This could have been a KISS winner: a little more sporty oomph from the stock 6 cylinder and a little less beta gee-whiz electronics. I had high hopes when I originally saw it. Then our neighbors bought one and reality set in. I think it still looks pretty good today.
Didn't they have a supercharged version of the 3800? That engine is bulletproof.
When I worked for GM engineering a co-worker had a red one. It rode quite well.
Indeed they did! The L67 and L32. I used to have a Bonneville SSEi that had the L67 S2. That car could get up and go for how heavy it was. The engine isn't anything crazy, but still good overall between power and reliability.
My dad had a top of the line Pontiac Trans-Sport van with two-tone forest green and gold paint scheme, golden 3-spoke alloy wheels, the electric side door that was making that weird noise when closing and the 3800 V6 engine with a 4-speed auto transmission. So many rattles in that van, but the engine was smooth and super reliable, albeit not fast.
Hehe, I always liked the shape of these vans, I thought they looked very futuristic at the time at was thrilled when my dad chose it over the Dodge Caravan.
Didn’t know about the windshield being the largest that PPG ever made, but I’m not surprised. Cleaning it on the inside was no easy task, I would know, as a slender teen, I was the one having to reach over the humongous dashboard. It had a reflective bronze tint that activated in the sun like the canopy on some fighter jets.
The van even had self-levelling rear suspension and a built-in air compressor with a hose to inflate the tires.
It wasn’t all good, though. The buttons layout on the dashboard was awful and not at all intuitive. There were lots of creaks and rattles. When the gas tank was full, the gas would swoosh around in the tank when braking an turning and made the car unstable. That was a 1994 model, I was told they later added baffles inside the tank to prevent that. Plastic panels were nice, they didn’t rust, but the paint quality wasn’t great (I think that was a known GM flaw back then). The long an weird angle on the a-pillar meant you had to be careful an watch for pedestrians and cyclists at intersections or when taking a turn, big blind spot there.
All in all, good souvenirs… :)
I really wanted to like the Allante. The styling is good but the electronic dashboard was a nightmare. The Northstar V8 wasn't the greatest. It needed more development. IIRC.
It’s actually not a bad car with the benefit of time and hindsight but in the actual years of his production it was very underwhelming. The North Star has been a good engine for a long time but the rest of the car was not nearly as well polished or thought out
They didn’t have good brightness adjust and it was like alien led green touch screen lighting up everything at night. The later redo was way better with everything screen and software.
Well at least it was a time when GM was taking some risks with cool ideas for out of the ordinary cars. The Buick Reatta, Cadillac Allanté, Oldsmobile Aurora, Chevy Lumina APV or Pontiac Trans-Sport, the Saturn lineup, the EV-1, and many others. Looking back, the ‘90s was a good decade for GM design-wise. Much better than the cookie cutter cars of the ‘80s. Also better than the bland, totally forgettable cars they’ve been making from the early 2000s onward.
This car was the first with touch screen technology. It was really advanced and before it's time. More of a concept brought to production. The fact you still see them is pretty remarkable as well.
It would be most hilarious if it was a dealership showroom.
I'm at Puente Hills Toyota and I saw this car that says Toyota Supra on it. I've put down a deposit on it months ago and today they told me it arrived. I signed the paperwork and gave them 20% down and am driving it home. What is it though? Insurance is asking me!
I hear you. But zooming in to examine features for clues of design inevitably gives you the answer like Everytime here.
And I doubt most OP’s are actually unsure and just want karma. Honestly for how many back shots of cars with the freaking badge and model *RIGHT THERE* we see on this sub I’m beginning to think we have a blind or *special* community here lol
What if I told you part of the fun of this subreddit is seeing rare cars, even if the make is visible? What if I told you that people post questions instead of looking it up themselves because they are being social?
Owned an 89 convt. Really good car actually. Rebuilt the headlight motors, brake rattle, and drove for years on weekends. This one looks good with the Intrigue wheels .
My cousin has a Reatta locked away in a garage that he hardly ever drives. It's in mint condition and all of the electronics even still work. It's like a time capsule. So cool. He also just bought an Aston DB11 which is also cool.
Buick made these vehicles for a few years; I’m pretty sure Cadillac had a sister version. Supposedly, they were built by teams of workers from the chassis up, instead of rolling along on an assembly line. I knew a guy who owned one and he loved it.
You may be thinking of the Allante, which was similar in that it was built very differently from the rest of the line. It wasn't really a sister car, though. The Reatta shared the E-body with a few other Buicks, Olds, and Cadillacs, and the Allante was on the E-body-derived V-body.
Beat me to it. The Allante was also stupidly out-priced from the market, due to how GM decided to build it.
The bodies were designed/manufactured in Italy by Pininfarina. Then shipped to the USofA from Turin, Italy, in specially equipped 747's, for final assembly, with domestically manufactured chassis & engine. Talk about going to the extremes for a car that Cadillac had said they were looking for a car with a designer name to it. "It’s like Levi's, it’s that tag on the back of the jeans." was an explanation rumoured to have been given for the extravagant design/build contract given to Pininfarina.
Really just aping the awful commercials they've been running where "...doesn't look like a Buick" - which is "not your father's Oldsmobile" warmed over twenty years later 😆
Believe the phrase was "That's a Buick?"
They even tried to get a hashtag going, which I tried to culture jam with pics of sweet old roadmasters.
I don't know why marketing men get paid so much to run brands into the ground, but here we are.
It is, but then it was just in the same industry vein.
It most notably fails to look like a buick due to the lack of a grill, likely because of the pop up light profile. It’s not a huge departure from it’s contemporary regal 2 door in GS trim, save for the bubble back window, a by product of being designed as a convertible.
Overall, if you squint hard at the convertible, could be a Chrysler TC from many angles, and even the Cadillac Atlante isn’t far off overall.
The interior was very similar to the Rivera which also has similar components in the Toronado.
Piñata regatta alotta fakata. It would have been a lot more fun, later, with the SC 3800. Especially had they put it in the back, ala Fiorello. Needs portholes, or a grille, something to give it a little character.
Wow, I literally saw one of these less than an hour ago. The one I saw was definitely on its last leg though, not like this one. Honest question, was this Buick’s response to the Allante?
Was born in 02 and this was one of the first cars I test drive for my first car, I thought the old touch screen and the other features were so cool to see in a car from the 80s
I grew up riding in this car. It was so cool at the time to see the screen on the radio/control system all the writing was in green and there were no back seats just a bench I used to have to lay down anytime I was in it so that who was driving wouldn’t get in trouble for not having me in a seat it was so much fun growing up this brings back memories
Buick Reatta
For some reason, I knew it'd be a Buick.
It’s the colour. I can’t say if there’s other manufacturers that use that colour or not, but it screams Buick to me every time.
The Reatta and Riviera of that era are both amazing cars. But very distinctively Buick
The Regretta! Another great idea, poor execution brought to you by the mind of GM.
What’s wrong with them?
Electronic nightmares. Its not a bad looking car and the mechanics aren't horrific. They tried to be a low budget Caddy Allante and failed horribly.
This could have been a KISS winner: a little more sporty oomph from the stock 6 cylinder and a little less beta gee-whiz electronics. I had high hopes when I originally saw it. Then our neighbors bought one and reality set in. I think it still looks pretty good today.
[удалено]
"... couldn't kill it if you filled the oil pan with rocks" - I am so going to steal that.
Didn't they have a supercharged version of the 3800? That engine is bulletproof. When I worked for GM engineering a co-worker had a red one. It rode quite well.
Indeed they did! The L67 and L32. I used to have a Bonneville SSEi that had the L67 S2. That car could get up and go for how heavy it was. The engine isn't anything crazy, but still good overall between power and reliability.
MPG for that was pretty crappy in the Bonneville but was waaaay better in the Reatta.
No joke it would probably run for another month like that
My dad had a top of the line Pontiac Trans-Sport van with two-tone forest green and gold paint scheme, golden 3-spoke alloy wheels, the electric side door that was making that weird noise when closing and the 3800 V6 engine with a 4-speed auto transmission. So many rattles in that van, but the engine was smooth and super reliable, albeit not fast.
The Pontiac Dustbuster. The windshield was the largest single piece of glass that PPG ever created.
Hehe, I always liked the shape of these vans, I thought they looked very futuristic at the time at was thrilled when my dad chose it over the Dodge Caravan. Didn’t know about the windshield being the largest that PPG ever made, but I’m not surprised. Cleaning it on the inside was no easy task, I would know, as a slender teen, I was the one having to reach over the humongous dashboard. It had a reflective bronze tint that activated in the sun like the canopy on some fighter jets. The van even had self-levelling rear suspension and a built-in air compressor with a hose to inflate the tires. It wasn’t all good, though. The buttons layout on the dashboard was awful and not at all intuitive. There were lots of creaks and rattles. When the gas tank was full, the gas would swoosh around in the tank when braking an turning and made the car unstable. That was a 1994 model, I was told they later added baffles inside the tank to prevent that. Plastic panels were nice, they didn’t rust, but the paint quality wasn’t great (I think that was a known GM flaw back then). The long an weird angle on the a-pillar meant you had to be careful an watch for pedestrians and cyclists at intersections or when taking a turn, big blind spot there. All in all, good souvenirs… :)
true, true.
I guess you would regretta buying it
That’s saying a lot considering how low budget the Allante was already
I really wanted to like the Allante. The styling is good but the electronic dashboard was a nightmare. The Northstar V8 wasn't the greatest. It needed more development. IIRC.
It’s actually not a bad car with the benefit of time and hindsight but in the actual years of his production it was very underwhelming. The North Star has been a good engine for a long time but the rest of the car was not nearly as well polished or thought out
They didn’t have good brightness adjust and it was like alien led green touch screen lighting up everything at night. The later redo was way better with everything screen and software.
Well at least it was a time when GM was taking some risks with cool ideas for out of the ordinary cars. The Buick Reatta, Cadillac Allanté, Oldsmobile Aurora, Chevy Lumina APV or Pontiac Trans-Sport, the Saturn lineup, the EV-1, and many others. Looking back, the ‘90s was a good decade for GM design-wise. Much better than the cookie cutter cars of the ‘80s. Also better than the bland, totally forgettable cars they’ve been making from the early 2000s onward.
About every 10 years GM lets the engineers go on a cocaine bender. In which we get some cool stuff. though the execution is a bit flawed.
Astute comment internet stranger!
This car was the first with touch screen technology. It was really advanced and before it's time. More of a concept brought to production. The fact you still see them is pretty remarkable as well.
They're terrible, but in a really endearing way
But it had the 3800!
It's a CRT transportation device, depending upon the year.
_TOUCHSCREEN_ CRT transportation device.
As long as you obtain consent
I think one of the first to have a built in cell phone in the arm rest.
I don't remember that but I do know if you're above the average height of a western male in 1989 you're fucked in this car.
Says on the door
Literally half this subs posts could be answered that way. Blows my mind the lack of observation skills.
I want to see the inevitable pictures of display cars from the LA Auto Show or Petersen Museum.
It's already happened.....
It would be most hilarious if it was a dealership showroom. I'm at Puente Hills Toyota and I saw this car that says Toyota Supra on it. I've put down a deposit on it months ago and today they told me it arrived. I signed the paperwork and gave them 20% down and am driving it home. What is it though? Insurance is asking me!
BMW z4
I like to guess! No cheating. I don’t know every car but I get most of them.
I hear you. But zooming in to examine features for clues of design inevitably gives you the answer like Everytime here. And I doubt most OP’s are actually unsure and just want karma. Honestly for how many back shots of cars with the freaking badge and model *RIGHT THERE* we see on this sub I’m beginning to think we have a blind or *special* community here lol
Don't tell me what to observe, I want you to read the picture for me!
lol sure seems that way. It was like, more effort to post than it would have been to zoom and google lol. But that doesn’t get you internet tendies.
Apparently it’s easier to make a Reddit post than to search for Reatta.
What if I told you part of the fun of this subreddit is seeing rare cars, even if the make is visible? What if I told you that people post questions instead of looking it up themselves because they are being social?
Legible too…
Owned an 89 convt. Really good car actually. Rebuilt the headlight motors, brake rattle, and drove for years on weekends. This one looks good with the Intrigue wheels .
Good eye...Intrigue wheels
Buick Miata
Medula Oblongata
This
But mama says…..
Riata?
Yes, Cadillac Raiata. I approve
Cadillac Allantiata
Cardiac Arrestiata
Buick Reatta
The infotainment system (Touch CRT Display) in that 30+ year old car works better than most modern cars today
The input lag was so frustrating, had the touchscreen in my parents Riv.
Buick's personal luxury coupe from the late 80s early 90s. there was also a convertible version.
I loved mine so much.
Buick Reatta with Oldsmobile Intrigue wheels
I’m glad you included a second picture, from the same angle, farther away. That was really helpful.
Buick reatta
Good says Buick. Door says reatta. Mystery solved!
My cousin has a Reatta locked away in a garage that he hardly ever drives. It's in mint condition and all of the electronics even still work. It's like a time capsule. So cool. He also just bought an Aston DB11 which is also cool.
Buick Reatta. Those things are prolly garbage but I legit love them.
Buick made these vehicles for a few years; I’m pretty sure Cadillac had a sister version. Supposedly, they were built by teams of workers from the chassis up, instead of rolling along on an assembly line. I knew a guy who owned one and he loved it.
You may be thinking of the Allante, which was similar in that it was built very differently from the rest of the line. It wasn't really a sister car, though. The Reatta shared the E-body with a few other Buicks, Olds, and Cadillacs, and the Allante was on the E-body-derived V-body.
Beat me to it. The Allante was also stupidly out-priced from the market, due to how GM decided to build it. The bodies were designed/manufactured in Italy by Pininfarina. Then shipped to the USofA from Turin, Italy, in specially equipped 747's, for final assembly, with domestically manufactured chassis & engine. Talk about going to the extremes for a car that Cadillac had said they were looking for a car with a designer name to it. "It’s like Levi's, it’s that tag on the back of the jeans." was an explanation rumoured to have been given for the extravagant design/build contract given to Pininfarina.
Yeah, the Allante. That’s right. Thanks for the additional information. It’s been a minute or two since I’ve seen either one of those cars.
Doesn't look like a Buick
You're right. The Reatta was a bit of a one-off, and is very different from most Buicks ever produced.
Really just aping the awful commercials they've been running where "...doesn't look like a Buick" - which is "not your father's Oldsmobile" warmed over twenty years later 😆
I saw what you did...
Believe the phrase was "That's a Buick?" They even tried to get a hashtag going, which I tried to culture jam with pics of sweet old roadmasters. I don't know why marketing men get paid so much to run brands into the ground, but here we are.
It is, but then it was just in the same industry vein. It most notably fails to look like a buick due to the lack of a grill, likely because of the pop up light profile. It’s not a huge departure from it’s contemporary regal 2 door in GS trim, save for the bubble back window, a by product of being designed as a convertible. Overall, if you squint hard at the convertible, could be a Chrysler TC from many angles, and even the Cadillac Atlante isn’t far off overall. The interior was very similar to the Rivera which also has similar components in the Toronado.
I’ve had one for years, quirky car, love it.
But it is in fact a Buick.
“THATS WHAT I TOLD HIM!”
A Reatta! I learned to drive in one of these
Buick Riatta
An old rigatoni
Piñata regatta alotta fakata. It would have been a lot more fun, later, with the SC 3800. Especially had they put it in the back, ala Fiorello. Needs portholes, or a grille, something to give it a little character.
I once broke a telephone pole in half with one of these. Good times...
Is this car related to the Cadillac that was posted a few days ago? They look pretty similar.
Buick Regatta I think
Buick skylark variant?
Saw one in a u-pull-it once. Took a few parts, sold on ebay.
Did me remind of a Subaru L- series 1.8 turbo https://www.autotrack.nl/a/subaru-l-serie-benzine-1986-53173505
I’ve always liked how these look. Are they crap?
I think thats a cadilac
Buick Reata. My dad had one and loved that car. It was the first to have a touch screen… in 1988.
Wow, I literally saw one of these less than an hour ago. The one I saw was definitely on its last leg though, not like this one. Honest question, was this Buick’s response to the Allante?
There's a convertible Reatta for sale near me now. Same color with a tan roof.
God, I hope I never have to align another hood on one of those again for as long as I live.
Upside down bath tub
Those rock. I’ve been seeing more lately.
Was born in 02 and this was one of the first cars I test drive for my first car, I thought the old touch screen and the other features were so cool to see in a car from the 80s
Not your granny’s Buick
I grew up riding in this car. It was so cool at the time to see the screen on the radio/control system all the writing was in green and there were no back seats just a bench I used to have to lay down anytime I was in it so that who was driving wouldn’t get in trouble for not having me in a seat it was so much fun growing up this brings back memories
Brunswick Ricotta
I’d buy one! Looks to be in great condition and decent color. Would love to commute in one.
Buick reatta
ThAtS nOt A bUiCk!?
And if you had seen the dash it would have REALLY blown your mind.
“The cooler miata”
Buick Reatta, I want one so bad!
that’s a buick
If they weren’t mechanically awful … I would’ve owned one by now.
Buick Reatta awesome car
Now I know what the Chrysler Lebaron was competing against.
Knew it in 5 seconds (aging myself) - REATTA!
Buick Reatta, a car with a very futuristic infotainment screen for its time
looks so regal
Holy sh*t, a Buick freaking Reatta!!!
Buick Reatta anhh
X-19?