Parked outside his son Lou's heritage home, Domenic Colangelo proudly holds the trophy he was awarded at the Markham Car Show.
Domenic Colangelo: Wheels Reader
Occupation: 45-year East York custom upholstery business owner
The Car: 1973 Buick Riviera Gran Sport
Tony Colangelo is telling this Eye Candy story on behalf of his father, who has been an inspiration for his proud sons, Lou, Tony and Robert.
My father has always been a fan of cars, particularly Buicks.
His 1973 two-door Buick Riviera is our entire family’s automotive pride and joy. I still remember the day he bought it at City Buick, in North York, a popular place for him to take me and my brothers to have a sneak peek at the new cars on the lot.
One day we’ll get to drive dad’s car. Tony Colangelo, in the driver’s seat, and little brother Robert, on his bike, pose for a picture with their father Domenic’s 1973 Buick Riviera about 40 years ago
Although the Riviera was a daily driver for many years, these days it’s more of a fun and festive vehicle driven for special occasions, such as participating in the East York Canada Day Parade, for display at the Markham car show, and on Sunday and holiday cruises.
It’s always a special event when our dad and mother, Lina, come to visit family, as they both take great pride and pleasure in the company of their cherished grandchildren, Domenic, Anthony, Laura, Andrew, Michael, and Sarah, on a clear summer day, or any day for that matter.
This generation Riviera is a real eye catcher, with its unique “boat-tail” styling and smooth sculpted design.
When he pulls into our driveways, my brothers and I still get a thrill and enjoy hearing the sound of that 265 hp 455 cubic inch engine.
Domenic Colangelo’s 1973 Buick Riviera Gran Sport has an elegantly commanding look. It’s a well maintained car equipped with all the options available in its day, like air conditioning, power steering, power windows, power seats and cruise control, all of which still work perfectly.
It came very well equipped with many modern conveniences, like air conditioning, power steering, power windows, power seats and cruise control. All these options still work fine to this day. These cars were engineered to last, as the engine has never been rebuilt and can still smoke the tires!
Our father’s passion for cars, as well as his work ethic and family values, has inspired all three of his sons to build our careers in engineering fields, and that has even been incorporated in our family business named “Skylark”.
So on a clear day in the summer, keep an eye out for Domenic and his ‘73 Riviera cruising the streets of Markham!
Bucket seats, a centre console gear shift lever and a sprawling dashboard and instrument panel gives this Riviera a comfortable appearance and feel.
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Keyword: Eye Candy: 1973 Buick Riviera Gran Sport