Sergio Pininfarina declared it "one of the most beautiful American cars ever built; it has marked a very impressive return to simplicity of American car design." At its debut at the Paris Auto Show, Raymond Loewy said the Riviera was the handsomest American production car—apart from his own Studebaker Avanti.
Powered by a dual-quad Super Wildcat 425 V8 engine that provided 360 hp. Externally, the headlamps were concealed behind clamshell doors in the leading edges of each fender, as in the original design.The first-generation Riviera is considered a styling landmark, and is quite collectible today. 3354 Grand Sport Rivieras were built.
(Photos from russoandsteele.com, mcsmk8.com,
flickr.com, schmitt.com & barrett-jackson.com)
flickr.com, schmitt.com & barrett-jackson.com)