Sign Me Up for the Vinyl Top
by Chip Aeppli #5913, President of Board of Trustees
I love a car adorned with a vinyl top. Some cars clearly look
nice without it, but for others it’s just that extra kiss of styling.
It makes your car look better, fancier than other cars.
This may be false, but the story handed down when you live
in the Midwest is that vinyl tops were protection against hail
damage. Has anyone else heard of such a thing or been convinced to add one on
that basis?
I’m a child of the ’70s when vinyl tops or partial landau tops were in peak popularity.
When I was growing up, our LeSabre
two-door had the landau, so I was hooked
from a young age. They were first offered on
Rivieras in 1965. My ’71 has the full-length
vinyl top, and my ’78 has the full-length padded
vinyl top. And, how I love to see those
early-’80s Rivs with a landau top. Classy and
gorgeous—they defined ’80’s styling.
Vinyl tops, those landau gems, would continue as an option on Rivieras through
1993. These smaller versions were sleeker than their predecessors, but still sporting
some chrome, wire wheel covers, and optional landau tops. To me, they get
more attractive every year. Only the last generation Riviera didn’t receive such
treatment. Thank you, Riv owners, for keeping those vinyl tops looking great!
Memories
By Ray Knott #1, Director/Editor
ray@rivowners.org
Having the opportunity to prepare the Riview, I frequently
hear from members who have been influenced by memories
of Rivieras. Many showcase articles start with seeing
an impressionable Riviera as a child. In some cases, it was seen in the neighborhood
or driven by a family member. In all cases, they were attracted to the car
and hoped one day to own one.
We also have many members who own Rivieras that were passed down from
parents or family members. The car holds a special meaning to those members.
One of the most famous examples is TV and movie star Mark Harmon, best
known for his role in the TV show NCIS. Years ago, as I watched the TV show
Reasonable Doubts that ran from 1991-93, I noticed that Mark Harmon, who
played the part of a Prosecutor’s Investigator, drove a white ’63 Riviera in the
show. I reached out to Harmon through the show to introduce him to the ROA.
I was surprised to hear from Mark and discovered that he drove his personal car
in the show. Mark joined ROA and shared that the car was originally owned by
his father Tom Harmon. His father was an NFL Heisman trophy winner who
played as a tailback for the LA Rams and later was a sports commentator. After
a nationwide search, Mark located his father’s original car, had it restored and
proudly drove it in the TV show.
