Because I know you were all wondering what those portholes were officially called by Buick. (Or maybe not, as I just Googled the term and came up with nada. Maybe that's just what the AMT model-making company called them.)

[Commenter rkcoker alludes to the correct term below, although Buick itself spelled it "Venti-Ports" in this 1949 brochure. -tterrace]

The submarines I rode on back in the 70's had tubes installed in their sides for torpedo evasion and they were instantly named "Buick Ventiports" by the crew.

V-8, 12 volt electrical system and factory air-conditioning in the Supers and Roadmasters. The Special used a smaller body shared with all Oldsmobiles and would soldier on with the obsolete Fireball straight 8 for one more year.

This mid-century knockout, the car that is, had 3 holes (ports) on its sides. The top of the line Roadmaster had 4, see the attached image. I have 2 friends, who do not know each other, who for the last 50 years or so have owned only Buicks. The status car in China is now the Buick and they're built in Shanghai.

The Riviera name means "hardtop". I had one of these in the late eighties and the nineties. It combined the gas mileage of a Hummer with the get-up-and-go of a Beetle.

On the other hand, it is a beautiful car.

My Papa, born in 1899 and passed in 2001, loved his Buicks! I remember him showing off his new Buicks though the years. Amazingly, this car still looks sharp, wonder what happened to the company? Thanks for sparking memories of my wonderful Grandfather on this day!

The swooshy trim, the 3-holer, the shape of the fenders and hood -- is this the same car as Born Too Late's in-laws', seen here (same year, 1953)?

[Martha's ride is a Super; BTL's is a Special. - Dave]

My Nana had a 1953 Buick Super hardtop. Navy blue over light blue. Matching leather inside, with Dynaflow automatic, PS, PB. Every afternoon she would stop at our house in small-town Michigan, toss me the keys, and say, "Take it around the block."

I was 11 years old.

At this point Martha was between husbands 4 and 5 (of 7).