The 1977-78 Buick Riviera was a perfectly fine car, but ultimately it failed to distinguish itself in the crowded and competitive personal-luxury category.

If we could fault the 1977-78 Buick Riviera for anything, it would be for its failure to stand out. And for a high-priced luxury vehicle, that could pose a problem. Traditionally, premium car buyers aren’t simply looking for luxury features; they want to be noticed enjoying their luxury features. Prestige, in a word. “Conspicuous consumption,” the American economist Thorsten Veblen called it in his 1889 book, The Theory of the Leisure Class.

When the original 1963 Riviera made its debut at the Paris Auto Show it was a fashion sensation, and succeeding  generations of the Buick personal-luxury coupe followed in that tradition, more or less. One thing Riviera buyers could count on was distinctive styling, as even the relatively vanilla ’74-’76 notchback coupes had a presence. But the new Riviera that appeared for 1977 just sort of blended in. It bore a remarkable resemblance to the Buick division’s entry-level full-size car, the LeSabre.

Like the LeSabre, the ’77 Riviera was based on GM’s newly downsized, body-on-frame B-body platform with 115.9-in wheelbase, not the larger Electra C-body or the E-body architecture of previous Rivieras. And while the LeSabre and Riviera shared surprisingly little exterior sheet metal, the differences are relatively subtle. The most obvious Riviera deviations are its more elaborate grille and front fascia, arched quarter panels, and a padded landau top with opera windows. The average civilian car buyer could have trouble knowing one from the other unless they were parked side by side.

The Riv also shared the dash and instrument panel layout of the LeSabre and Electra, though the interior appointments were at least as deluxe as the Electra’s, with plush ’70s velour everywhere (vinyl also available) and all the usual luxury-class features. A 350 cubic-inch Buick V8 and Turbo-hydramatic transmission were standard, while an Olds-built 403 CID V8 with 185 hp was optional. Base price was $7385, around $2,000 more than the LeSabre but only $352 more than an Electra Limited Coupe.

The Riviera carried forward for ’78 with few changes to speak of except for the addition of a 75th anniversary edition trim package called the LXXV (below).Features included a platinum-gray vinyl interior with black piping, four-wheel disc brakes, and an exclusive silver-and-black  two-tone paint scheme. Exactly MMDCCCLXXXIX (2,889).LXXVs were produced;

Surprisingly, perhaps (or just to show how little we know about it) the ’77-’78 models didn’t do badly at all in Buick showrooms. Sales actually improved from the ’74-’76 Riviera’s 20,000-unit volume to more than 26,000 in ’77 before settling back down to the usual 20,535 in ’78. “Riviera rides again,” the ads declared. But for 1979, an all-new car rolled out with front-wheel drive (see our feature here) and blew up the sales charts, becoming the best-selling Riviera to date.