1965 Buick Riviera
Standard Equipment

Super Turbine Automatic Transmission
401 CID 325-Horsepower Wildcat V-8 Engine
Easy Power Steering
Power Brakes
Windshield Washer
2-Speed Electric Wipers
Back-Up Lights
Glare-Proof Mirror
Parking Brake Signal Light
Safety Buzzer
Map Light
Electric Clock
Tilt Steering Wheel Now standard for '65
Automatic Trunk Light
License Plate Frame
Aluminum Front Brake Drums
StepOn Parking Brake
Instrument Panel Safety Pad
Directional Signals
Full 15-inch Wheels
Trip Mileage Indicator
Glove Compartment Light
Smoking Set
Rear Seat Ash Trays and Lighter
Dual Sun Shades
Magic Mirror Finish
Dual Arm Rests—Front and Rear
Door-Operated Rear Passenger Area Courtesy Lights
Full Carpeting
Dual Horns
Foam-Padded Bucket Seats—Front and Rear
Crank-Operated Window Vents
Center Console
Self-adjusting Brakes
Double Door Release Handles
Console-Mounted Selector Lever
Dual Exhausts
Delcotron Generator
6,000 Mile Lubed Front Suspension System
Instrument Panel Lower Safety Pad
Walnut Paneling on Console
Shielded Headlights NEW! Standard for '65
Front Seat Belts NEW! Standard for '65

The biggest appearance changes to the Riviera for 1965 involved the front and rear of the car. The '65 Riv finally got the concealed headlights Bill Mitchell had wanted for the car all along, but engineering needed more time for design, so they were omitted from the earlier models. This meant the headlamps themselves would be moved from the grille and placed vertically behind the ribbed clamshell shields that had covered the turn signals and cornering lamps. The shields now split horizontally in the middle, and the top half retracted upward while the lower half retracted downward to expose the beams. The turn signals were relocated to the lower section of the shields below the bumper. Cornering lamps were omitted for 1965.

As you can imagine, the clamshell headlight covers created quite a bit of interest, and are now one of the first generation Riviera's most memorable features. Remarkable in their design and operation, extensive testing was performed to ensure they would be reliable under adverse conditions, such as heavy snow and ice build up.

As interesting as the nose was, Buick felt the back end needed updating, too, so the taillights were made larger and moved down into a new rear bumper, and the back-up lights were integrated into the inboard section of the linear taillights, which gave the rear of the car a lower and wider appearance, which was a good thing in 1965.

The profile was modified as well to eliminate the side scoop that appeared on the rear quarter panel, just behind the door. This made the car appear longer and made it easy to identify the '65 models at a glance.