Buick Riviera
Buick put a green-on-black touch-sensitive screen in a production coupe two decades before smartphones became ordinary.
1986 Buick Riviera T-Type · Accord14 · CC BY-SA 4.0
What did this one sell for?
Make a guess, then reveal one identity-matched completed auction result. It is a comparison point, not a price promise.
Reveal the auction result
Based on a completed sale at Bring a Trailer, an estimated value for this vehicle is $7,500.
Why this sale: Exact first-year 1986 U.S.-market seventh-generation Buick Riviera base coupe, chassis 1G4EZ57B8GU411354, with the fuel-injected 3.8-liter V6, four-speed automatic transaxle and Graphic Control Center touchscreen. 35k miles shown after one-owner Massachusetts history before the selling dealer's 2026 acquisition; optional two-tone Gunmetal Metallic and Silver Metallic over gray velour, clean Carfax, power sunroof, and July 2026 New York safety inspection. Dealer listing, not a private-party transaction.
Winning bid; Bring a Trailer's 5% buyer service fee was $375 on this result. The selling dealer disclosed $0 in additional dealer charges. Taxes, title, transport and later work are excluded. One auction result is a reference, not an appraisal; condition, history, options, location and market timing can change value. Accepted as an exact year, model, body, engine, transmission and U.S.-market match. This is one low-mile survivor transaction, not an appraisal or a claim about the globally latest sale.
More than a set of wheels.
The 1986 Riviera began a smaller, front-wheel-drive generation with a transverse V6 and four-speed automatic. Its headline feature was the Graphic Control Center: a monochrome cathode-ray-tube touchscreen that gathered radio, climate, trip and diagnostic functions. This page covers the base U.S. coupe, not the T-Type or later 1989 restyle.
Look a little closer.
The screen included a technician service mode as well as a calendar and maintenance reminders.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
A real touchscreen, not a modern tablet
The Graphic Control Center used a monochrome CRT and touch-sensitive overlay. It controlled the radio and climate system and displayed trip information, diagnostics, a tachometer and reminders.
Source: General Motors · 1986 Riviera Retro Rides ↗The interface was bold but difficult
GM’s history notes that small virtual buttons and complexity confused many drivers. The experiment ended after a few years, but it previewed the screen-heavy cabins that arrived much later.
Source: General Motors · 1986 Riviera Retro Rides ↗Where these facts come from
- General Motors · 1986 Riviera Retro Rides
- U.S. Department of Transportation · fundamental car groups
- 1986 Buick Riviera specification record
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed September 29, 2026.