to both, that neither was recognizable, only a few short years later.
By then, the ’69 Grand Prix and ’70 Monte Carlo had taken the mantle, as leading edge in personal luxury styling.
Between the Riv and Toro, I do prefer the original Riv styling. I found the length of the Toro a bit excessive. Reminds me, proportion-wise to the mid 70s Thunderbirds and Lincoln Mark IV. Too much. I know there were early considerations of placing the Toro on the A-body platform. I toyed with a couple Photoshops a few years ago. And posted one here then, of what an A-body Toro may have looked like. IMO, more masculine like the Riv. And sportier looking. If not making such a bold statement in shear size and length. Though it would have been more affordable and marketable. In a more practical scale.
Thanks, Daniel! I might be misremembering, but didn’t GM force Olds to share a platform with the Riviera and Eldorado?
Correct, GM wanted a larger Toro to share the E-platform. It was Oldsmobile, David North (designer), and Bill Mitchell who wanted the smaller Cutlass-sized dimensions.
The “flame red car” was designed by David North while he was still at Pontiac. He originally conceived it as a Pontiac to be built as an A-body. When he moved to Oldsmobile, his design was selected for Olds’ new personal car. Since the E-Body was not shared, the idea was for Olds to share the body shell to help save costs on the E-Body. Like Daniel said, North and Bill Mitchell thought the A-body was more appropriate. Mitchell even had a full size A-body clay made up to try to convince Ed Cole. However convincing the clay was, the decision was made based on economics and Olds was to use the E-body to help reduce costs.
FWIW, I know it’s a minor point, but the Toronado and Riveira share the E-Body shell, not the platform. Each actually used completely unique chassis, a cruciform for the Buick and a partial perimeter frame for the Olds (no rear frame section).
Thank you for your corrections and expertise Vince, and great to see your comments again!
Nice collection Aaron.
My pick is the Toronado. And I know I’m going to blasfeme here, but the early Rivieras just don’t do it for me. In that car, I prefer the ’72 Boattail. To each his own, I suppose.
Personally, I’d keep your beautiful light blue Bullet Bird. Now THAT is the prettiest of the lot!
Thanks, Rick. I probably wouldn’t sell the T-Bird. I’ve never sold an old car, although I just unloaded two old bicycles this week! Freeing up space!
The ’63 Riviera was always my number two best “Detroit” designs. Lowey’s ’53 Studebaker is number one. The ’61 bubbletop Pontiacs top a crowded number three position.
The Toronado was quite a shock compared to it’s E body siblings. It looked so long and low and impressive with those massive wheel arches. I saw one at the Chevy dealers used car section, it was a couple of years old by then, and even my Dad was impressed. Of course he would never buy such an impractical and unusual car. Unfortunately most Oldsmobile drivers agreed.
Over the years I’ve had four Rivieras, two 66’s a ’67 and a ’71. The nicest one was the ’71. I’m seriously considering a ’63-’65 model, I’ve just got to sell two more cars
That Firebird looks a whole lot like the ’67 my brother and his wife bought new–same color, black interior. They drove it from North Dakota to visit us that fall.
Terrific choices. I love the Toro, Riv, and that ’75 Camaro also has my name on it. So nice to see an unamused, unmodified Camaro of this generation, and in a great color, to boot.
Also great to catch a glimpse of Flint’s Cultural Center as a backdrop. I’m often torn between attending the Sloan Auto Fair in June or Back To The Rick’s in August, but it looks like I’m missing both this year.
I always prefer Sloan because of the more manageable crowd, although I will go down to the cruise on Saginaw on one of the weekday evenings. It’s fun to watch the cars drive by for a few hours while I stay parked. 🙂
I don’t know why the photo didn’t come along.
That’s a beauty!
It was indeed! Unfortunately, they had problems with it, so it wasn’t in their lives too long; my sister-in-law had to deal with the problems while my brother was stationed in Vietnam (non-combat role, fortunately).
Man, I could easily see Ford stylists looking at those exact same Riviera roof pics and deciding, “That’s exactly what we’re going to do with the roof of the ’66 Lincoln two-door hardtop”.
As to the odd ’67 Firebird ‘400’ with the Super Turbine 300 2-speed automatic, if either available 326 engine automatic originally came with the ST-300, I’m going to agree with the sentiment that it’s a 326. It could even be the 326 ‘HO’ 4-Bbl version, which would explain the clean, apparently original engine compartment, Quadrajet, and original air cleaner lid with sticker. Someone just removed the ‘H.O.’ side stripes and added a scooped 400 hood during a respray. Why someone would do that to an otherwise fine, original car, is beyond me. It’s not like repop side stripes would be that hard to find.
It’s definitely a puzzler since there are several internet images of 326 HO Firebirds that have any combination of scooped hood, side-stripes, and/or ‘326’ hood emblems.
Beautiful selection of cars! I think I’d pick the Toronado over the Riviera. For colors, the silver looks great on the Riv, but I’d prefer the dark turquoise color offered on the first year Toro.
Regarding the large 1965 GM cars, they blew me away when I first saw them as a middle schooler nearly 50 years ago. My favorite, then and now, is the Pontiac line.
Of course, I meant nearly 60 years ago; time flies!
Great choices Aaron. I am not much of a BOP guy, as I tended to gravitated more to low priced cars and the low-mediums, so maybe I am more of a Chev-Pontiac guy when it comes to GM. That said, the 1963 Riv and the ’66 Toronado are two of my all time favorites. Both cars are some of GM’s absolute finest styling, even if the engineering wasn’t world class (we’ve all seen the DS article on the Toronado’s inadequate brakes). I don’t know if I will ever get to own either, but at least I do have a nice model of each in my display case. Hopefully one day you get to own one.
That ’36 Buick is an absolute gem, more so because it is unrestored. As I grow older I have more and more appreciation for these pre-war cars. I don’t know if I’d ever buy one, but if I saw an example like this, I’d be all over it at a car show. In the past I probably pass over it to the newer stuff.
Some great stuff there. It will not surprise anyone here that none of these cars gives me that deep, visceral “gotta have it” reaction, but there is a lot to like. OK, except for the red Firebird – that is just one car I have never really had a desire to own, and if I somehow found one, it would have to be something other than red. Red paint on that car almost makes it a caricature of itself.
I am in DougD’s club of wanting a 30s car (and a 40s car), and that Buick is a honey. I think my contrarian nature would require that out of all the choices here, that would be mine.
The Riviera is beautiful, although those heavy and aggressively-canted front parking lights have always looked a little out of place to me. On an otherwise crisp and elegant 1960’s design, they seemed like a throwback to the bulbous Dagmar aesthetic of the 1950’s. Maybe the necessity for an ‘impressive’ grille was mandatory?
Would love to get a ride in a ’36 Roadmaster – ‘solid’ is the word that comes to mind. I noticed that the speedometer registers up to 120mph, which struck me as unusual for its day.
That light blue metallic Pontiac used on their engines with from ’66-’70 has got to be the most beautiful color ever applied to an engine.