Buick Riviera

The demand for sporting cars increased, resulting in good sales for Chevrolet's Impala and Ford's Thunderbird, Buick answered with the Riviera.  This car had a 6.5 litre V-8 engine that was uprated to 7 litres in 1966 to produce 340 bhp (SAE).  The Riviera was given a new body in 1971 which people either loved or hated.  The car was designed by Donald Lasky and provided seating for five.  The car was eye-catching from every angle but most impressive was the rear-end "boat tail".  There was a 7,468 cc V-8 engine beneath the "hood" or bonnet delivering 269 bhp to the rear wheels.  This was the most expensive Buick in the range that year and the car was only available with Turbo-Hydra-Matic transmission.