Rare 1999 Buick Riviera Silver Arrow, 1/200, Supercharged Nr No Reserve Sunroof on 2040-cars

Happy July 4!

What better way to celebrate Independence Day than with a classic American automobile – the last of its kind, the final 20^th Century iteration of the Big American Luxury Coupe: The 1999 Buick Riviera Silver Arrow limited edition.

Buick’s top-of-the-line Riviera was always a statement of style, performance and technological prowess.

Rivieras are invariably cool, but this one is especially so, and also the rarest of the rare. Let me put in perspective how exceedingly rare this particular car is. It’s the final year of the Buick Riviera, a proud line that ran from 1963 to 1999. While the first year Riviera sold 40,000 copies, a number that would rise to more than 63,000 units in 1995, the final year of production was abridged and merely 1,956 cars were sold. Yes, less than two thousand units, which represents about 5% of the average year for the Riv. Of that already tiny number, the final 200 made were Silver Arrow special editions. It’s not that unusual for a manufacturer to have a limited run of 2,000 cars, or even 500, but for a major American manufacturer to make just 200 is exceptional. The combination of this being a top-of-the-line car with a high output supercharged engine, the final year of a legendary model, the lowest production year by far in the car’s history, and this limited edition within that small number creates the perfect storm for this car to be one of the few genuinely collectible American cars of its era.

This Silver Arrow has been owned for the past decade by friends of mine who treasured it. Kristi, its primary driver, is selling it because a new job requires her to have a four-door vehicle. In the time she owned this car Kristi kept the car well maintained. It has had regular service as needed, and the transmission was professionally rebuilt two years and 20,000 miles ago at a cost of $2,600. My daily driver is a Cadillac with only 30,000 miles and this Buick compares very strongly for its quiet, confident smoothness.

Cosmetically and mechanically, this is a car that you can drive now, while upgrading the areas you’d like to perfect over time. This car is anything but boring. It’s special and you’ll feel that every mile you drive it. It’s lovable as it is and will thrive with more love given back to it. You'll find it gets lots of attention.

The car passed Virginia’s tough safety inspection 6,000 miles ago in October 2013. Now 15 years old, it remains solid and strong but it has a few issues. The biggest one at the moment is a broken passenger door lock that frequently keeps that door from opening.  The air conditioning needs a charge. The suspension bushings are late in life. The Michelin Defender tires are just two years old and have excellent tread. The power equipment is in great shape -- power seats work well, power windows are lightning fast, and the power sunroof works great too.

The photos show that this car looks good and it’s quite presentable in person. Most paint is excellent. The passenger door had a scrape repaired that could be revisited and improved. The back bumper cover was also poorly repainted and is a little pushed in on the driver’s side.

The interior has some wear but it has never been abused and it remains supremely comfortable. The elegant leather seats show reasonable wear, but if it is of interest, I also have a full set of matching grey leather Riviera seats in excellent condition!The wood and special trim are in good shape for the age. The car has its correct Silver Arrow badges on both sides, as well as stitched into the headrests. There is a plaque on the dash identifying this car as #069 of 200. The original leather owner’s pouch is included. So are the Silver Arrow key fobs. And the original $38,595 window sticker (that translates to $54,000 today given inflation).

Originally a Texas car purchased from James Wood Motors of Decatur, the car has spent all but the first year of its life in the Washington, D.C. area. It is currently at my house in Alexandria, Virginia. If you are local I encourage you to come by for a test drive. If you are from out of town, I’m confident this car could be driven home; fly in to one of three regional airports (DCA is closest, or BWI or IAD) and drive your big new coupe wherever your road may lead!

About me: I'm a friend of the car's owner. I'm the past president of a national car club and a car enthusiast who gets a huge kick out of getting to play with a special car like this Buick and find it a good home. I know the car really well, have driven it more than 100 miles personally, and am focused on a win-win transaction that will get Kristi what it's worth and a new owner a good deal for a rare collector car. Please ask me any questions you may have and I'll do my best to get back to you quickly. I've bought and sold cars on eBay and I know that this program can work brilliantly well.

I would like a $500 deposit within 48 hours of this auction’s end, preferably by PayPal. The remainder should be paid in a bank check unless other arrangements are made. I am glad to store the car up to one month after it is paid for. I can mail the clear title to you upon payment clearing if you desire.

Thank you for checking out this rare Riviera Silver Arrow -- you may never see another!