KKD Villager July:Aug 2025

Natalie Wood’s 1963 Buick Riviera Lives On at Plunkett’s The 1963 Buick Riviera marked General Motors’ entry into the luxury personal vehicle niche. The Riviera, an Italian word meaning coastline, was aimed at wealthy buyers who wanted a premium coupe. Steve Plunkett’s vehicle from this first generation production has a movie star connection.

It was purchased new in Los Angeles by Natalie Wood, whose mysterious death almost forty- five years ago is still pondered to this day. It’s believed she treated herself to the vehicle with her

earnings from the 1963 Oscar-winning movie, Love With the Proper Stranger , where she starred opposite Steve McQueen. “I bought this car about two years ago from the Volo Auto Museum in Volo, Illinois,” says Steve. “They had it for twenty years.” The first generation of Buick Riviera, produced from 1963 to 1965, was designed to compete with the Ford Thunderbird. This car featured a distinctive body style, including its headlights hidden in clamshell doors on the front fender. The Riviera was also known for its performance capabilities. It had the same powerful V-8 engine as bigger Buicks but because it was lighter, it was able to reach a top speed of 185 km/hr. Its interior was filled with luxury befitting a movie star but it wasn’t overdone. It has bucket-style seating for four that was available in all vinyl, cloth and vinyl, or an optional upgrade to leather. Buyers could also enhance the look of the interior with genuine walnut inserts. Other options included power windows and driver’s seat, tilt steering wheel, air conditioning, and white sidewall tires. The base price was about $4,300 USD, but the original cost easily topped $5,000 with options added on. A few changes were made in 1964, including dropping leather as an upholstery option. That year, GM introduced the R emblems that would carry through the rest of the car’s production run.

In 1965, they introduced the Gran Sport trim level, which offered a more powerful engine and performance enhancements. A vinyl roof became optional and the tilt steering wheel was now standard. The debut of the first-generation Riviera is now considered a pivotal moment in car design. It was among the first American cars to feature the “Coke bottle shape” with a gently tapered middle and muscular, flared fenders. Its look wasn’t as heavy on chrome as so many cars of that time had been. The Riviera’s popularity kept it in production for thirty-six years, through its eighth generation, until 1999. It took a hiatus in 1994. But it’s that first-generation version that still has the biggest wow factor and collectability. For fifteen years, Steve Plunkett turned his love of cars into the Fleetwood Country Cruize-In, an event that supported local Charities and raised over $1.7 million. “Taking a passion that I love and creating an event that benefits so many people has been a blessing,” says Steve. The event attracted thousands of people and cars from across North America. When not at home on his estate on the outskirts of Komoka, Steve tours invitational car events and shows across North America, showcasing his classic cars.

AUGUST 6 - AUGUST 23

BY CAROLINE SMITH

PortStanley FestivalTheatre Summer Season 2025

THE KITCHEN WITCHES

TWO SAUCY CHEFS. ONE KITCHEN. ARCH ENEMIES. IT’S SPICY!