They’ve been handing out the prestigious Ridler Award at the Detroit AutoRama for over five decades now.
You’d be hard-pressed to think of a past winner that’s more custom than J.F. Launier’s 1964 Buick Riviera—winner of the 2014 Ridler Award.
Launier’s radical Riviera, named Rivision, literally jumped out from the field of Pirelli Great 8 finalists to earn the award yesterday in Detroit. Built at Launier’s shop in Osoyoos, British Columbia, it’s loaded with custom features inside and out, from front to back. A few highlights of the Riviera include:
- Original four-seat layout reconfigured to a two-seat design
- Twin-turbocharged, 850-horsepower GM 6.2L LS V8 with truck-mounted turbocharger, wastegates. and associated plumbing
- Custom copper-color turbo tubing
- Ford GT40-style ducted radiator with hot air exit in the hood
- Six-speed manual gearbox
- Custom-designed rectangular steel perimeter frame which allows the driver and powertrain to sit low within the chassis and the roofline to be dramatically lowered
- Smoothed undercarriage with custom siamesed-exhaust pipes
- Boattail-style rear glass
- CNC grille and headlight frames
- Custom Mike Curtis-designed wheels
This ground-breaking Riviera isn’t just a trailer queen either.
Launier plans to take Rivision autocrossing in the near future. Perhaps after scooping up a few more awards on the way.
I like everything about it except the wheel and tire combination.
I agree and the instrumentation panel looked kind of funky, but it was unique and that’s what’s important.
butefull ride.wish my 68 riv. look like that. good work.
The highest award that a car can get..
Beautiful job awesome fabrication, and an interesting color for Riviera. I like it.