How many Buick Rivieras are left in New Zealand?
Rare 1 in 36,239 on the road Built 1953-1991 American
Updated from the NZTA Motor Vehicle Register, counted as at 31 August 2026. Recounted every month.
Riviera was first a name for Buick's pillarless hardtops, but from 1963 it meant a personal luxury coupe styled under Bill Mitchell, widely counted among the best-looking American cars of the decade. The 1971 to 1973 'boat-tail', with its tapering rear window, is the most distinctive of the later ones.
Still on the road, by model year
The most are from 1972: 17 still registered. Every year is listed under the chart.
Every model year
| Model year | Still registered |
|---|---|
| 1953 | 2 |
| 1955 | 4 |
| 1956 | 4 |
| 1957 | 2 |
| 1958 | 1 |
| 1963 | 10 |
| 1964 | 6 |
| 1965 | 7 |
| 1966 | 7 |
| 1967 | 13 |
| 1968 | 9 |
| 1969 | 13 |
| 1970 | 8 |
| 1971 | 9 |
| 1972 | 17 |
| 1973 | 11 |
| 1974 | 1 |
| 1975 | 1 |
| 1976 | 1 |
| 1982 | 1 |
| 1983 | 1 |
| 1991 | 1 |
By badge
The versions the register records, most numerous first.
| Which one | Built | Left | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gran Sport | 6 | Rare |
What Rare means
Spotto grades every car by how many are still registered in New Zealand. With 129 still registered, the Buick Riviera is Rare: the grade for cars with 25 to 174 left.
By how many are left it ranks 2nd of the 24 Buick models and equal 971st of all 2,903 cars in Spotto's catalogue.
The six grades: Common, 8,000 or more · Uncommon, 1,200 to 7,999 · Scarce, 175 to 1,199 · Rare, 25 to 174 · Super rare, 5 to 24 · Unicorn, fewer than 5.
Seen one?
Spotto grades every car on New Zealand roads by how many are still registered, down to the generation and the badge. Log the ones you spot, build a collection, and see who else has found one.