Beater Archive

She’s Crafty: 1988-91 Buick Reatta

By Andrew ⋅ February 27, 2008 ⋅  Email this Article ⋅  Print this post ⋅ Post a comment

GM gets points for trying to build a specialty car…and almost succeeding.

by Andrew Stoy

1989 Buick Reatta coupe

The Background

Hand-crafted luxury could be yours, my broke-ass friend. And I’m not talking about a pair of Chinese-made leather gloves, either. No sir, I’m referring to a genuine two-seat, hand-built American car, forged in the irons of its very own craft center…er “centre”, for God’s sake. What may come as a surprise is that our good friends downtown at General Motors built such a vehicle…which, unfortunately, is probably why it’s now appearing on the hallowed pages of Beater Review.

The ride to which we refer is the limited-production Buick Reatta. Conceived during the heady Grand National days, Reatta bowed for 1988 as a coupe on a shortened Riviera platform. The car was built in its own “Reatta Craft Centre” in Lansing, an attempt to give the car cachet at a time when Buick and GM were bleeding market share, and more importantly, perception of quality, to import brands. Unfortunately, the combination of complex electronics, late-’80s GM quality, and a tepid 170 hp 3800 V6 conspired to keep Reatta a cursory footnote in automotive history.

Upgrades and improvements ensued in the following years: A very attractive convertible Reatta arrived for the 1990 model year, keyless entry made its appearance for 1989, a driver’s airbag and de-electrified interior showed up in 1990, and a more efficient, electronically controlled 4-speed automatic transaxle entered the mix in 1991. By then, though, the final nail was in the Buick Reatta’s coffin. Sales, planned for the 20,000/year range, totaled about 22,000 for all four model years combined. Thus, Reatta was axed after the 1991 model run.

The Opportunity

Jokes aside, the Buick Reatta was actually built better than just about anything GM made this side of the Corvette. Using a proven powertrain, GM was able to focus on getting the chassis tuned to be as squeak-free and rigid as possible, providing a semblance of sportiness without losing luxury. The Reatta’s standard fully independent suspension and 4-wheel disc brakes with ABS were actually exotic ingredients in the late 1980s and are just as desirable today.

All that advanced hardware is wrapped in a coupe bodystyle that, while perhaps no longer cutting edge, has at least passed the test of time quite well. Particularly in convertible form with the top down, the Reatta is an attractive, streamlined car with fashionably large wheels and tasteful appointments. The only true giveaway as to the car’s era is the flipup headlight pods, that late 80′s styling necessity. The 3800 V6 and four-speed autobox provide adequate if not scintillating performance–appropriate considering the adequate if not scintillating character of the entire car.

Finally, if it’s important to you (and admit it, it is), you’re likely to get quite a few looks driving a Buick Reatta. Assuming the one you select doesn’t have mismatched paint and a broken rear window, they’ll actually be looks of curiosity and admiration. The Reatta is nothing if not exclusive, and true-blue Buick devotees will be jealous of your ride. Lending to its exclusive air, much of the Reatta’s engineering and development work took place near the hallowed grounds of Coventry, England, and many of the Reatta’s subassembilies were produced by British suppliers. This last tidbit of information also explains some of the downsides of Reatta ownership.

The Downside

You may remember that we mentioned how much time GM spent trying to get the Reatta’s chassis rigid and rattle-free. Well, they weren’t overly successful. Particularly in convertible form, the Reatta flexed like California’s chief executive, and even the coupe suffered from less-than-luxury class body integrity. This shortcoming was widely panned in the automotive press and likely removed Buick showrooms from the shopping trips of the few conquest customers who might have considered it.

As mentioned earlier, the 3800 V6 and 4T60(E) transaxle are merely adequate in a car of the Reatta’s perceived stature. Coarse and unrefined, the engine was still suffering from emissions-era horsepower numbers in the 165-170 range. Not horrible, but when you consider that a Reatta was within a few hundred pounds of two tons, there’s no power to spare. Similarly, the Reatta’s Riviera origins were all too apparent once underway, resulting in additional NVH atrocities unbefitting a car in the upper $20k price range.

Finally, you’re going to not want to hit anything in a Reatta. Body parts were always scarce and are becoming next to nonexistent these days, 17 years after production ended. Nor are you likely to have much luck sourcing Reatta parts in a salvage yard. Southeast Michigan and Southern California may have a couple tucked away, but the rest of the country is likely to be devoid of the little Buicks by now. Ebay and other online sellers are going to be the best bet for hard-to-find bits.

The Hit

$790-$4,950

In a Nutshell

Yeah, the Buick Reatta was a kit car of sorts, a custom body slapped on top of an otherwise nondescript Riviera chassis. And there’s a reason this limited-production American coupe/convertible doesn’t fetch the big money at desert auctions: It just doesn’t have any singular outstanding feature to bring it up to collectible status. That could change–witness the recent rise of “performance” colonnade cars from the ’70s. But for now, the Reatta is merely an interesting, mildly entertaining GM ride from the tail end of the Malaise era. Is it interesting enough? Let us know if you decide to buy one.