1963 Buick Riviera

Personal luxury powered by 1963 Riviera engine range.

Silver Cloud 1963 Riviera, front three-quarter view

Body Model 4747 sport coupe

Standard engine 401 CID Wildcat 445, 325 gross hp

Optional engine 425 CID Wildcat 465, 340 gross hp

Production 40,000

Base price $4,333

Story

1963 Buick Riviera

The first Riviera was one sharply drawn, pillarless four-place coupe. Buick made the 325-hp 401 standard and added a 340-hp 425 after launch; both belong on this model-year page.

What makes it a 1963

The series-7 VIN, Fisher style 63-4747, BUICK deck lettering, and medallion taillamps establish the starting point. Engine, axle, paint, trim, and options still require car-level evidence.

**Silver Cloud 1963 Riviera, rear three-quarter view**nakhon100 via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Price history

Values

Nominal dollars from original price sheets, auction archives, and approved value references.

Original Price

Base MSRP $4,333

Riviera model 4747 sport coupe (1963)

1963 Buick Riviera 2 Door Hardtop values
Other price $5,504

Documented delivered example with air conditioning, power windows, leather, and other options (1963)

1963 Buick Riviera sold February 9, 2026

Market Observations

Price guide value $27,300

Jul 31, 2026 · Hagerty Valuation Tools · Current guide point
July 2026 condition #3 guide for the 1963 Riviera Base two-door Sport Coupe with the 401cid/325hp four-barrel V8 · unknown · good Exact body and standard-engine guide benchmark; options, originality, documentation, and individual-car condition still require separate normalization.
1963 Buick Riviera 401 Sport Coupe condition #3 valuation
Auction sale $43,000

Feb 9, 2026 · Bring a Trailer
401-powered Silver Cloud Riviera with rebuilt drivetrain, restored finishes, window sticker, and disclosed changes · restored · unknown One completed vehicle-specific sale; not a generic value for other engines, options, provenance, originality, or condition.
1963 Buick Riviera sold February 9, 2026
Auction sale $24,000

Mar 27, 2025 · Bring a Trailer
Refurbished 401-powered chassis 7J1117022 with two-speed automatic, repaint, underbody rust, nonworking air conditioning, and a dual-circuit master-cylinder change · restored · fair Completed vehicle-specific sale; disclosed condition and reversible safety and radio changes prevent treating the result as a stock excellent-condition benchmark.
1963 Buick Riviera 401 chassis 7J1117022
Auction sale $12,750

Oct 16, 2022 · Bring a Trailer
401-powered chassis 7J1040446 with sequence-matching engine, two-speed automatic, long-term family ownership history, prior paintwork, body-tag decoding, and recent brake and fuel-system service · survivor · unknown Completed vehicle-specific sale classified as a survivor because the archive reports long-term ownership, the sequence-matching drivetrain, and partial prior paintwork without a full restoration; total mileage remains unknown.
1963 Buick Riviera 401 chassis 7J1040446

Values move with paperwork, originality, options, condition, venue, and body style. High bids and guide values are labeled separately from completed sales.

Reference records

Options, Colors & Components

Source-backed details for trim, chassis, production, and authenticity.

Engine Details

Wildcat 445 401 CID, 10.25:1 compression, Carter four-barrel, 325 gross hp and 445 lb-ft · standard · engine assembly / specification
Wildcat 465 425 CID, 10.25:1 compression, Carter four-barrel, 340 gross hp and 465 lb-ft · optional after December 1962 · engine assembly / specification

Transmission

Factory transmission Turbine Drive two-speed automatic with variable-pitch torque converter and console selector

Options

Wildcat 445 or 465 reference for the 1963 Buick RivieraClassic Muscle · Reference illustration

standard Wildcat 445 powertrain standard · performance · 401 Nailhead, four-barrel induction, dual exhaust, Turbine Drive, power steering, and power brakes.
optional 425 Wildcat 465 engine optional · performance · Delayed-availability 425 with 340 gross hp; the engine did not create a separate Riviera model.
positive traction Positive-traction differential optional · chassis · The 1963 model matrix marks Y6 available on model 4747; verify axle identity, ratio, and installation through car-level evidence.
heavy duty Heavy-duty suspension optional · chassis · The 1963 model matrix defines 1B as rear springs plus front and rear shocks and marks it available on model 4747.
various Comfort and convenience equipment optional · comfort · Air conditioning, power windows, power seat, tilt steering, cruise control, radios, tinted glass, remote mirror, and other accessories were orderable; the model 4747 matrix now supplies the specific code groups recorded below.
D1-D4 Radio and antenna choices optional · comfort · Sonomatic or Wonderbar radios with manual or electric antenna; all four code combinations are marked available on model 4747.
B1/B4 Front-seat belt equipment optional · safety · B1 supplied driver and passenger front belts; B4 combined B1 with the related B5 equipment and is marked available on model 4747.
H1/H2/H3 Cruise control and cornering lights optional · comfort · H1 cruise control and H2 cornering lights were available separately; H3 combined both on model 4747.
I6/I7 Soft-Ray tinted glass optional · comfort · I6 covered all tinted glass and I7 covered the windshield only; both are marked available on model 4747.
J2 Four-way tilt-adjusting power seat optional · interior · Four-way power adjustment for the Riviera bucket seat, included in Buick's second basic equipment group for model 4747.
N2/N3 Air conditioning optional · comfort · N2 supplied air conditioning; N3 identified the required heavy-duty cooling and charging-system modification. Both are marked available on model 4747.
S7/S8 Remote side-view mirror optional · comfort · S7 identified the remote mirror; Fisher records also use S8 for the mirror with door-edge guards.
T4/T5 Riviera-only 7.60 x 15 tires optional · chassis · Oversize whitewall or blackwall 7.60 x 15 tires on 6.00 x 15 wheels; the matrix limits both codes to model 4747.
U7/U8 Power windows and vent windows optional · comfort · U7 supplied power windows; U8 combined power windows and power vents. The matrix requires U7 when power vents are fitted to model 4747.
X1/X2/X3 GuideMatic and Twilight Sentinel optional · comfort · X1 GuideMatic and X2 Twilight Sentinel were available separately; X3 combined both on model 4747.
Z4 Automatic trunk release optional · comfort · Marked available on model 4747 and included in Buick's second basic equipment group.
dealer-installed Period dealer accessory menu dealer · other · Riviera Owners Association lists 1963-applicable Superlift shocks ($48.95 plus installation), rear defroster ($24.95), remote mirror ($12 plus installation), Twilight Sentinel ($28 plus installation), cornering lights ($8.95 plus installation), trunk release ($9 plus installation), block heater ($7.95 plus installation), and spotlight ($26.85 plus installation), plus smaller trim and storage accessories.

Paint

**1963 Riviera taillamp with Buick medallion**Greg Gjerdingen via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

A Regal Black factory · solid
C Arctic White factory · solid
D Silver Cloud Metallic factory · metallic
E Spruce Green factory · solid
F Marlin Blue Metallic factory · metallic
H Glacier Blue factory · solid
J Willow Mist Metallic factory · metallic
N Burgundy Metallic factory · metallic
P Teal Mist Poly factory · metallic
Q Twilight Aqua Poly factory · metallic
R Desert Sand factory · solid
S Bronze Mist factory · metallic
T Fawn Mist Metallic factory · metallic
V Granada Red factory · solid
W Diplomat Blue Poly factory · metallic
X Rose Mist Poly factory · metallic

Appearance

Model 4747 pillarless sport-coupe body standard · other
Knife-edge roof and frameless side glass standard · other
Simulated rear-quarter cooling vents standard · other
BUICK deck lettering and Riviera scripts standard · badge
Horizontal taillamps with Buick medallions standard · lighting
Turbine-style wheel covers with whitewall tires standard · wheel

Interior

Exact-year Riviera cabin retained for the four-place bucket-seat layout, center console, instrument panel, steering wheel, and door trim; condition and restoration remain specific to the photographed car.Charles via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Four-place bucket-style seating standard · seat
Full-length center console and floor selector standard · console
Vinyl, cloth-and-vinyl, or leather-and-vinyl upholstery factory · trim
1963 Riviera upholstery trim codes factory · trim
140-mph horizontal speedometer and console instruments standard · gauge
Available power and climate equipment optional · other

Chassis

Independent unequal-control-arm front suspension Suspension · standard
Control-arm-located live rear axle Suspension · standard
Heavy-duty suspension Suspension · optional
Power-assisted self-adjusting hydraulic drum brakes Brakes · standard
Buick live rear axle Rear axle · 3.23 standard; other applications require documentation · standard
Positive-traction differential Rear axle · application-specific · limited-slip · optional

Production

Turbine Drive reference for the 1963 Buick RivieraClassic Muscle · Reference illustration

1963 Riviera model 4747 total · 40,000 · documented
reported 425-equipped subset by engine · 2,601 · reported

Authenticity

Rear Axle reference for the 1963 Buick RivieraClassic Muscle · Reference illustration

Riviera body identity Series digit 7, model-year code J, and Fisher style 63-4747 agree with the body · VIN plate, right cowl VIN stamping, Fisher body plate, body structure, and paperwork · fraud detection
Original engine 401 code T or 425 code W, with number, casting, date, induction, and records agreeing · Engine stamping, casting numbers and dates, carburetor, air cleaner, and original paperwork · numbers matching
Turbine Drive and rear axle Two-speed transmission and axle type, ratio, dates, and positive-traction status agree with the order · Transmission, selector, axle housing and internals, tags, and paperwork · date correctness
Paint, trim, and options Fisher paint, trim, build-date, body, and accessory codes agree with hidden finishes and installed equipment · Fisher body plate, hidden paint, upholstery, glass, accessories, window sticker, and invoice · trim correctness
1963 exterior details BUICK deck letters, medallion taillamps, Riviera scripts, simulated quarter vents, and correct mounting · Deck lid, taillamps, quarters, trim holes, fasteners, and body history · trim correctness

Still Researching

production The Riviera Owners Association model summary corroborates the reported 2,601-car 425 subset, but no reviewed Buick production ledger or transparent car-level option census was found.
option packages The model 4747 option-code matrix, principal compatibility notes, Fisher codes, and period dealer accessory prices are now normalized, but a dated factory dealer order form and complete factory-price schedule were not recovered.
interior All twelve Riviera upholstery trim codes and their material/color families are documented, but the reviewed records do not reproduce the factory paint-to-trim compatibility selector.
authenticity markers The model record cannot establish an individual car's original engine, axle, paint, trim, options, component dates, or ownership history.