The personal luxury car was a hot segment for decades, and Buick’s longtime entry into the segment was the Riviera. For years, it offered buyers an upscale coupe with plenty of room for passengers at a price below the luxury marques. It also served as a test bed for Buick’s most promising technologies. In 1986, the Riviera became the first production car to come with touchscreen controls mounted in the dashboard.
While the styling of the dashboard itself is conservative for the ’80s and bog standard for a Buick of the era, the screen in the center of some models was akin to something from “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” Built at a time long before flat screens ruled our world, this touchscreen used a Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) similar to those of all the old boxy TV sets commonplace until the 2000s. It worked as a multi-function device much like modern touchscreens but with less sophisticated graphics. It controlled the audio system and climate controls, and could display readings from the rudimentary engine electronics of the day as well as trip computer, diagnostics, and economy readings. This was paired with a digital gauge cluster that numerically displayed speed and engine monitors. Today, it looks decidedly old and slim on available functions, but in 1986, it was the future.
