Poll: Which '66? (8/5/2025)

Early 'Personal Luxury Performance' cars. I like the muscled-up fender arches of the Toronado. I like the long, lean lines of the GS. The overall shape and 'look' of the Buick flips my switches - Riviera for moi!

The 1966 Riviera is a long time favorite of mine. It's overshadowed by the revolutionary Toronado and Eldorado, but it's my winner for its beauty.

It's almost a tie for me.  The Riv is a gorgeous car and more refined looking than the comparatively aggressive and brawny looking Toronado.  I give the nod to Toronado for its FWD engineering but would be proud to own either car. 

Buick all the way for it's elegant design. I don't dislike the Toronado design but it seems to me that a group of designers were challenged to add their two cents and it got out of hand.

I personally am not a fan of either cars styling for 1966.  There is no flow at all to how they come together front to back.  And the hidden headlights are a major ugly for my taste.     

But because I took my Drivers Training in the '66 Toronado, it gets my VOTE today.  My eyes about fell out of my head when I became aware that I'd be getting my training in an Oldsmobile, and the new Toronado to boot. 

As for the Riviera, it was a major disappointment to me after the beautiful '63, '64' and '65.  What's even sadder, it continued to go south in styling for the next couple of years.  

Never liked the Toronado.  Styling and that it was a front wheel drive at the time.

Riviera 

If you stop to think about it, these two cars are amazing examples of what designers can do with the basics. The platforms are essentially the same. Yet, one was configured for front wheel drive and the other rear wheel. The silhouettes are nearly identical. Yet, both cars have highly individualized appearances. Back in the day, I drooled over the Toronado and its various first-generation iterations. I felt the Riviera was a (very slight) step down from the 63-65 version. These days, I prefer the graceful look of the Riviera to the brawny look of the Toro. 

@georgeschire I agree George; after 1967 the Riviera got increasingly disappointing and generic looking, had the weird, polarizing look in '70 to '72; had a resurgence of beauty in '79 thru '85....then came the downsized '86.....sigh.

Don't like any GMC after '64 exceptions '69 Camaro, '70 Chevelle.

If I have to pick todays it would be the Olds. 

@jack-dodds Not fair showing these later models of the Buick without also showing the counterpoint Oldsmobiles.

@bob-jackman True enough Bob.

@georgeschire The boat tail Riviera look wasn't a style that did anything for me; it seemed to polarize opinion.  A fair number of Forumites have commented that they liked the look; but to each his own.

I despised the 1971 Riviera when it came out (I was 15). Now I've come to love them. My Aunt Mabel of the perpetual blonde beehive had one with leopard skin seat covers. She offered it to me when she stopped driving, but there was no way I could accommodate it living in Manhattan, nor with its rusty rocker panels. Still wish I could have swung it.