Buick Reatta

The Buick Reatta was a "hand-made" luxurious sports coupe produced at the Reatta Craft Centre in Lansing, Michigan from early 1988 through 1991. Like the Cadillac Allante, It was based on a shortened and heavily modified version of the "E-body" used by the Cadillac Seville, Cadillac Eldorado, Oldsmobile Toronado and most particularly the Buick Riviera with which it shared its advanced electronics and interior furnishings.

The Reatta sported its own unique body style and was crafted with an attention to detail and quality and finish uncommon for a mass-produced automobile. Initially offered as a coupe, a convertible version was added for 1990. It used GM's ubiquitous 3800 V6 and sported a fully independent suspension and front wheel drive.

During the first two years of contruction the Reatta, like its Riviera stablemate, featured a touch screen computer interface called the Electronic Control Center, or ECC. The touch screen controlled the radio and climate control functions, provided diagnostic access to the vehicle's various electronic systems and sensors. It also featured a date reminder, a trip computer, and a user configurable overspeed alarm.

The Reatta was conceived during a period in the early to mid-1980s when the Buick division was marketing high performance editions of its vehicles (such as the Buick Grand National). However, midway through the development of the Reatta, GM decided to refocus the brand on a more traditional and mature image that was thought to be more in keeping with its core older buyer demographics. The resulting vehicle had a shape that carried performance car styling cues but provided little in the way of actual high performance. Additionally, the Reatta's extremely high level of electronics was a somewhat of turn-off for those "mature" potential buyers that the division was actively trying to court. The Reatta was intended as a technological flagship-halo car for Buick, but sales, originally planned to be around 20,000 units a year, were extremely disappointing and GM announced the end of Reatta production in early 1991.

See Wikicars' comprehensive  Review.

Recent Changes/News
The Buick Reatta ceased production in 1991. See Yearly Changes below.

Styles and Major Options
The Reatta was marketed as a "fully loaded" automobile and came with almost every conceivable amenity for the time as standard. The only options at the time of release were a "16-way" electrically adjusted drivers' seat and a late-availability sunroof. In 1990, a CD player was added to the options list. For all years body-colored beltline mouldings were available as a no-cost option.

Pricing
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Gas Mileage
As seen on the FuelEconomy.gov website, the City/Highway MPG averages are as follows:

Engine and Transmission
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Performance
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Reliability
The Reatta, despite dire predictions in the automotive press of the time, turned out to be fairly reliable and inexpensive to maintain. The '88-89 models' touchscreen controls rarely fail and in the end are inexpensive to repair. The drivetrain is standard-issue GM 3800 which is among the most reliable and long-lasting engines ever produced by GM. One area of concern is the Teves anti-lock braking system which utilized an electric motor and pressurized accumulator rather than a conventional vacuum-driven master cylinder; if not properly maintained sudden loss of braking power can result. This is a failure mode common to all similar ABS systems of that era, but has caught many an uneducated owner unaware.

Those contemplating Reatta ownership today should be aware that all mechanical parts remain readily and inexpensively available due their widespread use through out GM's product line-up. Due to the extremely low production numbers, Reatta-specific parts can be more difficult to source, but are often obtainable at a reasonable cost through the well-organized network of Reatta aficionados available online (see links below). Nonetheless, there are some items that have become so rare and thus expensive that damage to them can result in a car that is de-facto "totaled"; Notably the windshield which is for the most part unavailable new, and if located can cost from $ 1,500.00 to $ 2,500.00.

Safety
The Reatta benefitted from an extremely stable highly-engineered independent suspension system that was designed to accommodate a much more powerful drivetrain than what ended up being provided. Its wide track relative to its length makes it extremely stable and nimble. The Reatta was equipped standard with anti-lock brakes which when properly maintained provide confident and stable stopping power. The Reatta coupe's bubbletop canopy provides an exceptional view of the drivers surroundings with little to no blind spots.

Photos
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Colors

 * Arctic White (all years)
 * Bright Red (all years)
 * Black (all years)
 * Sapphire Blue Firemist Metallic (all years)
 * Sterling Silver Metallic (all years)
 * Claret Red Metallic (all years)
 * Pewter Gray Metallic ('88-89)
 * Gunmetal Gray Metallic ('90-91)
 * Light Driftwood Metallic (1990)
 * Maui Blue Metallic (90-91)
 * Polo Green Metallic (1991)

Main Competitors
Buick marketed the vehicle as a sports car without the compromises and "uncomfortability" of a sports car. Buick believed that the Reatta was a competitor for the Mercedes-Benz SL, the Nissan 300ZX, Chrysler's TC by Maserati the Chevrolet Corvette and of course GM's own Cadillac Allante. Whether the Reatta was a credible competitor for all of these disparate offerings or was often "cross-shopped" by the buyers of the time is debatable.

Unique Attributes
Arguably, the Reatta's primary attraction is its styling, which is unique and was almost universally praised at the time of its production. From the coupe's bubbletop roofline, "floating" sideview mirrors, retractable headlamps, full width taillamp array and wrap-around parking lamp assemblies the vehicle was clearly styled to attract attention. The convertible featured all of the coupe's styling cues with the additional appeal of a folding top that disappeared under a flush-closing hard tonneau cover for a smooth, sleek look. The Reatta's interior is extremely roomy for a two-seater and its nimble independent suspension, pleasant ride and high-geared transmission make for an extremely capable and comfortable long-distance high speed cruiser. Acceleration is brisk though not by any means neck-snapping and it handles curves with aplomb. Front wheel drive, anti-lock braking and a wide stance makes for exceptionally stable handling and control in wet or snowy conditions. Full digital instrumentation (with touch-screen controls in years '88-89) was a technological marvel at the time of the vehicles production and though often criticized on aesthetic grounds by many, has some dedicated admirers to this day.

Interior
The Reatta debuted with almost every luxury and convenience feature as standard; dual 6-way power seats, power windows, power locks, heated power side-view mirrors, automatic climate control, 8 speaker stereo radio with cassette player, illuminated entry, dual illuminated visor mirrors, low-pile velour-like carpeting, remote releases for the trunk, fuel filler door and glovebox and of course, the controversial GCC touchscreen interface that provided control for the interior climate and stereo as well as a trip computer, gauges, programmable reminders and onboard diagnostics.

A major interior revision for the 1990 model year replaced the squared-off instrument panel with a sweeping curved unit with a conventional stereo radio with a cassette player and a standard automatic climate control interface along with digital instrumentation providing vacuum-fluorescent readouts of a full compliment of gauges.

An additional benefit of Reatta's unique manufacturing process was an exceedingly high level of fit and finish. It also offered a very spacious interior given it's roots in GM's substantial E-body platform and featured locking storage compartments recessed into the rear deck behind the seats as well as a large pass-through door between the passenger compartment and its large trunk, making it unusually practical for a two-seater.

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Resale Values
Values are approximate and updated 10/08.

Criticisms
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Generations/Special Variants
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1988

 * All new model.
 * Mid-year running change from leather and suede seating to all-leather due to durability concerns.
 * Mid-year running change from silver/black 'R' logo horn button to color "sunburst" 'R' logo.
 * Mid-year, sunroof option becomes available.

1989

 * Larger 'R' "sunburst" hood ornament.
 * Remote controlled glove box door replaced with a conventional locking door.
 * Remote trunk and gas door release buttons relocated to glovebox from center console.
 * Keyless entry added as standard.
 * Revised, hydraulic engine mounts.

1990

 * Interior revised. Touchscreen eliminated and replace with a more conventional digital dash with GM standard-issue stereo radio-cassette player and HVAC controls housed within a new rounded dash enclosure.
 * Power window controls relocated from center console to door-mounted armrests.
 * Rear quarters' component speakers replaced with conventional 4X6 units.
 * Illuminated door lock keyways eliminated.
 * Steering wheel airbag added as standard.
 * Optional CD player offered as an add-on to the standard stereo radio with cassette player.
 * Convertible model debuts.

1991

 * 3800 Series I engine as standard, with increased horsepower and torque coupled to a new electronically-controlled 4T60-E 4-speed automatic transmission with revised gear ratios.
 * Teves anti-lock braking system replaced with a new vacuum-driven system.
 * Twilight Sentinel automatic headlights added as standard.
 * 16" aluminum alloy wheels replaced previous years' 15" rims.
 * Cupholder added to center console armrest.

Select 60 Special Editions
Given as an reward (extra allocation) to the top 60 Buick dealers, the 1988 Select 60 edition Reatta was a black coupe with a tan interior with "16-way" power seats and a special "Select 60" hood ornament. Inexplicably, only 55 were built for 1988.

In 1990 the Reatta was again chosen as Buick's Select 60, this time it was the convertible model, finished in white with deleted pin-striping, and a white top, with white "16-way" leather seats, white door panels, with a flame red interior, CD player and two options that would not be available until 1991: white-painted 16" aluminum wheels and a cupholder.

Select 60 models can be identified by the code X22 the vehicles' service parts identification label, located within the Reatta's trunk.

Worldwide
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Design quirks and oddities
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Awards
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