Buick Riviera Engines by Year

Buick built the Riviera personal-luxury coupe from 1963 to 1999, skipping 1994. Early cars used the Nailhead V8; from 1979 it was front-wheel drive, ending with a supercharged V6.

Pick a year to see every engine offered that model year, with its code, rated horsepower and the trims it came in. Each engine links to its full specs.

Jump to a year

1963–1965: 1963 · 1964 · 1965

1966–1970: 1966 · 1967 · 1968 · 1969 · 1970

1971–1973: 1971 · 1972 · 1973

1974–1976: 1974 · 1975 · 1976

1977–1978: 1977 · 1978

Front-drive (1979–1985): 1979 · 1980 · 1981 · 1982 · 1983 · 1984 · 1985

1986–1993: 1986 · 1987 · 1988 · 1989 · 1990 · 1991 · 1992 · 1993

1995–1999: 1995 · 1996 · 1997 · 1998 · 1999

1963–1965

The Nailhead 401 and 425.

1963 Riviera engines

Engine	Rated	Offered in
401 V8	325 hp gross	Riviera (standard)
425 V8	340 hp gross	Riviera (option)

1964 Riviera engines

Engine	Rated	Offered in
425 V8	340 hp gross	Riviera (standard)
425 V8	360 hp gross	Riviera (option)

1965 Riviera engines

Engine	Rated	Offered in
401 V8	325 hp gross	Riviera (standard)
425 V8	340 hp gross	Riviera (option)
425 V8	360 hp gross	Riviera Gran Sport

1966–1970

The 425, 430 and 455.

1966 Riviera engines

Engine	Rated	Offered in
425 V8	340 hp gross	Riviera, Riviera Gran Sport

1967 Riviera engines

Engine	Rated	Offered in
430 V8	360 hp gross	Riviera, Riviera GS

1968 Riviera engines

Engine	Rated	Offered in
430 V8	360 hp gross	Riviera, Riviera GS

1969 Riviera engines

Engine	Rated	Offered in
430 V8	360 hp gross	Riviera, Riviera GS

1970 Riviera engines

Engine	Rated	Offered in
455 V8	370 hp gross	Riviera, Riviera GS

1971–1973

The 455 boattail.

1971 Riviera engines

Engine	Rated	Offered in
455 V8	—	Riviera, Riviera Gran Sport

1972 Riviera engines

Engine	Rated	Offered in
455 V8	—	Riviera, Riviera Gran Sport

1973 Riviera engines

Engine	Rated	Offered in
455 V8	250 hp net	Riviera
455 V8	260 hp net	Riviera (Stage One package)

1974–1976

The 455.

1974 Riviera engines

Engine	Rated	Offered in
455 V8	230 hp net	Riviera
455 V8	245 hp net	Riviera (Stage I)

1975 Riviera engines

Engine	Rated	Offered in
455 V8	205 hp net	Riviera

1976 Riviera engines

Engine	Rated	Offered in
7.5L / 455 V8	205 hp net	Riviera

1977–1978

The 350 and 403.

1977 Riviera engines

Engine	Rated	Offered in
5.7L / 350 V8 (L34)	—	Riviera (standard)
6.6L / 403 V8 (L80)	185 hp net	Riviera (option)

1978 Riviera engines

Engine	Rated	Offered in
5.7L / 350 V8 (L34)	—	Riviera (standard)
6.6L / 403 V8 (L80)	—	Riviera (option)

Front-drive (1979–1985)

V8s, the turbo 3.8 V6 and a diesel.

1979 Riviera engines

Engine	Rated	Offered in
3.8L / 231 V6 turbo (LC8)	—	Riviera S TYPE
5.7L / 350 V8 (Olds 350 (VIN R))	—	Riviera (standard), Riviera S TYPE (option)

1980 Riviera engines

Engine	Rated	Offered in
3.8L / 231 V6 turbo (LC8)	—	Riviera S TYPE
5.7L / 350 V8 (L34)	—	Riviera (standard), Riviera S TYPE (option)

1981 Riviera engines

Engine	Rated	Offered in
3.8L / 231 V6 turbo (LC8)	—	Riviera T TYPE
4.1L / 252 V6 (LC4)	125 hp net	Riviera (standard)
5.0L / 307 V8 (LV2)	140 hp net	Riviera, Riviera convertible (1982-85, most)
5.7L / 350 V8 diesel (LF9)	105 hp net	Riviera

1982 Riviera engines

Engine	Rated	Offered in
4.1L / 252 V6 (LC4)	125 hp net	Riviera (standard)
5.0L / 307 V8 (LV2)	—	Riviera, Riviera convertible (1982-85, most)
5.7L / 350 V8 diesel (LF9)	105 hp net	Riviera

1983 Riviera engines

Engine	Rated	Offered in
3.8L / 231 V6 turbo (LC8)	—	Riviera T TYPE
4.1L / 252 V6 (LC4)	125 hp net	Riviera (standard)
5.0L / 307 V8 (LV2)	—	Riviera, Riviera convertible (1982-85, most)
5.7L / 350 V8 diesel (LF9)	105 hp net	Riviera

1984 Riviera engines

Engine	Rated	Offered in
3.8L / 231 V6 turbo (LM9)	—	Riviera T TYPE
4.1L / 252 V6 (LC4)	125 hp net	Riviera (standard)
5.0L / 307 V8 (LV2)	—	Riviera, Riviera convertible (1982-85, most)
5.7L / 350 V8 diesel (LF9)	105 hp net	Riviera

1985 Riviera engines

Engine	Rated	Offered in
3.8L / 231 V6 turbo (LM9)	—	Riviera T TYPE
5.0L / 307 V8 (LV2)	—	Riviera, Riviera convertible (1982-85, most)
5.7L / 350 V8 diesel (LF9)	105 hp net	Riviera

1986–1993

The 3.8 V6.

1986 Riviera engines

Engine	Rated	Offered in
3.8L / 231 V6 (LG2)	—	Riviera, Riviera T Type (1986-88)

1987 Riviera engines

Engine	Rated	Offered in
3.8L / 231 V6 (LG3)	—	Riviera, Riviera T Type (1986-88)

1988 Riviera engines

Engine	Rated	Offered in
3.8L / 231 V6 (LN3)	—	Riviera, Riviera T Type (1986-88)

1989 Riviera engines

Engine	Rated	Offered in
3.8L / 231 V6 (LN3)	—	Riviera, Riviera T Type (1986-88)

1990 Riviera engines

Engine	Rated	Offered in
3.8L / 231 V6 (LN3)	—	Riviera, Riviera T Type (1986-88)

1991 Riviera engines

Engine	Rated	Offered in
3.8L / 231 V6 (L27)	170 hp net	Riviera, Riviera T Type (1986-88)

1992 Riviera engines

Engine	Rated	Offered in
3.8L / 231 V6 (L27)	170 hp net	Riviera, Riviera T Type (1986-88)

1993 Riviera engines

Engine	Rated	Offered in
3.8L / 231 V6 (L27)	170 hp net	Riviera, Riviera T Type (1986-88)

1995–1999

The 3800 V6, supercharged.

1995 Riviera engines

Engine	Rated	Offered in
3.8L / 231 V6 (L36)	205 hp net	Riviera (standard)
3.8L / 231 V6 supercharged (L67)	225 hp net	Riviera (option)

1996 Riviera engines

Engine	Rated	Offered in
3.8L / 231 V6 (L36)	205 hp net	Riviera (standard)
3.8L / 231 V6 supercharged (L67)	240 hp net	Riviera (option)

1997 Riviera engines

Engine	Rated	Offered in
3.8L / 231 V6 (L36)	205 hp net	Riviera (standard)
3.8L / 231 V6 supercharged (L67)	240 hp net	Riviera (option)

1998 Riviera engines

Engine	Rated	Offered in
3.8L / 231 V6 supercharged (L67)	240 hp net	Riviera (standard, only engine)

1999 Riviera engines

Engine	Rated	Offered in
3.8L / 231 V6 supercharged (L67)	240 hp net	Riviera (standard, only engine)

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