VIN: 1G4EC13L4MB900284
A Special Car with a Very Special Single Ownership History!
The 1988-1991 Buick Reatta shares a common thread with many other marquis cars from the prime time of General Motors including the Pontiac GTO and Grand Prix, Oldsmobile Toronado and the 442, the Cadillac Eldorado and Buick Riviera. That common thread is all the cars were designed by or under the direction of Mr. David North, Designer for General Motors from the early 1960s through his retirement in 1991.
With a directive to build a car with two seats, the styling of a sports car and the comfort of a Riviera, Buick sought to create a new niche in the car market. Buick was convinced it could do so with the right combination of styling, comfort, handling, power and price. Under the direction of David North and the Advanced Design 2 Studio, the Reatta was developed through to production with designers and production engineers working side-by-side in the studio.
The Reatta was presented to the market in the 1988 model year as a luxury two seater and was well received. The car featured nearly every component as standard equipment. For the 1990 model, the instrument panel was much improved with electronic analog gauges. The 1991 Reatta rolled out with the following:
1991 was the final production year of the Reatta. 1519 cars were produced, with 1214 being coupes.
This stunningly beautiful 1991 Reatta presented at auction was built specifically for David North and his wife, Pat. Assembled in the Lansing, Michigan Craft Centre by dedicated “craftspeople” as opposed to the massive assembly line common to Detroit, the car was enhanced with a blueprinted 3.8L V6. Given the North’s ties to Montana, a special blue was applied to match the beautiful Big Sky of Montana.
The plaque affixed to the console indicates the benefactor of this superb handcrafted car. Having taken possession directly from the GM Craft Centre in Michigan, the North’s drove their Reatta home to Montana where it has been since new. The car shows just over 36,000 original miles. The exterior and interior present in like new condition showing the pride of ownership and gentle use. The underside of the car shows the painstaking car taken to never expose the car to harsh weather elements. The single ownership history makes this a “storied” car with ties to some of the most iconic and desired cars ever from General Motors!
Included in the images on this exceptional car are documents connecting the Buick Reatta development to David North. Numerous articles can be found on the many contributions to the American automotive landscape attributed to Mr North and are worth the read.
This Car has been consigned to the 11th Annual Montana Classic Car Auction. Hosted by the Classic Car Auction Group, the auction is Saturday, September 2 in Billings, MT. To consign your car and/or to register to bid on this and other cars in the auction go to http://www.classiccarauction.us.
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