Poll: Which '65? (1/28/2023)

Tie for me - I like them both!

In this case, the Buick Riviera is my choice. I just can’t warm up to that particular Thunderbird design.

Tie for me too !

Aaaacccckkkk! I knew this day would come! I can predict the winner. But, for me, this is a nightmare choice. Harder than Sophie's choice! More difficult than picking between Ginger and Mary Ann! A greater challenge than choosing a favorite Bogey movie. More impossible than deciding between a Pontiac Aztek and an AMC alliance! If it was only by design, I'd take the Riviera...kinda. But for sheer refinement and a DDG interior, I'd have to go with the T-Bird. OK! I'm voting for the Thunderbird!

I prefer the Riviera.

Riviera for me too. It's such a great design, although I like the Thunderbird too.

As an aside, these are two of the most evocative names in the business.

Awww,remember driving a brand spanking new 65 Riv. while working at a huge Buick dealer.

19 yrs old and it was love at first sight….and sitting behind that steering wheel OH MY GOD!

The RIVIERA every day and twice on Sunday's.  Not out to rain on anyone's Thunderbird parade, but this was not one of their most easy to look at designs.  To my eyes at least.  The Riviera is gracefully smooth and oozes with inviting "get in and drive" me appeal.  The T-Bird on the other hand, isn't enticing in the least.  If both were parked next to each other at a car show, I'm only going to see the RIVIERA.  

@ed-glorius, well said!

@larry-kemling 

Lucky you !!!

@jkuvakas 

Leave it to you Mr. K to bring up the AMC Alliance. I've always been proud of my familiarity with so many cars / brands but I had to look this one up ! 

@100ford2003, LOL! I've told this story before, but it bears repeating.

I was running a Ford dealership when a customer wanted to trade his less-than-a-year-old Alliance in. It was a nice dark blue with gray interior and had only 2700 miles on it. I was shocked when I looked the value up in my Little Black Book. The car was only worth $700! I thought, "We're wasting our time on this one." Much to my surprise, the guy found a well-equipped Tempo (remember those?), and we put the deal together. Much more to my surprise, we were unable to wholesale the Alliance...even at $700! The wholesalers wanted nothing to do with it.

That car sat on the lot for two months. I couldn't even retail it for what I had in it. They had a horrible reputation, and the dealers were having a really difficult time selling heavily incentivized new ones. I was standing in front of the used car lot with my sales manager, trying to figure out what to do about this albatross, when we heard a funny noise like a tin can falling off a shelf. We walked over to the alliance and found a long piece of side trim lying on the ground next to the car. No one had touched it, and it hadn't moved in weeks! It was literally falling apart while it sat there. I ended up donating the car to the local body shop class at the high school. 

I should have known better. The Alliance, which was made in France and sold along AMC's version of the Le Car (no comment), won the Motor Trend Car of the Year Award that year, a sure kiss of death on any new car. 

I went Thunderbird but it’s close.   The 65 Riviera never looked right to me without the exposed dual headlamps from 63 and 64.  

Thunderbird please.