Designed by Bill Mitchell, Ned Nickles
In Jerry Flint's The Dream Machine, Bill Mitchell recounts the inspiration for the Riviera: "It was in London, a foggy night. I was in front of the Claridge, and out of the fog comes this Rolls." The sharp-edged corners coming up through the mist suggested the outline of a new car: the Buick Riviera. The Riviera was initially proposed as the La Salle II, for Cadillac. When Cadillac didn't want it, it was offered to Buick, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac. Buick fought hardest and won.