Now that they're finally getting the recognition they deserve, it's time for serious collectors to add a first-generation Riviera to their collections. Cars like this 1964 Buick Riviera are no longer bargain-priced leftovers, but first-rate collectables that also happen to be some of the best driving cars of the period.Bill Mitchell re-wrote the playbook with the Riviera, dumping everything that had made GM the biggest company in the world. No chrome, no fins, no extra flash, just an ultra-clean, perfectly proportioned personal luxury car that redefined an entire segment. Finished in what looks like bright Granada Red (original color was code L Claret Mist), this one captures the sporting elegance of the design, letting the many wonderful details do the talking instead. With a nice shine and good bodywork, it is in good overall condition, with nary even a door ding on its chrome-free flanks. Fit and finish are decent throughout, showing careful workmanship when the time came to bolt it back together, although the driver's door is off a bit if you really want to get picky. The chrome that does remain, including the delicate wrap-around bumpers, cool bombsight hood ornament, and faux intakes on the quarter panels, all looks to be in good order and is definitely up to the standards set by the rest of the car. Thanks to the high-visibility color, this is a car that gets noticed!It shouldn't be a surprise that a long line of A-list celebrities owned early Rivs, and the interior is certainly up to their standards. With a beautiful mixture of materials, it looks like an executive's office on the top floor in New York, and with a subdued elegance, it's a great place to spend some time. The instrument panel is a fantastic display of restraint, with lots of brushed stainless, big, round gauges, and simple angles that look right. Even the stubby chrome shifter is a little piece of art that not only looks great but falls easily to hand, reminding you that the Riv was built to be driven. Door panels are quite good save for some fading on the arm rests and the plush carpets provide a hushed interior ride, and a modern Grant wheel with a leather wrap is a good match to the interior look. Even the trunk is impressively clean with what appears to be spray-in bedliner material for long-term durability.Buick knew that effortless performance was the key to the Riviera's success, so they stuffed their biggest engine under the hood. With 425 cubic inches and an advertised 465 pounds of torque (that's the '465' in Wildcat 465) it gave this personal luxury car the ability to humiliate some pretty serious machinery out on the street. The engine bay is clean and shows signs of life-long maintenance and no signs of abuse or even minor modifications. The Buick Turquoise engine enamel really pops in the satin black engine room, and even the tower hose clamps are correct. It's linked to the new-for-1964 TH400 3-speed automatic transmission which offers silky smooth shifts, while a set of 3.23 gears allows it to cruise across the desert towards Las Vegas as high speed with barely a whisper. A new exhaust system sounds great and those big 17-inch wheels and tires are brand new.Prices are moving on these awesome cars, and while it won't make you rich overnight, it'll certainly feel like it from behind the wheel. Call today!