Buick aimed the Special at the ‘budget minded buyer‘ and sat at the start of the Buick lineup. However, don’t let the budget label fool you. Buicks were more of a mid-price car. This 1956 Special 2-door Riviera Hardtop was priced nearly $300 more than the 2-door Sports Coupe which sat in Chevrolet’s top-of-the-line Bel Air Series.
The Special is easy to spot as it was the only series to have three ventiports on each of the front fenders – all other Series had four.
The minor facelift for 1956 included a new forward thrusting grille, oval ventiports (instead of round) and a revised taillight design.
![](https://www.carsandstripes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/1956-buick-special-rear.jpg)
Inside, the red and white interior compliments the Seminole Red and Dover White exterior of this beautiful Special.
![Interior of a 1956 Buick Special](https://www.carsandstripes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/1956-buick-special-interior.jpg)
1956 saw Buick drop the smaller 264 cubic inch engine with all models now enjoying the 322 cubic inch V8 as standard. When paired with a Dynaflow Drive automatic transmission as this car is, a further $204 was added to the price.
Other options on this car include; power steering ($108), power brakes ($37), push-button AM radio ($96) and factory air conditioning ($403).
![side view of a Seminole Red and Dover White 56 Buick Special Riviera Hardtop](https://www.carsandstripes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/1956-buick-special-side.jpg)
Buick sold 113,861 Special 2-door Riviera hardtops during the 1956 model year at a base price of $2,457. Of the 2-door cars in the Special series, the Riviera version sold nearly three times as many as the 2-door sedan despite the additional $100 cost.
This ’56 Buick Special is currently for sale on eBay. (follow the link for more photos)
Iam 74 i had a 1955 red an white love the buick