Offering unusual looks, urprising performance, nd a very enthusiastic owner's community, his 1990 Buick Reatta is a refreshing change of pace from the industry's most conservative brand. A wholly untouched survivor, t shows just 150,463 original miles and represents one of the last times GM took a risk.
Built in the Lansing Craft Centre, ormerly the home of the EV1 electric car, he Reatta was unlike anything else in GM showrooms in 1990. It was far more than just a shortened Riviera and offers surprisingly agile handling and impressive performance from the corporate 3.8 liter V6. The unique look has aged rather well, till looking contemporary and the years have made it seem familiar, o the wrap-around rear glass and short rear overhang look better today than when it was new. The unusual color name of ''Dark Garnet Red Metallic,'' looks right on the upscale sportster and that's all-original paint still clinging to the bodywork. It does not have the typical GM orange peel, ut does have a few bumps and bruises that come with being 25 years old, ut there's nothing that we'd change because it looks all-of-a-piece and appropriate to the car's age. And with the growing popularity of unmolested original cars, t's always smarter to leave the nice ones alone.
The matching Dark Garnet Red interior was considered one of the sharpest options in 1990. The handcrafted and assembled handsome leather bucket seat interior is in excellent condition. Still focused on luxury, he leather seats are comfortable and supportive, howing minimal wear. The carpets are good, oo, howing only mimimal wear near the peddles remaining easy to address, nd the door panels are in like new condition. An all-new instrument panel with electro-luminescent gauges was introduced in 1990, and combined with the wrap-around console feeling of the cockpit, t looks very high-tech. The trouble-prone touch-screen panel was gone in 1990, eplaced by conventional HVAC controls and the usual GM/Delco AM/FM/cassette stereo system that sounds great in the hushed Buick interior. Airbags were also standard equipment in 1990, s were matching floor mats, ower windows and locks, ruise control, nd just about every other comfort and convenience option GM could devise. There's a good bit of storage space behind the seats and the trunk is quite spacious, aking the Reatta a superior road trip vehicle that's a little out of the ordinary.
Buick's 3.8 liter OHV V6 engine is legendary for its durability and longevity, nd you can expect years of service still to come from this one. It's great for low-end torque, o the Reatta feels quick around town, nd fuel efficiency with the 4-speed automatic overdrive transmission is impressive even today. It's very nicely kept under the hood with signs of regular maintenance, hich remains inexpensive and easy, ven with the cutting-edge (for 1990) distributorless ignition system. The suspension is fully independent and perfectly straddles the ride/handling compromise and this car makes for a wonderful daily driver. The underside is undercoated and rustproofed, ut clean and shows the results of winter storage keeping it away from inclement weather. Bold Aluminum Wheels are in excellent condition and wear 215/65/15 blackwalls for a very un-Buick look.
Complete with the original owner's manual (which was a big deal all by itself), his Reatta is an unusual footnote in GM history that still makes a big impact today.