Those taillights on the clay car @ 05:15 give off a Chevrolet vibe to me. Like an early '70s Caprice, only missing the reverse lights between each taillight.
As a senior in high school in 1964, my (non existent) bank account was short the nearly 5 grand needed to buy one. Fast forward 38 years, I finally acquired a fully restored ‘64 in midnight (Diplomat) blue with white interior, 2 four bbl’s..power everything. I treasured it yet drove it as often as possible..weather permitting, and let her go after 18 wonderful years. I always preferred the more classic front end sporting dual headlights on each side of the grill with the parking lights in the louvered side lamps, bombsight hood ornament and “RIVIERA” script on the trunk lid. Still think about her😊
To me, the final clay mockup [12:42] does appear to have quad headlamps. Look at the horizontally ribbed front fender extensions. It looks like there is a transparent glass like inner shell which the horizontal ribs are laid over. You can see the hint of headlamps peaking out from underneath both the left and right sides.
Riviera. My favorite USA car ever made. I was 6 when my parents bought a new Marlin Blue 63. It was such a gorgeous car, but a true lemon. They got the dealer to trade for a black 65, and it was a wonderful car. When I was 12 we were at the dealership in Asheville NC, and they were unloading a new green 69 Riviera. It was stunning, and it was in our driveway a few days later. It would become my first car when I turned 15. Thanks for this, Adam. You press a lot of awesome memory buttons.
Owned a 72 & 73, but always loved and wanted the 65. They were a special vehicle. The 4door version is very reminiscent of the 67 Wildcat in my opinion.
Went to a car show yesterday and saw a ,1939 LaSalle in black and a burgundy interior. My buddy never even heard of it. The car was beautiful. Stay well and thanks for the video
You can get interior upholstery for the 63-65 Riviera from Clark's "Corvair" parts. It's kind of strange. Clark's Dad had a Riviera and did the tooling for the Corvair's, so he did it for his Riviera!
I'm a total Corvair guy. I buy a lot of Corvair stuff from Clark's, but I completely forgot about their love of the Riviera. Your comment impressed me!
My dad has an original 1963 Riviera that’s been moved garage to garage for the past 50 years it has 93,000 miles on it and very little rust and it’s an Iowa car it’s the vehicle in my profile picture
If I couldn't have found the 64 to '66 Sting Ray Coupe I was looking for...I would have bought a 1963 Riviera, I'm really a Buick guy. GM couldn't do much wrong during this time and Buick styling was off the charts.
The beautiful final LaSalle model had outboard headlights hidden behind the fender grills. Single headlight units were larger diameter than the quad lights and wouldn't have looked the same on grill. I'm glad Buick kept the original design, that first-generation Riviera has long been one of my favorite designs ever.
@@OnkelPHMagee Absolutely, that model shows the outboard lights behind the closed grills, like a double exposure photo. Looking at all the different design studies, I would even argue that this design was planned right from the start. At 2:00 you see a small part of the grill below the lamps, so maybe there was only an upper clamshell, as there was also only one lamp. This model also looks to me the same as the final at 7:00. The one at 2:58 isn't clear, but might just show them in closed state. 4:00 obviously has hidden lights. I would guess they abandoned this design in the 63-64 Riv to reduce costs, but reintroduced it in 65 with the now stacked lights.
1962 Pontiac Grand Prix. 1963 Split Window Corvette Coupe. 1965 Buick Riviera. 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado. 1967 Cadillac Eldorado. 1978 Cadillac Seville. Off the top of my head, those are my favorite GM designs of the '60's and '70's. I'm sure I forgot something.
Bill Mitchell loved the circle in a circle hub cap theme used on ‘70s Pontiacs and his last show car “the Phantom”- it’s a throwback to classic cars from the 1930’s.
Beautification, at its finest! Especially when the Buick Riveria, introduced the hidden headlights. I wished today’s cars manufacturers, designed and built cars and truck, like the models of these early day and era.😍🔥👍🏽
I must be watching this channel too much. I picked up the similarities to the Nova front end and how appropriate the 4 door La Salle front end would be for an electric vehicle. Good job training us Adam!
Buick always made some of the most attractive and well designed American cars. I still have a '16 lacrosse and it the nicest, most comfortable car I've ever had.
Growing up as a kid in he 60's, feel lucky to see the 60's cars introduced every September, or rare March /April release. To me the Early Classic car's > 1910's to the Thirties, and the '60's are the smash hits mostly of beautiful cars
Thank you Adam. I liked viewing the design proposals as it shows what they were thinking at the time at GM. Two Chevrolets were later influenced by the La Salle proposals the Chevrolet Nova and the 1967-1968 Chevrolet Caprice. It seems the influences run deep at GM. That four door had potential if it was slightly shorter, but Caprice later had that look. Oldsmobile and Pontiac even though the did not win the contest, still did well when they got the Grand Prix and Toronado. They went on to be legendary. Cadillac did well too for passing because Eldorado came later. This was a great view into things. Thank you again.
I owned two Riviera's, a '63 and a '67, Both were stunning cars, the '63 was smaller which I liked, and had a great exhaust note. The larger '67 was less sporting, but very luxurious, close to the Eldorado that debuted that year. I didn't know the story about La Salle, thanks for sharing!
The Riv's with the turn signals hidden in the fender peaks behind the horizontal lines actually had a cornering lamp option just below the turn signal reflector. It has it's own reflector that is aimed at 45 degrees from the front of the car. If you look hard enough you can barely make out the cornering light reflector. They included the reflector on every car even if the option wasn't ordered "to save a few pennies" as Adam would say!
Thanks for this one, Adam ! "Suddenly it's 1968 !" That could have been the tagline for the Riviera, it was so contemporary looking in 1963.. I really don't understand Cadillac turning their nose up at this one, I find that decision very puzzling indeed.. But that 4 door hardtop sedan is just to die for. I can't believe that didn't make it to production.. That is just dreamy !! This was peak General Motors.
@@dustin_4501 The FWD personal luxury Eldorado showed up 4 years after Riviera.. I think it's more of a response to what they missed than fearing any competition. Besides, the Eldorado that DID exist in 1963 looked like a De Ville or Fleetwood and was rear wheel drive.
That final LaSalle proposal (shown from 7:00~8:10), is indeed a beautiful design. I believe those are wire wheels with knockoffs, and I'm certain that there are 4 headlights! Two exposed high beams in the grill, plus two, outboard dual beams behind ribbed plexiglass, Miller-themed covers. A very cool look! Thanks as always Adam, you're the best 😁
I never tire hearing about the history of the first Riviera. Loved seeing all the clay model proposals and it seems that the design was very focused even in 1960. Show me a more elegant and timeless car.... go ahead, I'll wait! 😆
This is a very good mini-documentary, befitting the legend of LaSalle and the well-intentioned thoughts of many intelligent folks at GM and Buick at that time. Well done, thanks for posting.
Extraordinary! THANK YOU ADAM🙏 for showing and describing these rare developmental takes on Riviera history. To quote a Nat King Cole hit song: "Unforgettable, that's what you are... "
Beautiful car for sure! I love seeing the clay prototypes- kind of reminds me of the old classic car magazines where they would show development models. Great content Adam, love the channel!
You pointed out something i noticed on many GM cars of this period. The front fender area above and forward of the wheel arch has similarities in the Riviera the Chevrolet full size the Nova and even the Corvair and Cadillac all have the same design theme. Its funny you mentioned this point its something that i noticed as a teen back in the 60's (Car nut for a long time).😊
The 4 door styling cues seem to have found their way onto Cadillacs of 64/5/6. As a styling mule, it seems to have been very influential. I also notice that the tail lights with the logo were appropriated years later by Ford for the '77 Thunderbird. For 1960, its an astonishingly vision of what was to come.
Sleek smooth styling. I remember seeing the LaSalle cars from the year 1963, and the Buick Riviera came along. People were still driving them into the 70's.
I don't know Adam - that image @7:00 of the final LaSalle version appears to have four headlamps, with what appears to be outboard bulbs lurking beneath what appear to be translucent covers, there at the front corners of the fenders, similar to a '65. That four door model does look very good - its side view almost flows more elegantly than the two door!
My cousin, Mark Confortzi ,retired from becoming the chief designer at Ford, mentioned to me that the 1963 to 1965 Buick Riviera has been recognized by some of the worlds greatest automotive designers as one of best designed vehicles ever.
Beautiful car, and wonderful job Adam! I enjoyed the previous video about this generation, and this video even more so! Can hear the enthusiasm for this incredible machine. Hope a similar vid is coming for the next generation! My friend has a 69, and I'd love to share you video with your unique knowledge and approach that honors these cars SO well! Thanks!
Adam, That last picture of the prototype LaSalle (followed by the pics of a '65 Cadillac & '66 Chevy Nova) certainly appears to be sporting quad headlamps as the outer ones appear to be lurking behind some sort of plexiglas covers with horizontal bars etched into them. The headlamp diameters seem too small to be the larger single lamp versions. Clear headlamp covers appeared on some mid-1960s Chrysler products and I remember a 1965 Motor Trend cover that had "sneak" drawings of the proposed 1966 cars with a drawing showing a '66 T'Bird with clear headlamp covers. So that design motif must've been popular back then with Detroit designers. JJS
The 4-door proposal is stunning. Very Buick in appearance, not like anything from Cadillac. There was a business education teacher at my highschool, who drove a while '63-'65 Riviera. He also had a fondness for Nehru jackets. Ah, the Sixties!
Still the most beautiful production coupe and prototype sport sedan. On the four door prototype, I particularly like the higher crowning of the front fender above the stacked LaSale themed end pieces. Love the skirts, reminiscent of the 65 Buick 225, not so much a missed opportunity. Fortunately the Bi-plane bumper was a carry over from the over chromed 50s, left in the 50s. Those wheel covers you've pointed out looks Chrysler. You highlighted the Nova design; the '62 Supernova was a international design award winner with its frosted end positioned lighting. Love your passion for Detroit design and your connection to educate.👍🏾🏁💯🇺🇸
I'm glad they didn't attempt to relaunch the LaSalle nameplate. Some old time car names....LaSalle, DeSoto, Oakland to name a few...should remain with the dead.
Until your recent video on this design, I had not noticed the flat side glass on these cars. I find that a bit surprising on such an advanced and expensive design. Curved glass would have made the greenhouse so much more harmonious with the lower portion of the car.
I'm split between the '65 & the '66. I had a '65 in the '80s. I ran an ad in an area swap & sell guide looking for one when I was about 17! The '66/7 has since grown on me. It's aged VERY well. Either way, they have to be thee best looking Post-War US cars.
Ive owned several Rivieras. A 65, 80,83,85 & a 93..My dad had a 63 as did my older brother who drove it from Nashville to Anchorage Ak in 68..We were definitely into Rivieras. My 65 was but my favorite with 85 a close 2nd..It was .White / White half top with red leather & bose system...I must have had 20 coats of wax on that car..It " glowed" in the dark..LOL. All beautiful designs.
Thank you for another interesting and informative video. You are a pleasure to listen to. May l suggest a video on the '64-'66 Imperial? I have always been intrigued about the inspiration for the unique rear treatment by Elwood Engel. I heard it was inspired by a plane's propeller.
When i was about 10 or so i liked this car i bought a model of 63 rivera put it together maybe painted it too i dont remember ,but it was my favorite car . J.f.pa.***
A really interesting and informative video! It's always fascinating to see how product planners and stylists turned ideas into reality, especially with the really great looking cars such as the mid-sixties Rivieras. You mentioned the Studebaker Avanti, Adam. Have you done a design development video on that car yet? That would be interesting, too.
I was thinking the same thing about the Chevy II front end when I saw the LaSalle with the single headlights inset in the grill. The only difference is I thought of the 1968 model. The 67 does have the shape in the top of the fenders but the 68 has the single headlights set in the grill and the fender with the rounded front edge like a version of the LaSalle with all the proportions changed. Now that I think of it the 1967 Impala has the same detail where the grill and fender comes together.
If you take a good look at the side profile the 4 door LaSalle with the fender-skirts, there is some cues used for the '65-'66 Electra. Of course with some minor details, but i see lots of cues used from the 4door LaSalle, when the Electra 225 received a new design, including the coke-bottle styling and the full-width tailight treatment in '65
As Archie & Edith Bunker once sang in the opening credits to (All in the Family), "Gee our old LaSalle ran great, Those were the Days" . . .
Yep 😅
Awe ya beat me to it, lol
Dayum - thank you. I never knew the actual lyrics
That kept playing in my head as I watched this!
EDITH! ....Aughhhhchie
65 with the hidden headlights like what swayze drove in roadhouse is one of my favorite cars ever
That interior is pretty high tech for its time.
I remember sitting in one. The seats were like pods I had never seen that before.
😁
1960. Wow. Of course cars are designed years before but the 63 Riviera was so modern looking it is hard to imagine conceived in 1960.
That's a good point...considering what was popular in 1960.
GM wanted to get away from the 58 chromemobiles they invented the future in these days.
What a improvement from the 1959, 60 Buick Grotesque 500.
This car marked the new direction in GM styling with Bill Mitchell taking over from recently retired Harley Earl.
@@jamesrecknor6752 Really 59 and 60, were bad look at the 58 Buick.
Those taillights on the clay car @ 05:15 give off a Chevrolet vibe to me. Like an early '70s Caprice, only missing the reverse lights between each taillight.
As a senior in high school in 1964, my (non existent) bank account was short the nearly 5 grand needed to buy one. Fast forward 38 years, I finally acquired a fully restored ‘64 in midnight (Diplomat) blue with white interior, 2 four bbl’s..power everything. I treasured it yet drove it as often as possible..weather permitting, and let her go after 18 wonderful years.
I always preferred the more classic front end sporting dual headlights on each side of the grill with the parking lights in the louvered side lamps, bombsight hood ornament and “RIVIERA”
script on the trunk lid. Still think about her😊
I wish you could add a photo, your car sounds really sweet.
Those are the Rivieras I'd like to own. That La Salle proposal was gorgeous.
Preccious stuff as always!
About that "Bill Mitchell Front", also have a look at the German Opel Diplomat from 1969 to 1977...
To me, the final clay mockup [12:42] does appear to have quad headlamps. Look at the horizontally ribbed front fender extensions. It looks like there is a transparent glass like inner shell which the horizontal ribs are laid over. You can see the hint of headlamps peaking out from underneath both the left and right sides.
I think you're right.
It looks like the silver version at the 7 minute mark on the video has hidden headlights as well.
Riviera. My favorite USA car ever made. I was 6 when my parents bought a new Marlin Blue 63. It was such a gorgeous car, but a true lemon. They got the dealer to trade for a black 65, and it was a wonderful car. When I was 12 we were at the dealership in Asheville NC, and they were unloading a new green 69 Riviera. It was stunning, and it was in our driveway a few days later. It would become my first car when I turned 15. Thanks for this, Adam. You press a lot of awesome memory buttons.
Owned a 72 & 73, but always loved and wanted the 65. They were a special vehicle. The 4door version is very reminiscent of the 67 Wildcat in my opinion.
These Rivieras ARE the most beautiful automobile of any American manufacturer if not the most beautiful in the world
One question about skirts. If a Mini Cooper had skirts, would they be called miniskirts? 😃
No pun intended...
@@dustin_4501I told ten puns hoping one made people laugh. No pun in ten did.
Went to a car show yesterday and saw a ,1939 LaSalle in black and a burgundy interior. My buddy never even heard of it. The car was beautiful.
Stay well and thanks for the video
I really learn a lot from you. Thank you.
Did like the four-door proposal for the LaSalle.
Thanks Adam, another exquisite behind the design incite.
You can get interior upholstery for the 63-65 Riviera from Clark's "Corvair" parts. It's kind of strange. Clark's Dad had a Riviera and did the tooling for the Corvair's, so he did it for his Riviera!
I'm a total Corvair guy. I buy a lot of Corvair stuff from Clark's, but I completely forgot about their love of the Riviera. Your comment impressed me!
My dad has an original 1963 Riviera that’s been moved garage to garage for the past 50 years it has 93,000 miles on it and very little rust and it’s an Iowa car it’s the vehicle in my profile picture
If I couldn't have found the 64 to '66 Sting Ray Coupe I was looking for...I would have bought a 1963 Riviera, I'm really a Buick guy. GM couldn't do much wrong during this time and Buick styling was off the charts.
The beautiful final LaSalle model had outboard headlights hidden behind the fender grills. Single headlight units were larger diameter than the quad lights and wouldn't have looked the same on grill. I'm glad Buick kept the original design, that first-generation Riviera has long been one of my favorite designs ever.
Yeah, I wondered about the prototype at the 7:00 mark. Having the outboard lights hidden but the inboard one visible was a new twist.
@@OnkelPHMagee Absolutely, that model shows the outboard lights behind the closed grills, like a double exposure photo. Looking at all the different design studies, I would even argue that this design was planned right from the start. At 2:00 you see a small part of the grill below the lamps, so maybe there was only an upper clamshell, as there was also only one lamp. This model also looks to me the same as the final at 7:00. The one at 2:58 isn't clear, but might just show them in closed state. 4:00 obviously has hidden lights. I would guess they abandoned this design in the 63-64 Riv to reduce costs, but reintroduced it in 65 with the now stacked lights.
That final LaSalle model also looks a great deal like the 1968 Chevy Nova front end.
1962 Pontiac Grand Prix. 1963 Split Window Corvette Coupe. 1965 Buick Riviera. 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado. 1967 Cadillac Eldorado. 1978 Cadillac Seville. Off the top of my head, those are my favorite GM designs of the '60's and '70's. I'm sure I forgot something.
Good taste another for me is the 67 GTO.
1960 and 1965 Chevrolet Impala, 1973 Chevrolet Caprice,
1967 Oldsmobile Delta 88, 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass.
1961 Impala SS bubble-top.
Series II Corvair.
Bill Mitchell loved the circle in a circle hub cap theme used on ‘70s Pontiacs and his last show car “the Phantom”- it’s a throwback to classic cars from the 1930’s.
Beautification, at its finest! Especially when the Buick Riveria, introduced the hidden headlights. I wished today’s cars manufacturers, designed and built cars and truck, like the models of these early day and era.😍🔥👍🏽
Aerodynamic and safety requirements means that everything on the road now looks like everything else on the road.
I must be watching this channel too much. I picked up the similarities to the Nova front end and how appropriate the 4 door La Salle front end would be for an electric vehicle. Good job training us Adam!
Buick always made some of the most attractive and well designed American cars. I still have a '16 lacrosse and it the nicest, most comfortable car I've ever had.
Growing up as a kid in he 60's, feel lucky to see the 60's cars introduced every September, or rare March /April release. To me the Early Classic car's > 1910's to the Thirties, and the '60's are the smash hits mostly of beautiful cars
Thank you Adam. I liked viewing the design proposals as it shows what they were thinking at the time at GM. Two Chevrolets were later influenced by the La Salle proposals the Chevrolet Nova and the 1967-1968 Chevrolet Caprice. It seems the influences run deep at GM. That four door had potential if it was slightly shorter, but Caprice later had that look. Oldsmobile and Pontiac even though the did not win the contest, still did well when they got the Grand Prix and Toronado. They went on to be legendary. Cadillac did well too for passing because Eldorado came later. This was a great view into things. Thank you again.
I owned two Riviera's, a '63 and a '67, Both were stunning cars, the '63 was smaller which I liked, and had a great exhaust note. The larger '67 was less sporting, but very luxurious, close to the Eldorado that debuted that year. I didn't know the story about La Salle, thanks for sharing!
That four door proposal looks a lot like the 65 & 66 Wildcats.
Outstanding bit of automotive history
The Riv's with the turn signals hidden in the fender peaks behind the horizontal lines actually had a cornering lamp option just below the turn signal reflector. It has it's own reflector that is aimed at 45 degrees from the front of the car. If you look hard enough you can barely make out the cornering light reflector. They included the reflector on every car even if the option wasn't ordered "to save a few pennies" as Adam would say!
Thanks for this one, Adam ! "Suddenly it's 1968 !" That could have been the tagline for the Riviera, it was so contemporary looking in 1963.. I really don't understand Cadillac turning their nose up at this one, I find that decision very puzzling indeed.. But that 4 door hardtop sedan is just to die for. I can't believe that didn't make it to production.. That is just dreamy !! This was peak General Motors.
Maybe they didn't want competition to the Eldorado.
@@dustin_4501 The FWD personal luxury Eldorado showed up 4 years after Riviera.. I think it's more of a response to what they missed than fearing any competition. Besides, the Eldorado that DID exist in 1963 looked like a De Ville or Fleetwood and was rear wheel drive.
@@MarinCipollinaAnd the Riviera had is own look, unlike the Eldorado, and was a two door luxury car too.
That final LaSalle proposal (shown from 7:00~8:10), is indeed a beautiful design. I believe those are wire wheels with knockoffs, and I'm certain that there are 4 headlights! Two exposed high beams in the grill, plus two, outboard dual beams behind ribbed plexiglass, Miller-themed covers. A very cool look! Thanks as always Adam, you're the best 😁
Since the Nailhead is one of my favorite engines, I am glad Buick got the model.
Thanks for this! Love that 4-door proposal. Sleek!
I never tire hearing about the history of the first Riviera. Loved seeing all the clay model proposals and it seems that the design was very focused even in 1960. Show me a more elegant and timeless car.... go ahead, I'll wait! 😆
This is a very good mini-documentary, befitting the legend of LaSalle and the well-intentioned thoughts of many intelligent folks at GM and Buick at that time.
Well done, thanks for posting.
Your research and historical narrative make your videos engaging and entertaining.
Extraordinary! THANK YOU ADAM🙏 for showing and describing these rare developmental takes on Riviera history. To quote a Nat King Cole hit song: "Unforgettable, that's what you are... "
Another good job here Adam. I'd heard about this "LaSalle" some time ago, but had not seen it until now. Thanks much for the pictures and information!
I really like the way the 66/67 Novas look.
Beautiful car for sure!
I love seeing the clay prototypes- kind of reminds me of the old classic car magazines where they would show development models.
Great content Adam, love the channel!
Great video! PLEASE do a video on all of the Riviera Silver Arrows. These were truly stunning cars that everybody overlooks.
You pointed out something i noticed on many GM cars of this period. The front fender area above and forward of the wheel arch has similarities in the Riviera the Chevrolet full size the Nova and even the Corvair and Cadillac all have the same design theme.
Its funny you mentioned this point its something that i noticed as a teen back in the 60's (Car nut for a long time).😊
Excellent. My mother had a 65 GS, and wow, what a car that I sure wish I had today!
First time to see this early concept of the Riviera, thanks…I’m a proud owner of a 65 Riviera.
One of the most beautiful coups ever produced. One of my top ten cars i'd own if the chance. The boattail another.
The 4 door styling cues seem to have found their way onto Cadillacs of 64/5/6. As a styling mule, it seems to have been very influential. I also notice that the tail lights with the logo were appropriated years later by Ford for the '77 Thunderbird. For 1960, its an astonishingly vision of what was to come.
That's one sleek car! I like every one of the proposals and the fruition
I drove a 1965 Riviera for several weeks when it was two decades (young trying to sell it for a friend) truly a wonderful motorcar.
At 2:54 that almost looks like a convertible top. Looks good. Thanks for posting this video. Good job.
Nice reporting again Adam, very much enjoyed. Happy Easter!
Mr. B. Here ! 🍩🍩☕️👀😎👍. As a kid the first one I saw 👀 at the Eastern Airline terminal, Silver & Black most beautiful car I had seen at the time ! 👍👍👍👍
The four-door LaSalle model looks very similar to the 1965 Buick Electra 225. I had a '65 Electra and this looks very similar.
Sleek smooth styling. I remember seeing the LaSalle cars from the year 1963, and the Buick Riviera came along. People were still driving them into the 70's.
I don't know Adam - that image @7:00 of the final LaSalle version appears to have four headlamps, with what appears to be outboard bulbs lurking beneath what appear to be translucent covers, there at the front corners of the fenders, similar to a '65.
That four door model does look very good - its side view almost flows more elegantly than the two door!
My cousin, Mark Confortzi ,retired from becoming the chief designer at Ford, mentioned to me that the 1963 to 1965 Buick Riviera has been recognized by some of the worlds greatest automotive designers as one of best designed vehicles ever.
Truly a beautiful car! Imagine “the 1963 Chevrolet Monte Carlo”. Since it was also offered to Chevy.
The new 1963 Chevrolet Riviera, but probably not since Chevrolet would be afraid of take away Corvette sales.
@@dustin_4501 It wouldn't remotely compete with Corvette on any basis.
@@MarinCipollina Maybe people didn't want something so sport as the Corvette and would get a Riviera instead.
I kept seeing some '70 Monte Carlo in it.
@@cargogh Is called the bottle coke style.
Mid 60s Riviera's Always one of my VERY FAVORITE cars!😊
Buick advertised it as "The iron fist in a velvet glove".
I remember that as the 65 Ford Galaxie with a 427. Maybe Buick did it first?
I too, recall that as the Ford 7-litre tag-line (not necessarily 427)
Beautiful car, and wonderful job Adam!
I enjoyed the previous video about this generation, and this video even more so! Can hear the enthusiasm for this incredible machine.
Hope a similar vid is coming
for the next generation! My friend has a 69, and I'd love to share you video with your unique knowledge and approach that honors these cars SO well!
Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Most or all of the front end treatments here are beautiful. I actually like the LaSalle grilles even more.
Adam,
That last picture of the prototype LaSalle (followed by the pics of a '65 Cadillac & '66 Chevy Nova) certainly appears to be sporting quad headlamps as the outer ones appear to be lurking behind some sort of plexiglas covers with horizontal bars etched into them. The headlamp diameters seem too small to be the larger single lamp versions.
Clear headlamp covers appeared on some mid-1960s Chrysler products and I remember a 1965 Motor Trend cover that had "sneak" drawings of the proposed 1966 cars with a drawing showing a '66 T'Bird with clear headlamp covers. So that design motif must've been popular back then with Detroit designers. JJS
Thanks Adam for another great episode.
Thank you for your careful and very expert analysis of the design aspects.
The 4-door proposal is stunning. Very Buick in appearance, not like anything from Cadillac. There was a business education teacher at my highschool, who drove a while '63-'65 Riviera. He also had a fondness for Nehru jackets. Ah, the Sixties!
Stunning vehicle 🤩!!!
The prototype at 7:22 has hidden headlamps in the fenders too - the bright camera flash makes them visible.
I like watching these evolution studies.
7:00 I could be wrong, but it looks like there is a headlight on each fender (behind the glass or clear plastic).
I thought that, too.
I thought so as well.. Thanks for saving me the comment.
Still the most beautiful production coupe and prototype sport sedan. On the four door prototype, I particularly like the higher crowning of the front fender above the stacked LaSale themed end pieces. Love the skirts, reminiscent of the 65 Buick 225, not so much a missed opportunity. Fortunately the Bi-plane bumper was a carry over from the over chromed 50s, left in the 50s. Those wheel covers you've pointed out looks Chrysler. You highlighted the Nova design; the '62 Supernova was a international design award winner with its frosted end positioned lighting. Love your passion for Detroit design and your connection to educate.👍🏾🏁💯🇺🇸
10:05 ish - haha, the vertical-bar grille recalls 1957 Plymouth. Super.to.see how many.views in just 1-2 hours. You've earned your popularity.
Adam, Bravo. your content and subject on every new video is outstanding and so perfectly paced!! You are killing it my brother~!!~!
I can't speak for everyone but I don't believe you can ever do too much on the first and second generation Rivs.
For May 1960 that clay buck was just light years from what was in production on that date.
Truly ahead of its time!
Looks like the The late 1970's Bonneville from the sides, front like its own design.
Thanks for so much information on my favorite cars!
No problem! Thx!
I'm glad they didn't attempt to relaunch the LaSalle nameplate. Some old time car names....LaSalle, DeSoto, Oakland to name a few...should remain with the dead.
GM wasn't about to relaunch the entire LaSalle division.. It would have been a Cadillac, had Cadillac wanted it. It just would have been a model name.
Keep up the great work with your channel, Adam!
Gorgeous designs, all of them but I especially love the final one at 7:01 and I see headlight behind the clear glass as other have already spotted.
My favorite car of all time.
Wow. What an interior!
The four door model looks a lot like the 1965 Electra 225
The four door side reminds me of my grandparents 1976 Pontiac Bonneville Brougham.
The silver car has lights in the front of the fenders behind plastic lenses. Doesn’t it?
Until your recent video on this design, I had not noticed the flat side glass on these cars. I find that a bit surprising on such an advanced and expensive design. Curved glass would have made the greenhouse so much more harmonious with the lower portion of the car.
Georgeous car. One of GM's best. In my opinion, they even surpassed the design in the 1966.
I'm split between the '65 & the '66. I had a '65 in the '80s. I ran an ad in an area swap & sell guide looking for one when I was about 17! The '66/7 has since grown on me. It's aged VERY well.
Either way, they have to be thee best looking Post-War US cars.
Ive owned several Rivieras. A 65, 80,83,85 & a 93..My dad had a 63 as did my older brother who drove it from Nashville to Anchorage Ak in 68..We were definitely into Rivieras. My 65 was but my favorite with 85 a close 2nd..It was .White / White half top with red leather & bose system...I must have had 20 coats of wax on that car..It " glowed" in the dark..LOL. All beautiful designs.
Should do a video on the history of skirted cars. I love the look on my 91 caprice.
Thank you for another interesting and informative video. You are a pleasure to listen to. May l suggest a video on the '64-'66 Imperial? I have always been intrigued about the inspiration for the unique rear treatment by Elwood Engel. I heard it was inspired by a plane's propeller.
Great video
The 4dr shows remnants of the styling of the front of 68 Caprice. The quarter panel flanks and skirt reminds me of the 71to 76 Pontiac Grandville
The retractable headlights Riviera was one of the coolest cars ever made.
When i was about 10 or so i liked this car i bought a model of 63 rivera put it together maybe painted it too i dont remember ,but it was my favorite car . J.f.pa.***
Nice video Adam!
BEAUTIFUL CARS!
7:14 if you look, you will see the translucent covers to the outboard two headlamp of a quad lamp setup.
A really interesting and informative video! It's always fascinating to see how product planners and stylists turned ideas into reality, especially with the really great looking cars such as the mid-sixties Rivieras. You mentioned the Studebaker Avanti, Adam. Have you done a design development video on that car yet? That would be interesting, too.
That four door minus the front end looks like a mid 70s mercury
Just no.
Mercury Marquis must have copied the back fender.
The 4 door Riv/LaSalle struck me upside the head as a deuce and a quarter.
I was thinking the same thing about the Chevy II front end when I saw the LaSalle with the single headlights inset in the grill. The only difference is I thought of the 1968 model. The 67 does have the shape in the top of the fenders but the 68 has the single headlights set in the grill and the fender with the rounded front edge like a version of the LaSalle with all the proportions changed. Now that I think of it the 1967 Impala has the same detail where the grill and fender comes together.
If you take a good look at the side profile the 4 door LaSalle with the fender-skirts, there is some cues used for the '65-'66 Electra. Of course with some minor details, but i see lots of cues used from the 4door LaSalle, when the Electra 225 received a new design, including the coke-bottle styling and the full-width tailight treatment in '65