Which American car manufacturer introduced the first production car with a touchscreen infotainment system? Buick did, with the 1986 Buick Riviera.
The Riviera’s Graphic Control Center used a dash-mounted 9-inch monochrome CRT touchscreen. It controlled functions that modern drivers associate with infotainment, including the stereo and climate system, while also displaying trip-computer information, vehicle diagnostics, and maintenance reminders.
This was not a navigation screen or a smartphone-style display. It was an early integrated vehicle computer, and its touch-sensitive interface was unusually advanced for the mid-1980s. The technology was introduced in the sixth-generation Riviera and later appeared in related General Motors luxury cars, including the Oldsmobile Toronado and Cadillac Eldorado and Seville.
A common mix-up is the Buick Reatta, which also became known for a touchscreen but arrived in 1988. The Riviera came first; its pioneering system was impressive technically but proved difficult for customers to use and did not become a lasting market success.