While many people hold up “Christine” as the ultimate Stephen King evil car novel, “From a Buick Eight” is no less gruesome or compelling. It centers around a 1950s Buick that appears to be a portal to another dimension. I don’t believe that our feature 1954 Buick Super Riviera is such a portal, but sliding behind the wheel would feel like being transported back to the 1950s. It is an original and unmolested classic that presents well and has 75,000 miles showing on its odometer. The owner is thinning his collection, so he has listed the Riviera for sale here on eBay. It is located in Orange Park, Florida, and with a BIN of $34,950 and the option to make an offer, it deserves a closer look. I have to say a huge thank you to Barn Finder Larry D, whose radar has worked well to spot another cool classic for us.

It only takes one glance at the Ventiports to confirm that we are looking at a classic Buick. The seller believes that most of the Gulf Turquoise paint that graces this Buick’s panels is original, although he feels that the Arctic White areas may have received an earlier refresh. He admits that the paint isn’t perfect although, as he rightly points out, minor imperfections are to be expected after sixty-eight years. It still shines nicely and would be capable of turning heads wherever it does. The panels have no significant problems, while it appears that the Riviera remains rust-free. The trim and glass present well for their age, and the contrasting red wheels wrapped in wide whitewall tires complete this car’s positive first impression.

The Buick’s interior continues the theme of not being perfect but presenting in a better than average state for a car of this vintage. The seats have no significant wear or damage, although there are a couple of seam separations on the driver’s side. These appear repairable, but the seat upholstery leaves me slightly confused. It seems that someone may have replaced the insets on the bases of both seats. The color and pattern of the material look right, but it lacks the pleating found on the seatbacks. I could be wrong on that score and am happy to be corrected if that’s the case. The carpet exhibits some wear, but the remaining upholstery and trim look pretty good. The dash and plated components present well, and the owner says that everything, including the AM radio, works as it should.

Lifting the hood on this Buick reveals the 322ci “Nailhead” V8 backed by a two-speed Dynaflow transmission. The owner quotes a power output of 180hp, although my resources place the figure 2hp higher. However, both he and I agree on a ¼ mile ET of 18.5 seconds. Interestingly, while he lists a top speed of 93mph, my information sees the car breaking the magic ton at 101mph. The owner indicates that the Riviera has 75,000 genuine miles on the clock, and it seems that he may hold verifying evidence. He also says that the car runs and drives perfectly. The steering and suspension feel tight, the brakes pull the car up straight and true, and the transmission works smoothly at all speeds. It seems like all the buyer will need to do is hand over the cash, and they can drive away in one cool classic.

There is so much to like about this 1954 Buick Super Riviera that I’m surprised that only eleven people are watching the listing. It presents well for its age, it seems to be rock solid, and its odometer reading is extraordinarily low. There is still plenty of time left on the listing, so that allows ample opportunity for people to continue monitoring proceedings. Of course, someone may throw caution to the wind and hit the BIN button. If they do, I could hardly blame them. Could you?