Buick Reatta |
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Wikipedia: Buick Reatta
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History
The following section is an excerpt from Wikipedia's Buick Reatta page on 22 April 2018, text available via the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
The Buick Reatta is a low-volume transverse front-engine, front-wheel drive, two-door, two-seater grand tourer/sports car manufactured and marketed by Buick as a coupe (1988–1991) and convertible (1990-1991) — both featuring a 3.8 liter V6 engine and shortened version of the GM E platform, the same one that underpinned the Buick Riviera.
As Buick's first two-seater and its first convertible since the 1985 Riviera, the Reatta was manufactured in a highly specialized assembly program at the Reatta Craft Centre (later known as the Lansing Craft Centre) in Lansing, Michigan—achieving production of over 21,000 units in four years.
The presence of the Chevrolet Corvette, Pontiac Fiero and Cadillac Allante at the time of the Reatta's introduction meant that with the exception of Oldsmobile, all of GM's passenger-car divisions offered two-seaters during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Assembly at the Reatta Craft Centre was performed at a series of stations each with a specialized team of workers, rather than on a conventional assembly line. After a team had completed their portion of the assembly, the car would be moved by robots to the next station. Paintwork was performed on site under subcontract to PPG Industries.
The Reatta used GM's transverse "Buick 3800" V6 with 165–170 hp (123–127 kW) and 210–220 lb·ft (285–298 N·m) of torque with the highest output in the last year of production. The car sported a fully independent suspension, 4 wheel disc brakes with ABS, and front wheel drive. Top speed was electronically limited to 125 mph (201 km/h). The Reatta was rated at 18 mpg (13.1 L/100 km) in the city and 27 mpg (8.7 L/100 km) on the highway.
The Reatta was intended as a halo car for Buick with projected production of 20,000 units a year. GM announced the end of production in early 1991.
After a delayed introduction due to design difficulties, Buick introduced the convertible Reatta in 1990 with a manually-operated top designed by ASC, available in vinyl or cloth with a glass rear window and electric defroster. When retracted, the top was protected by a rigid tonneau cover. The 1991 models featured power pull-down motors to assist in tightening the rear bow of the top to the tonneau cover.
A convertible would not be offered again until the four-seat Buick Cascada debuted in 2016.
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Buick Reatta Photo ©2017 Bill Crittenden View photo of Buick Reatta - 3.3MB |
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Buick Reatta Photo ©2017 Bill Crittenden View photo of Buick Reatta - 2.7MB |
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Buick Reatta Photo ©2017 Bill Crittenden View photo of Buick Reatta - 3.1MB |
| Vehicle Type | 2-seat Coupe |
| Drivetrain | FF |
| Engine | 3800 |
| Engine Type | V6 |
| Engine Displacement | 3.8L |
| Engine Fuel Delivery | Sequential Fuel Injection |
| Transmission | Automatic with Overdrive |
| Suspension | Four-wheel independent "Gran Touring" |
| Brakes | Four wheel power disc with ABS |
| Wheels | 15" aluminum |
| Tires | P215/65R15 Goodyear Eagle GT+4 steel-belted blackwall radial |
| Height | 51.0" |
| Length | 181.3" |
| Width | 71.7" |
| Wheelbase | 98.5" |
| Tread Width | 60.3" |
| Headroom | 36.9" |
| Legroom | 43.1" |
| Shoulder Room | 57.0" |
| Hip Room | 53.9" |
| Audio | ETR AM-FM Stereo, cassette player with auto reverse, graphic equalizer, clock, 8 Concert Sound speakers, automatic power antenna, C-Quam AM receiver |
| Trunk Capacity | 10.5 cu. ft. |
| Exhaust | Stainless steel w/dual outlet |
| Fuel Capacity | 18.2 gallons |
| Colors | Arctic White, Black, Bright Red, Claret Red Metallic, Pewter Gray Metallic, Sapphire Blue Firemist, Sterling Silver Metallic |
| Place of Manufacture | Lansing Craft Centre, Lansing, Michigan, USA |
Standard Features:
Retractable headlamps, fog lamps and cornering lamps
Fast-ratio power steering
"Electronic Touch Climate Control" air conditioning
Electronic Control Center
Tilt steering column
Leather wrapped steering wheel
Electronic cruise control
Retained accessory power
Electric rear-window defogger
Electric door locks
Power windows
"Soft-Ray" tinted glass
Reclining 6-way power leather & suede bucket seats
Electric trunk lock release and interior lockable trunk access door
2-speed windshield wipers with low-speed delay
Electric fuel-filler door release
Illuminated driver door lock and reading lights
Interior light control
Electric outside rearview mirrors (heated driver side)
2 lockable storage compartments
Extendable slide-out sunshades
Theft deterrent system with starter interrupt
Optional features:
Electric sliding steel sunroof
16-way adjustable driver's seat
| Date | Article | Author/Source |
|---|---|---|
| 16 February 2006 | Retro Rides, Part 4: Buick Reatta | Bill Crittenden |
