Makes › Buick › Riviera › Riviera Stage I (1973) · Rare specification · 1973 Rare
Buick
Riviera Stage I (1973)
Stage I 455 option on the final boattail Riviera
Still being researched: full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Photo: Calreyn88 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 1,234 Built
- Years
- 1973
- Engine
- 7,460 cc / 7.5 LFactory: 455 cu in · converted
- Power
- 194 kW / 264 PSFactory: 260 hp · converted
- Top speed
- Not yet verified
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Not yet verified
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- Not yet verified
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The 1973 Riviera Stage I was a $139 engine option on the last boat-tail Riviera, adding a hotter camshaft, oversize valves and a limited-slip axle. It was separate from the GS handling option, though a few buyers ordered both.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Factory package production1973 Rivieras with Stage I | 1,2341,2 | Factory production | Independently researched |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
1973 was the third and last year of the boat-tail design, with new bumpers, a softer luxury approach and 143 pounds more weight. The standard 455 V8 made 250 hp; the Stage I engine was rated 260 hp. 34,080 Rivieras were built, including 3,933 with the GS handling option and 1,234 with Stage I.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard Riviera Stage I (1973).
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | Not yet verified |
| Displacement | 7,460 cc / 7.5 LFactory: 455 cu in · converted1 Independently researched |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Power | 194 kW / 264 PSFactory: 260 hp · converted1 Independently researchedStandard engine 250 hp (SAE net). |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | 515 NmFactory: 380 lb-ft · converted3 Independently researchedDealer listing; not stated in the ROA article. |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Turbo Hydra-Matic 400 automatic (recalibrated for Stage I)3 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Gears | Not yet verified |
| Final drive | 3.23:1 Positraction1 Independently researched |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Not yet verified |
| Rear suspension | Not yet verified |
| Brakes | Not yet verified |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Wheelbase | 3,100 mmFactory: 122 in · converted1 Independently researchedTable value in ROA article. |
| Length | 5,674 mmFactory: 223.4 in · converted1 Independently researchedTable value in ROA article. |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | Not yet verified |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
For 1973 the Stage I emblem appeared in the grille for the first time and the engine differed outwardly only by a chrome air-cleaner lid. The Stage 1 package included the modified engine, chrome air cleaner and a 3.23 posi rear axle; the Stage 1 engine VIN code is "W". GS emblems were gold instead of red; a car with both options carries both emblems (dealer listing).
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
Evolution of the Riviera - 1973 Level B Riviera Owners Association · 2003-09-01
- 1,234 Stage 1 Option
- 455 cu. in. V8
- Stage 1 Option: 260
- 3.23:1 posi-traction differential
- 122
- 223.4
-
2
Gran Sport / GS / Stage 1 Rivieras 1970-1975, part 3 (D. Falk & R. Knott, The Riview, Riviera Owners Association) Level B
- 1234 1973 Rivieras with Stage I
-
3
1973 Buick Riviera 455/260HP V8 GS Stage One Level C West Coast Classics
- rated for 260 hp and 380-lb.ft. of torque
- Turbo Hydra-Matic 400 automatic
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