GM launched a new C-body of advanced design for 1948 Oldsmobile 98 and Cadillac, but Buick did not adopt it until 1949. It was designed by Frank Hershey under Harley J. Earl, and was sometimes known as the 'P-38' owing to its inspiration from the P-38 aircraft. But for 1950 Earl oversaw new B-body and C-body designs which featured a waistline than dropped down over the front door before rising back over the rear wheel arch. Ned Nickles gave the Buick its 'ventiports' a dummy ventilation hole that appeared on the front wings of Buicks, 3 for the cheaper cars and 4 for the top of the range models. The Buick Super and Roadmaster were built on a 121-inch GM C-platform shared with Cadillac and the Oldsmobile 98. Buick introduced a 2-door hardtop body in 1951 on all its models which was entitled 'Riviera', and from 1955 there was also a 4-door Riviera option.
aa Buick Super 1950 Riviera Sedan ventiports
Buick Super Riviera Sedan 1950. Ventiports were given to Buick for the first time in 1949, the larger models having 4 ports each side, whereas the Special and the Super only had 3 each side. 'Squashed' ventiports were given to 1950 models
aa Buick Super 1951 Riviera Hardtop badge
Buick Super 1951 Riviera Hardtop - badge on rear wing
aa Buick Super 1951 Riviera Hardtop ventiports
Buick Super 1951 Riviera Hardtop - ventiports. Non-functional decoration on the front wing; Roadmasters had four ventiports.
ac Buick Super 1950 Riviera Sedan head
Buick Super Riviera Sedan 1950. The Super had an inline 8-cylinder engine 4.3-litre. The 1949 Super had 3 ventiports on the front wing, but these were moved to the bonnet side for 1950 and thereafter back to the wing.
ac Buick Super 1951 Riviera Sedan head
Buick Super Riviera Sedan 1951. Buick revised the much criticised 1950 grille for 1951, taking the bumper beneath it to give it some protection
Buick Super 1950 Riviera Sedan front
Buick Super Riviera Sedan 1950. Ventiports were given to Buick for the first time in 1949, the larger models having 4 ports each side, whereas the Special and the Super only had 3 each side. Ventiports had a squashed format for 1950 and were fitted onto the bonnet sides, going rounded and onto the wings for 1951. The 4-door 'Riviera' sedan was a GM C-body on a 125.5-inch wheelbase and it was a good seller.
Buick Super 1950 Riviera Sedan rear
Buick Super Riviera Sedan 1950. The Riviera Sedan was a new body style for 1950, and used the longer Roadmaster 125.5-inch wheelbase even for the Super version.
Buick Super 1951 Riviera Hardtop front
Buick Super 1951 Riviera Hardtop. Powered by a 4,065cc (263) Dynaflow 128 bhp inline eight cylinder engine. The 1951 Riviera hardtop sold 54,500, compared to 92,000 of the 4-door sedan.
Buick Super 1951 Riviera Coupe side
Buick Super 1951 Riviera Coupe. Buick gave the name 'Riviera' to their hardtop coupes (Oldsmobile used 'Holiday', Cadillac used 'DeVille),and then in the 1960s Buick brought out an entire model line called 'Buick Riviera'
Buick Super 1951 Riviera Hardtop rear
Buick Super 1951 Riviera Hardtop. Built on a 125.5-inch wheelbase, the hardtop body was shared with the Cadillac Series 62 coupe; a fully loaded 'Super' could rival its Cadillac sibling
Buick Super 1951 Riviera Sedan frontb
Buick Super 1951 Riviera Sedan. In 1950 the Super was given the longer 125.5-inch wheelbase of the Roadmaster. The 4-door sedan was given the 'Riviera' badge even though it wasn't a hardtop,
Buick Super 1951 Riviera Sedan rear
Buick Super Riviera Sedan 1951. This 4-door Riviera was a big seller, there was also a 2-door Riviera hardtop as well as other bodies.
s Buick Super 1950 Riviera Sedan side
Buick Super Riviera Sedan 1950. In 1949 the Buick Super was given the new GM C-body (the Buick Roadmaster also got the same body, but on a longer wheelbase). Ventiports were given to Buick for the first time in 1949, the larger models having 4 ports each side, whereas the Special and the Super only had 3 each side.
s Buick Super 1951 Riviera Sedan side
Buick Super Riviera Sedan 1951. The curving chrome side strip was a trade mark 'sweep spear' of Buick, not normall given to the Special but only to Super and above, and it appeared on the 1951 Super. Ventiports returned to round form and dropped from the bonnet sides to the front wings for 1951
t Buick Super 1951 Riviera Sedan tail
Buick Super Riviera Sedan 1951. The 3-piece rear window survived until the 1953 model year when a one-piece rear window was installed.
s Oldsmobile 88 Club Coupe 1949 side
Oldsmobile 88 Club Coupe 1949. The '88' was a new model for 1949, utilising the platform of the cheaper '76' and the brand new 303 cu.in 'Rocket' V8 engine. This A-body 2-door Club Coupe is the equivalent of Chevrolet and Pontiac Coupes.