Buick Reatta: It Exists
Posted by Doug DeMuro in It Exists on | 8 comments
Have you ever looked at Buick’s current lineup and said: “I wish there was a two-seater?” Neither have I. Neither has anyone. Except, of course, for someone at General Motors, who, in the late 1980s, dreamed up the Reatta.
Yes, the Buick Reatta exists, despite the best efforts of car buyers everywhere.
The Reatta went on sale in 1988 using GM’s 3.8-liter V6, probably because it wasn’t possible not to use GM’s 3.8-liter V6 in the 1980s. Or the 1990s, for that matter. It had two seats, two doors, and an absolutely bizarre “Electronic Control Center,” which was a touchscreen system that looks like what they probably have on the DMV computers.
All Reattas had four-speed automatics and all had about 165 horsepower, which – let’s be honest – is kind of weak for the “halo car” Buick had intended the Reatta to be. The car was handbuilt, which I’m pretty sure no one actually cared about, and came with a Buick pen, which I’m definitely sure no one actually cared about.
For 1990, a convertible model debuted, which managed to somehow record even worse sales than the coupe. The entire project was shuttered after around 22,000 sales (which somehow included 2,400 convertibles), and the Reatta ended its run after the 1991 model year. It would be the only non-rebadged Buick for the next 20 years. Maybe that’s a good thing.
8 Responses to “ “Buick Reatta: It Exists”
Leave a Reply to Jesse Cancel reply
Welp. Color me surprised. http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170997456903&viewitem=
Our family doctor had one of these things in the 80s. Of course I was a little kid so I didn’t know it sucked. I thought it looked pretty cool at the time. Hopefully you’ll cover the Allante next since I think he also had one of those things. (I guess he liked expensive weird GM cars)
Hah! Reatta totalled, pen still writes.
So was the olds toronado a rebadged reatta, or the reatta a rebadged toronado? They had the same engines and stupid / cool 80s futuristic electronics and voice warnings.
Nice to see you here, Skip!!
The Reatta was a rebadged Toronado, although it was more than just a rebadge. The platform was actually shortened (the Toronado had rear seats).
It wasn’t really a rebadge but just another variation of GM’s E-Body platform shared with the Cadillac Eldorado/Seville, Buick Rivieera and Reatta and Oldsmobile Toronado.
Touch screen!
I still think they’re cool looking. Bundle it with the 1989 elan and you have a “cars that I like but don’t want” twofer.