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1977 Buick Riviera

1977 Buick Riviera in The Shining, Movie, 1980 IMDB

Class: Cars, Coupé — Model origin: US

1977 Buick Riviera

Position 01:13:52 [*][*] Minor action vehicle or used in only a short scene

Comments about this vehicle

AuthorMessage

Ddey65 US

2006-04-12 17:57

This is tough. It looks like a Buick?

explorer4x4

2006-04-12 18:12

it looks identical to a Ford Torino or Gran Torino. Ya, I am sure it is a Ford Torino.

TheDriver CH

2006-04-12 18:31

I don't think so. This guy is to edged to be a Torino.

explorer4x4

2006-04-12 18:34

Look at the four round lights, look at the large square grill and the big bumper. These are all parts of a Torino. I've never seen a Buick like this. Even the body of this car screams Torino.

BeanBandit FI

2006-04-12 18:37

It looks like late 70s LeSabre, but round headlights does not match.

http://www.stationwagon.com/gallery/1979_Buick_LeSabre_Estate.html

-- Last edit: 2006-04-12 18:38:55

explorer4x4

2006-04-12 18:44

/vehicle_16859-Ford-Torino-1975.html

explorer4x4

2006-04-12 18:46

Well, the Buick LeSabre doesn't have the same headlights and turn signals, it has different rear view mirrors and the the place where the headlights are is slanted, also bumper is smaller then this one.

TheDriver CH

2006-04-12 19:00

explorer4x4 wrote it looks identical to a Ford Torino or Gran Torino. Ya, I am sure it is a Ford Torino.

Can't be, because:
- There are no bumper horns
- I have never seen a Torino with a black bumper-stripe
- The side wing is straight not curved like a Torino's, also the hood.
- The grille doesn't fit
- Too much space between the bumper and headlights

I'm talking all about the Torino you've linked. Tell me the year your are talking of.

G-MANN UK

2006-04-12 19:15

Unfortunately that is the clearest shot you see of the car.

Saturn Simon UK

2006-04-12 19:59

This is weird.

It definitely looks like a late 70s car, and it definitely looks like a late 70s Buick, or at least a GM product, EXCEPT for the round headlights!

I can't find ANYTHING American made from 1977-79 with four round headlamps except the 1977 Chrysler Newport but nothing else on that car resembles the Newport. Al the Ford and GM products of this period with four lamps had rectangular lamps. Yet the general lines of the car and the bumpers and door mirrors scream GM at me.

I'm stuck.

Hiergehts CH

2006-04-12 20:12

The outside rear view mirrors look like GM rally mirrors and the shape of the front bumper looks like that of a Buick LeSabre/Riviera of the late 70's but both those cars used rectangular headlamps. I don't think it's this, but the only car I know with a similar nose AND round lamps is a 1980 Lincoln Mk VI : Link to "www.avonhill.com" I wonder what it is?

Ddey65 US

2006-04-12 20:18

I thought it was a Buick from the MID-1970's if anything, primarily because of the round headlights. That 1980 Lincoln MkVI hiergehts posted seems close, but the grille on this one is too wide.




TheDriver CH

2006-04-12 20:28

May it be that the light gleam effects the "round headlights", because the picture is a little blurred?

Ddey65 US

2006-04-12 20:33

TheDriver wrote May it be that the light gleam effects the "round headlights", because the picture is a little blurred?

Not "blurred" enough to indicate that these are anything other than round headlights.

explorer4x4

2006-04-12 21:15

Show me a 70's Buick with round headlights, black strip on the bumper, gigantic grill and protruding bumper with four roung headlights and everything square except the rear-view mirrords and then I'd beleive you. I don't see any resemblance to any Buick I know and I know alot of them. The only car it is slightly close to is the Ford Torino. Big bumper, big grill and four round headlights.

DT US

2006-04-12 21:24

The front definetly matches the '74-'76 Ford Torino. I looked around, and couldn't find any GM or Mopar matches.

explorer4x4

2006-04-12 21:28

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:IMG_4506.JPG <1973 Ford Gran Torino Coupe
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:S_H_Gran_Torino.jpg <1976 Ford Gran Torino Coupe
http://www.starskytorino.com/jeff/index.html <1976 Ford Gran Torino w/ small black stripe on bumper
Oh, and I'm talking about the last generation Torinos

wrenchhead US

2006-04-12 21:42

explorer4x4 wrote Even the body of this car screams Torino.


The only thing this picture screams is - its dark and I can't see clearly :lol:

wrenchhead US

2006-04-12 21:49

explorer4x4 wrote http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:IMG_4506.JPG <1973 Ford Gran Torino Coupe
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:S_H_Gran_Torino.jpg <1976 Ford Gran Torino Coupe
http://www.starskytorino.com/jeff/index.html <1976 Ford Gran Torino w/ small black stripe on bumper
Oh, and I'm talking about the last generation Torinos


All of the cars you referred to have over-riders on the bumper. The pictured car does not seem to have them.

explorer4x4

2006-04-12 22:00

link
1974 Ford Torino Base Model sedan

-- Last edit: 2006-04-12 22:02:13

DT US

2006-04-12 22:39

Explorer4x4...just to let you know, that red car in that link that's labeled as a Torino, has been labeled incorrectly by the owner of that site.

wrenchhead US

2006-04-12 22:40

OK, I'll buy that ;) Well on second thought i'll wait for a while.

-- Last edit: 2006-04-12 22:42:22

Adrian US

2006-04-12 22:43

It appears to be a 1975 Buick LeSabre. Check out this temporary eBay link:
Link to "cgi.ebay.com"

wrenchhead US

2006-04-12 22:49


The buick has openings in the bumper. I think explorer4x4 may be right on this one. The black on the bumper may just be shadow from the lights. see http://sunmanford.net/arrival_photo/1974To15.jpg

explorer4x4

2006-04-12 22:52

Well, whatever the car I posted was, it doesn't seem that close to this one now. But the car from The Shining is a Torino! Even the 75 Buick was nothing like this one except it had round lights! It had a tiny bumper and different grill and it looked more like a Dodge Monaco then a Torino or the car that is in the picture!

firebird86 US

2006-04-12 23:07

definitely looks like a GM bumper to me

explorer4x4

2006-04-12 23:37

If it is a GM bumper, I'd like to see some pictures.

TheDriver CH

2006-04-12 23:54

Hey eyplorer4x4 take it easy man!
We will find out what it is, just stay cool.

firebird86 US

2006-04-12 23:57

http://www.carnut.com/cgi-bin/02/_image.pl?/show/02/all/all073.jpg

wrenchhead US

2006-04-13 00:36

most GM bumpers of the period had air intakes, lights, over riders, etc. This one is just a plain unadorned bumper. The ford I found had the right style bumper but it seems a little thin so i'm not sure.

-- Last edit: 2006-04-13 00:38:42

explorer4x4

2006-04-13 01:00

TheDriver wrote Hey eyplorer4x4 take it easy man!
We will find out what it is, just stay cool.


Oh, I am not mad! I can see where you might have gotten that impression, I should have added a smily...

TheDriver CH

2006-04-13 01:11

Alright, sorry about that! ;)

explorer4x4

2006-04-13 01:12

:) Wrenchhead is right, most GM bumpers are not plain:
Link to "www.pilesgm.com"
http://www.v8cars.hu/cutlass/story/zolaolds/pic00001.jpg
http://awesomecarauctions.com/uploaded_images/grandville-758158.jpg

qwerty_86 US

2006-04-13 06:52

I'm not quite sure what that is. The headlights seem to be up too high and the grille to blocky to be a Torino. It almost looks like there are parking lights (which don't appear to be on for some odd reason) under the "headlights." I want to say 1980 Chrysler Newport, but the round headlights and the mirrors don't match. This car looks to be a mixture of all brands or maybe an independent? And how do we know it's a coupe?

-- Last edit: 2006-04-13 06:54:29

explorer4x4

2006-04-13 07:03

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/4/web/652000-652999/652515_1.jpg <1980 Chrysler Newport
So, now we have a Ford Torino, Chrysler Newport and a Buick? How will we choose?

philr CA

2006-04-13 07:27

That's the car that Dick Halloran had rented. In Stephen King's book, it was a black and gold Buick Electra. In the Stanley Kubrick movie, it was a 77 or 78 Buick Riviera (can't tell which year) driven by Scatman Crothers http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001079/. I don't know why the headlights look round on this picture as they should be square. There was a scene showing the interior (mostly the dashboard with the round gauges) and the oval hood ornament.

These pictures show a 1978 with the optional bumper guards.

[Image: e836wz.1923.jpg]
[Image: 3730lc.6456.jpg]

1977
[Image: 77nose1ih.3350.jpg]

1977 without bumper guards
[Image: orig1977buick507588eo.7152.jpg]
Here's a few shots of the interior of the car in Shining, look at the clock on the passenger side and the hood ornament... The 1977-79 LeSabre and Electra had similar interior and shared the same front bumper but the grille and hood ornament are clearly from a 77-78 Riviera.

[Image: 00020421at.205.jpg][Image: 00020474ex.2519.jpg][Image: 00020492fs.3343.jpg][Image: 0002040l6lh.9438.jpg]

I hope this information will end the confusion about this car! The headlights look round in the movie but in fact, they aren't!

-- Last edit: 2006-04-13 08:51:17

G-MANN UK

2006-04-13 14:53

Finally we have an answer! Well done!

wrenchhead US

2006-04-15 23:28

yes but look at the big square headlights on the referenced car :??:

G-MANN UK

2006-04-20 19:00

I reckon what happened was that snow coated the edges of the headlights giving them a circular appearance.

wrenchhead US

2006-04-20 19:49

And if you push a button it grows wings :lol: A better explanation is that they are round. ;)

-- Last edit: 2006-04-20 19:50:45

Adrian US

2006-12-12 17:21

I do not believe this car in the shining has square headlights. It's in focus, and all 4 lights are round. I found a 1974 Pontiac Catalina that strongly resembles the front-end of this car. The exception is the grille - it's a bit too narrow.

link

-- Last edit: 2006-12-12 17:51:52 (antp)

Adrian US

2006-12-12 17:41

A 1975 Chrysler Newport, also looks quite similar too. The grille and lights are very close. Although the hood ornament and side marker lights/blinkers are not evident on the shining car.

link

-- Last edit: 2006-12-12 17:52:02 (antp)

Adrian US

2006-12-12 17:56

Even better....1976 Chevrolet Impala. Now this is very close.

link

-- Last edit: 2006-12-12 18:10:17 (antp)

Adrian US

2006-12-12 18:06

Another candidate: `75 Chevrolet Caprice.

link

-- Last edit: 2006-12-12 18:10:02 (antp)

skywatcher68 US

2007-12-05 21:30

Chrysler had a digital clock in '75; neither the '75 Caprice nor the '76 Impala had clocks. The '74 Catalina had an optional clock but I don't know where it would be.
'74 Catalina dash: www.pontiacheaven.org/12-27-06_027.jpg
'75 Caprice dash ('76 Imapla was similar): www.lowridermagazine.com/features/0610_lrm_1975_chevrolet_caprice/photo_03.html


-- Last edit: 2007-12-05 21:34:25

Bricklin1990 US

2008-03-22 04:16

Maybe a late 70s Oldsmobile 98? I know they have square headlights, but it's just a suggestion.

philr CA

2008-03-23 19:46

I can't believe there is still a debate over that car! It's a 1977-78 Buick Riviera, 100% sure.

rjluna2 US

2008-09-06 02:14

With the round headlight, I would surmise that either is being filmed in England or Stanley Kubrick altered the headlights for his filming purpose. Comments? :??:

Ray B. FR

2008-09-06 11:48

All the Stanley Kubrick films, (beginning with Lolita I believe) were shot in England.
Of course there would be some second unit shooting in the US if necessary (like the mountain road shots of the first minutes) but as he couldn't direct them himself they were limited to a minimum.

Drujon US

2008-09-08 19:05

It's a Riviera, Filming took place at both Pinewood Studios and Elstree Studios in England and perhaps the reason the lights are round is because they used an export spec Riviera with different headlights that conform to English law, the standard four rectangular lights would have been illegal in GB.

matt trakker

2009-08-31 07:31

I believe these aren't even headlights, but movie effect lamps used in lieu of headlights. The actual headlights of the car would probably produce a blinding glare that would render this shot impossible to take.

I've seen other movie cars like this, here's an Eldorado from "Used Cars"



Sometimes blackout filters are used over the headlights.



They probably didn't think most people would notice and just slapped some round lights on.


-- Last edit: 2009-08-31 08:20:33

rjluna2 US

2010-07-21 01:54

I believed that Stanley Kubrick altered the headlights that he is well known obsession with lighting settings...

Case one, Peter Sellers in "Dr. Strangelove" was interested in the black gloves that Stanley Kubrick used to adjust hot light bulbs during the production...

Another case, that he used the NASA lens to adapted the lighting setting that solely using candlelight power in interior night scenes in "Barry Lyndon" production...

ICieR EN

2014-09-27 14:38

Hi All. I know this is a very late addition to the debate here but it might clarify the identity of the car. I should add that as I live in the UK and don't have a great knowledge of American cars I like to think that I can be completely objective and my observation is based purely on some evidence relating to the film but not visible in it. I was in the Stanley Kubrick archive in London yesterday and while looking at some continuity shots from The Shining I inadvertantly came across a polaroid of a side view of this car driven by Scatman Crothers. The model is clearly visible on the side of the vehicle and it says Riviera! I did ask the archive staff if I could get a copy or take a photo as proof but they wouldn't let me. Sorry, I did try. Hope it resolves the issue here even if there may be some debate remaining on whether Kubrick modified the car for the film
As a request I really would like to know what the makes and models of cars are that appear on the road in the opening sequence as the yellow Beetle drives along the Going to the Sun Road and ends up at the The Overlook. If anyone could help me on that I would be very grateful.

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