President Richard Nixon may not have had the most solid ground in 1973, telling the nation “I am not a crook” that year, but Buick sure did have a solid feeling.
1973 would bring about major instability, but not for Buick. The 1973 Riviera, Electra and LeSabre aimed to introduce a “solid feeling for ’73”, with innovations that were more than skin deep.
A new, “rugged” braking system, a built in emission control system, “AccuDrive” to provide stability on even the bumpiest of roads and more were all introduced to make Buicks a stable choice.
They were also some of the final cars to keep a truly original design language present, carrying over from the 1960s. Following 1973, the Riviera specifically would begin to lose its original touch as vehicles became more appliance than a form of expression into the 1980s.
See what was so comforting about a 1973 Buick in the original ad for the vehicles right up above.
Comments
Love those coupes!
Ray Vecchio’s car!
Many headwinds came together in 1973.
Five mile an hour bumpers and stricter emissions were not good for fuel economy and performance. At the same time, high fuel costs and Japan car companies positioned to export high mpg small cars, left the U.S. Auto companies with slow factories and laid off workers continuing to get paid. It was the perfect storm.
Today, having open communication between our Domestic auto makers and the present Administration is a very good thing.
Love me some ‘Merica cars, yall!