This entry was one of my first posts on this blog. I’ve updated it to reflect both changes in my posting style and substantial improvements in available data. In hindsight, it turns out that it was also my initial inspiration for the Riviera Project I am currently working on.
“… the thrill of turbocharged performance and responsive handling.”
For 1984, the T TYPE (their spelling) version of Buick’s Riviera gained sequential fuel injection, yielding a respectable 200 bhp from the evergreen LM9 3.8 liter/231 ci turbo V6. Performance figures for the later Riviera T TYPEs are hard to come by, but I’m betting that 0-60 mph came in between 9 and 10 seconds.
Fuel mileage for the big coupe was decent by the day’s standards: 14 city/21 highway (13/20 by today’s measures). With the 21.2-gallon gas tank, range was about 310 to 335 miles with a 10% fuel reserve. A T TYPE continued to be the only way to get your Riviera coupe turbocharged, though you could get a “civilian” Riviera convertible with the turbocharger.
The $17,050 T TYPE (about $54,500 in 2025 dollars) came with a blacked-out grille, amber parking light and turn signal lenses, black mirrors, and P205/75R15 tires (a size still readily available) on 15-inch styled aluminum wheels. Additional instrumentation for the T TYPE included a turbo boost gauge and an LED tachometer. The 1984 T TYPE also included the Gran Touring Package, which featured stiffer springs, recalibrated shock absorbers, and larger diameter anti-sway bars front and rear.
Standard exterior and mechanical features on all 1984 Rivieras included a four-speed automatic transmission, power steering, power brakes, and power antenna. Inside, every Riviera had air conditioning, power door locks, and power windows.
Options & Production Numbers
An extensive list of options included electronic climate control ($150), rear window defogger ($140), and Twilight Sentinel ($60). Options available for every Riviera except the convertible included the Delco/Bose Music System ($895) and the Astroroof ($1,195).
Sales weren’t great—with only 1,153 made, T TYPEs accounted for only about 2% of the robust overall Riviera sales. T TYPE sales would continue to dip in the last year for the “big” sixth-generation Riviera—there were only 1,069 made in 1985. My theory is that there weren’t a ton of folks searching for a big (206 inches long and 3,660 pounds) performance-oriented (but not really high performance) coupe in the mid-1980s, and there was competition from vehicles like the brand-new Lincoln Mark VII LSC.
The View From 2025
Folks are saving the sixth-generation Rivieras—there’s robust discussion and support on the AACA’s Buick Riviera page. According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, a 1984 Riviera T TYPE in #1/Concours condition is $37,400, with a far more normal #3/Good condition going for $11,400. T TYPEs also come up for sale occasionally in the Hemming’s Motor News classifieds or on eBay Motors. Bring a Trailer has yet to sell a sixth-generation T TYPE.
Make mine the extra-cost ($210) Medium Sand Gray Firemist, please. I love those Buick color names and believe everyone should have at least one Firemist.
Other Buick coupes I have written about include the 1980 Rivera S TYPE, the 1983 Skylark T TYPE, the 1984 Regal Grand National, the 1985 Somerset Regal, the 1987 GNX, the 1987 LeSabre T Type, and the 1988 Reatta.
Last updated August 2025.
Eighties Cars 
I have a convertible for sale…