Detroit Autorama Ridler winner

Amazing work but I think a light metallic would suit it better than the yellow.

 

This is still my favourite
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Maybe it's a later 'boat tail' backlight adapted?

BTW: isn't this quite a change for the Ridler, to award to such a 'late-model' car?
Have not followed consistently, but most winners I seem to recall were much earlier (30's-40's) cars….

Trend or not, I like it…...

 

I much prefer Mr. Mitchell's original design. This yellow custom seems out of proportion, the wheels are cartoonish and the color draws undue attention to the entire thing.
Both Mitchell's Silver Arrow concept(minus its wheel caps) and the production 65 Riviera look better to my eye.

 

https://www.rmauctions.com/lots/lot.cfm?lot_id=391329

 

Black's sharp on an early Riv - factory lines are pretty decent, too ...

Auctions America - Collector Car Auctions

 

I've noticed a trend with some of the vehicles in that genre-incredible craftsmanship and attention to detail. Yet in many cases, while the technical ability is undoubtedly present, it doesn't appear that the builders/designers have had enough training in the Principles of Art and the Elements of Design. The designs don't flow well, there are clunky details, odd color combos, proportion and scale are awkward, inelegant and heavy handed rather than timeless. Garish doesn't equate to a successful design, IMO.

 

That Riv was insane. Two turbos were in the trunk area. You can see the air intake tube running from the rear of the passenger compartment to the front dash. The exhaust work was insane too.

 

there were two "barchetta" camaros there that fit this quote to a T. Just horrible and ungly beyond words.

 

Jimmy Vaughan's mild custom is much better than that yellow monstrosity. The rodders/customizers have been taking the worst attributes of what is current and retrofitting to the older iron. Most recently it is the giant 20" or 22" rims with rubber band tires. Back in the '80s it was the AMG look of chrome bumpers and grilles painted body color and the chrome window trim blacked out. For all the great craftsmanship, so many of these show cars are aesthetically challenged.
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Here's Bill Mitchell's very own custom Riviera from 1963.
A closer look at Bill Mitchell?s 1963 Buick Riviera, Silver Arrow I | Mac's Motor City Garage

 

Much better. The Riviera design was and is so good that it doesn't need a major re design.

As I mentioned in my post, a much better solution to a custom Riviera(of course, having one of the world's great designers adjusting his own studio's work doesn't hurt! I still prefer the Silver Arrow without its wheel covers and wide whites. Mitchell did provide for the option of removing the covers when a sportier look was desired.

IMO, it still is.

 

Wow! what style and presence.

 

Interesting. of course, the red fender wells did make it into production on the 442.
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