2007 Shanghai Auto Show: Buick Riviera
Wow, I never would have imagined a Buick could look so modern and frankly so beautiful. (I suppose that is why they call it a concept car; it could never go to production at all or it may be changed numerous times before it will be available and marketed.) The design language of this new Riveria is rounded, sleek, but still looks tough. It reminds me of a futuristic bat mobile. I have found some great images of this Buick concept car from the Shanghai Auto Show provided by Motortrend, here is what they had to say:
Buick truly is a success story in China. The brand’s LaCrosse and new Holden Statesman-based Park Avenue competes in the chauffer-driven market with stretch wheelbase Audi A6Ls and BMW 5 Series. General Motors, a leader in this burgeoning market, long ago established a design center here. So this was the natural place for Buick to introduce its latest design language in the form of the Riviera concept.
Another source, carconnection.com had the following to say about this new Buick show car….
One of the most celebrated names in the history of General Motors’ Buick brand is back - at least in concept form.
Company officials aren’t ready to say whether a production version of the prototypeRiviera is coming, but they acknowledge that some of the key design elements of the show car debuting Friday, at the Shanghai Motor Show, will directly reappear in upcoming Buick products.
“We have a pretty big shoe to fill,” said James Shyr, design director at PATAC - the Shanghai-based design and engineering center that played a lead role in the development of the new Riviera concept - referring to the high-styled coupe, which was sold, in various interpretations, from 1963 to 1999. “The name is legendary. It’s an iconic vehicle.”
Past versions of the Riviera, such as the boattail model, marketed in the early 1970s, were considered among the most striking and influential products of their era. The new Riviera concept lifts a variety of classic cues, including the traditional Buick portholes, on the front fenders. But the “Shell Blue,” two-door prototype is anything but retro.
Overhead, two large glass roof panels provide a visual link to the outside world. Two oversized gullwing doors, measuring 77 inches at their widest, provide easy access for both front and rear seat. Instead of the clamshell-style headlights introduced in the mid-1960s, the high-tech headlamps of the new show car appear to float above a modern interpretation of Buick’s classic waterfall grille.
Lighting is, in fact, something that the PATAC design team focused a lot of attention on. A thin accent light flows down the center of the hood, drawing a viewers eyes to the backlit Buick “tri-shield” emblem mounted in the center of the grille. A similar badge is mounted in back. Open the gullwing doors and puddle lights illuminate the ground, spelling out the word, “Buick.”
….visit carconnection.com for the rest of the article.
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