1965 Buick Riviera Gran Sport

Personal luxury powered by 1965 LX 425 Super Wildcat V8.

Bamboo Cream 1965 Riviera Gran Sport, front three-quarter view

Package A9 Gran Sport

Engine LX 425 dual-quad, 360 gross hp

Transmission BS Super Turbine 400

Rear axle 3.42 positive traction

Production 3,354

Story

1965 Buick Riviera Gran Sport

Buick's A9 package combined the dual-quad 425, a recalibrated automatic, 3.42 positive traction, freer exhaust, wider tires, and special wheel covers. It was an option, not a separately VIN-coded model.

Proving a Gran Sport

An LX engine is not enough: 454 reported non-GS Rivieras also received that engine. Strong identification joins original package paperwork with the complete drivetrain and equipment record.

**Bamboo Cream 1965 Riviera Gran Sport, rear three-quarter view**Mr.choppers via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Price history

Values

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

Original Price

Base MSRP $4,318

Riviera sport coupe base price (1965)

1965 Buick Riviera Gran Sport, Monterey 2021
Option price $306

A9 Riviera Gran Sport package (1965)

Evolution of the Riviera: 1965

Market Observations

High bid $65,000

Jul 9, 2025 · Bring a Trailer
Chassis 494475H930601, represented as a 425 dual-quad Gran Sport with 2025 bodywork, white repaint, refreshed suspension, replacement exhaust, and unknown total mileage · restored · unknown Reserve-not-met high bid; not a completed sale or generic value. Documentation, restoration quality, originality, options, and individual condition still require separate normalization.
1965 Buick Riviera Gran Sport chassis 494475H930601
Auction sale $99,000

Mar 26, 2025 · Bring a Trailer
Documented-looking Gran Sport with 425, automatic, limited slip, period records, repaint, and disclosed refurbishment · restored · unknown Vehicle-specific sale; not a generic value.
1965 Buick Riviera Gran Sport sold March 26, 2025
Auction sale $100,800

Aug 14, 2021 · RM Sotheby's
Verde Green Gran Sport with LX stamp, Protect-O-Plate, original ownership documents, options, and period accessories · restored · unknown Second vehicle-specific sale across another year and venue.
1965 Buick Riviera Gran Sport, Monterey 2021

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

LX 425 Super Wildcat 425 CID, 10.25:1 compression, dual Carter AFB four-barrels, hydraulic lifters, 360 gross hp and 465 lb-ft · standard with A9 Gran Sport; also installed in 454 reported non-GS Rivieras · engine assembly / specification

Transmission

Factory transmission BS-code Super Turbine 400 with Gran Sport valve-body reinforcement and higher-rpm calibration

Options

LX Super Wildcat 425 reference for the 1965 Buick Riviera Gran SportClassic Muscle · Reference illustration

A9 Riviera Gran Sport optional · performance · LX dual-quad 425, modified BS transmission, 2.25-inch dual exhaust, 3.42 positive traction, 8.45x15 tires, and Gran Sport wheel covers.
H2 Heavy-duty suspension and quick steering optional · chassis · A separate option rather than standard Gran Sport content. It appears with A9 on the surviving window-sticker transcription for VIN 494475H906471.
various Comfort and convenience equipment optional · comfort · Air conditioning, power windows and vents, power seat, radios, tinted glass, remote mirror, rear defogger, and other accessories remained separate choices. The records below preserve codes demonstrated by one surviving GS window-sticker transcription rather than asserting universal compatibility.
D5/E6 AM-FM radio, electric antenna, and rear speaker optional · comfort · D5 and E6 appear together on VIN 494475H906471. The contemporaneous purchaser guide lists the AM-FM radio with antenna at $178.99; the separate E6 price is not established.
F1 Whitewall tires optional · appearance · F1 appears on VIN 494475H906471. The Riviera Owners Association reports a $43.32 model-year price and 95.6 percent installation rate.
I6 Air conditioning optional · comfort · I6 appears on VIN 494475H906471. Buick's AMA form marks air conditioning optional; both the marque history and contemporaneous purchaser guide list it at $430 for Riviera.
J1 Custom front seat belts with retractors optional · safety · J1 appears on VIN 494475H906471. Front seat belts were standard on the 1965 Riviera, so this code identifies the custom retractor treatment rather than the basic belts.
L1 Soft-Ray tinted glass optional · comfort · L1 appears on VIN 494475H906471. The Riviera Owners Association reports a $43 model-year price and 67.5 percent installation rate.
M7 Rear-window defogger optional · comfort · M7 appears on VIN 494475H906471. No factory-installed price is asserted because the available dealer-accessory list does not establish the window-sticker price.
O4/O5 Door guards and remote-control side-view mirror optional · appearance · O4 and O5 appear together on VIN 494475H906471. The Riviera Owners Association reports the remote mirror at $11.93 for the model year.
P1 Carpet savers and handy mats optional · interior · P1 appears on VIN 494475H906471; the complete factory price schedule is still required before assigning a universal price.
Q5 Four-way tilt-adjusting power seat optional · interior · Q5 appears on VIN 494475H906471. Buick's AMA form marks the Riviera four-way power seat optional; the marque history reports a $70.95 model-year price.
R1/R2 Power side windows and vent windows optional · comfort · R1 and R2 appear together on VIN 494475H906471. Buick's AMA form says power vents required power windows; the marque history reports $107.50 for power windows and $53.75 for power vents.
S6 Power Electro-Cruise control optional · comfort · S6 appears on VIN 494475H906471. The Riviera Owners Association reports a $56.98 model-year price.
T1 Automatic trunk release optional · comfort · T1 appears on VIN 494475H906471; the complete factory price schedule is still required before assigning a universal price.
V2 Chrome-plated wheels optional · appearance · V2 appears on VIN 494475H906471. The Riviera Owners Association reports a $91.38 model-year price.
X1/X7 Custom steering wheel and rear-seat center armrest optional · interior · X1 and X7 appear together on VIN 494475H906471. The Riviera Owners Association reports the simulated-wood steering wheel at $53.75; no X7 price is established.

Paint

**White 1965 Riviera Gran Sport with visible fender emblem**Sicnag via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

A Regal Black factory · solid
C Arctic White factory · solid
D Astro Blue Poly factory · metallic
E Midnight Blue Poly factory · metallic
H Seafoam Green Poly factory · metallic
J Verde Green Poly factory · metallic
K Turquoise Mist Poly factory · metallic
L Midnight Aqua Poly factory · metallic
N Burgundy Mist Poly factory · metallic
R Flame Red factory · solid
S Sahara Mist Poly factory · metallic
T Champagne Mist Poly factory · metallic
V Shell Beige factory · solid
Y Bamboo Cream factory · solid
Z Silver Cloud Poly factory · metallic

Production

BS Super Turbine 400 reference for the 1965 Buick Riviera Gran SportClassic Muscle · Reference illustration

1965 Riviera, all configurations total · 34,586 · documented
A9 Riviera Gran Sport by option · 3,354 · reported
LX dual-quad 425 installations, all 1965 Rivieras by engine · 3,808 · reported
LX dual-quad 425 installations in non-Gran Sport Rivieras by engine · 454 · reported

Authenticity

3.42 Positive Traction reference for the 1965 Buick Riviera Gran SportClassic Muscle · Reference illustration

**Blue 1965 Riviera Gran Sport with non-stock wheels**sv1ambo via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Gran Sport package identity Original A9 documentation plus the complete LX engine, BS transmission, 3.42 positive traction, exhaust, tires, wheel covers, and emblem pattern · Window sticker, invoice, Protect-O-Plate, owner protection plan, drivetrain, axle, exhaust, wheels, trim, and body history · fraud detection
LX Super Wildcat engine LX stamp, partial VIN, 425 castings and dates, dual Carter AFBs, intake, linkage, distributor, chrome dual-snorkel cleaner, and records agree · Engine stamp, castings, dates, induction components, partial VIN, and paperwork · numbers matching
BS transmission and 3.42 axle BS transmission tag and internals plus original-style 3.42 positive-traction axle agree with dates and paperwork · Transmission tag and case, differential, ratio, axle evidence, Protect-O-Plate, and invoice · date correctness
Paint, trim, and Fisher-installed options Paint, trim, build-date, body, and accessory codes agree with hidden finishes and equipment · Fisher body plate, hidden paint, upholstery, glass, accessories, and paperwork · trim correctness
Gran Sport exterior equipment Correct spelled-out emblems, mounting, special wheel covers, tire size, and model-year trim · Fenders, rear panel, trim holes, fasteners, wheels, tires, paint history, and factory photos · trim correctness

Still Researching

production Reviewed sources agree on 3,354 Gran Sports and 454 non-GS LX cars, but no primary Buick package-production ledger was available.
option packages A9, model-year standard-versus-optional equipment, selected period prices, and 19 separate sales codes from one surviving Gran Sport window-sticker transcription are documented, but the universal factory code, price-revision, dependency, and compatibility matrix remains unavailable.
interior Reviewed sources establish trim families and codes but not the complete factory paint-by-trim compatibility matrix.
authenticity markers The model record cannot establish an individual car's original A9 order, drivetrain, paint, trim, options, component dates, or ownership history.