Last updated on November 26, 2025
Today’s car is a beautifully executed 1952 Buick Special Riviera, owned by Gary and Debera Hendricks. I shot it at the 2025 Outriders Picnic, the annual, invite-only gathering hosted by the legendary Outriders Car Club, the oldest continuously operating car club in the country, dating back to 1932.
Since I never got to speak to the owners of the car, I am quoting the their story board. “1952 Reba Buick-A mild custom and a performance Pro Touring meeting at a drag strip is an accurate description of this machine. The complete stock car was found in Montana and sporting this 40+ year old mint paint job, The Terrace Green metallic was and inspired by the Hirohata Merc. 454 BBC and a Turbo 400 make the power. An Art Morrison chassis heavily modified and sitting on a full “Air Lift” system. The exhaust is unique as it has 4 mufflers as well as two bypass valves into the straight pipes.”
The 1952 Buick Special Model 45R “Riviera” was styled under GM design chief Harley Earl with studio work led by Ned Nickles, the designer behind Buick’s trademark VentiPorts, with Buick Division President Harlow Curtice pushing the brand’s postwar identity. The pillarless roofline gave buyers convertible-style glamour with coupe practicality and became one of Buick’s signature early hardtop designs.
These 1949–1953 Buicks are widely referred to by collectors as the “Harley Earl straight-eight era.” In 1953, the Special still used Buick’s inline straight-eight, while the Super and Roadmaster adopted the new Nailhead V8. Across this five-year period Buick produced 2,067,000 cars in total. For 1952 specifically, 120,898 Specials were built, and 20,180 of those were the Riviera Model 45R. When new, the 45R carried an MSRP of $2,295, delivered a period top speed of 85–90 mph, and recorded a 0–60 time of about 16.6 seconds.
I started noticing that most 1952–1953 Buicks wore “Dynaflow” on the trunk lid, yet this car displays “Buick Eight.” That little detail actually tells you how it left the factory: “Buick Eight” = manual transmission “Dynaflow” = automatic transmission. Buick used the deck-lid badge as a quick visual cue and a bit of marketing bragging rights for its new automatic transmission.
The original specifications – It was powered by a 128 hp, 263.3 cu in, valve in head straight 8 engine with 2 bbl Carter WCD carburetor, mated to a 2-speed Dynaflow transmission with a 3.6:1 rear axle ratio. Slowing this beauty down are drum brakes at all four corners. The front independent suspension consists of A-arms, coil springs, double acting shock absorbers with ride Stabilizer. The rear suspension is a semi-floating rear end with coil springs and double acting shock absorbers. The car is finished in Glenn green (light) and Terrace Green (dark) metallic.
What caught my eye on this build was the custom work by Shine Speedshop, the stance, the interior, the clean engine compartment, the color combination, and the Evod wheels, it’s just done right from every angle. This is the kind of car that would feel right at home at the Grand National Roadster Show, Goodguys, local car shows, a Cars & Coffee gathering, or just rolling into the Outriders Picnic with friends.
Thanks for coming along for the ride.
Frank
