I'll first say that although I prefer the '71 & '72 Boattails, this '73 looks very nice - the paint color especially. It's been a long time since I've seen the "finger tip control" windshield wipers (see the utton on the end of the gear selector lever. This was an option ahead of it's time and really very convenient to make one sweep of the wipers with the touch of a finger tip.
I mustn't have ever seen many '73's as I agree with you re: '71-72 but do really like this one too & especially the color. Front seems more a transition to '74 ish but back more '71-72.
I've wondered before if a Boattail Riviera front end would bolt up to a 2dr HT LeSabre of the same vintage. Years ago, I saw pics of Buick's design studio of full-sized clay models of the '71 B/C/E models. The clay models had different treatments on each side (right & left sides). The main body was obviously a (then) new LeSabre coupe, but each side showed different front end treatments (I suppose proposals) ... one side having the front end very much like the '71-'72 Rivieras ... very aggressive forward slanting angles and the rest of the LeSabre roofline looked very dramatic ... in a good way.
I looked closely at this car, my question are this, because it’s a Riviera should it not have a “V” as 5 th digit? This has a “W”. Also none of the VIN numbers on block, or trans match the last numbers at all. Also the engine code stamp is not a “XS” it’s an “XA” and the trans is a “BT”...also no chrome valve covers and not a dual snorkel air cleaner without the ram air attachment which the Century has?....so how to tell if it’s a Stage 1 for real?
