The Buick Reatta was never a famous model for automakers but was actually a pretty cool two-door grand tourer that was produced in very limited numbers. During its four years of production, fewer than 20,000 examples of the coupe variant were assembled, making it increasingly difficult to find one in good condition these days. But even if you buy one that has been abandoned for more than a decade, a detailing specialist can help you return it to its factory look.
This is what the professional detailers from WD Detailing do with this Buick Reatta. In the video at the top of this page, you can watch the entire process of cleaning, washing and polishing the two-door Buick and returning it to its proper factory look. Even though the clip is 35 minutes long, it is one of those videos that we can watch without missing a second.
To some extent, it’s because we have a soft spot for Reatta. Sure, that’s not surprising in terms of performance with its naturally aspirated 3.8-liter V6 engine mated to three different four-speed automatic transmissions depending on the model year, but it had equipment that was very innovative for its time. After the 1990 redesign, for example, all Reattas have driver airbags, ABS systems, automatic headlights and cup holders mounted on the front armrests between the front seats.
Even more impressively, the Reatta of the first two model years featured a touchscreen computer interface, very similar in concept to today’s infotainment systems. Of course, the system was much more primitive and provided only the basic radio and climate control functions, a trip computer, an overspeed alarm, etc., but it was quite impressive for the era when the Reatta was built. The example shown in the video here also has this touchscreen function.
Overall, only 21,751 Reattas were assembled between 1988 and 1991, of which 2,437 were convertibles. It’s great to see one of the early units getting the attention it deserves and finally starting to look almost like a brand new car.
