Buick is a part of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors. It was founded by David Dunbar Buick in the year 1903. The Buick Skylark was first introduced to the consumer market in the year 1953. It was introduced as a passenger car and was produced in 8 production runs over the years. The name of the car was inspired by the bird species named Skylark.
Today, we're digging into every aspect of the Revolutionary Buick Skylark; a car that sparked a change in the way we looked at American Muscle.
The First Coming
The first production run for the Buick Skylark began in 1953. It was created to mark the 50th anniversary of Buick Motor company. The first model introduced was the Roadmaster Skylark. This was a 2-door convertible model that featured a 5.3 L Nailhead V8 engine mounted on the front of the car with the rear wheels being driven.
The new things featured in the Skylark at the time which were different from the rest of the models of the cars being produced included an array of optional extras which included things like the power windows, full carpeting, power brakes, and a “Selectronic” AM radio set. This was not all. The engine used in the Skylark was the newly developed Nailhead V8 as opposed to the longstanding straight 8 engines being used in the other models from Buick. It also had a new 12 Volt electrical system. Both of these were division firsts of the time.
Apart from the stamping from the hood, a portion of the convertible tub and the trunk lid from the Roadmaster and the Super convertibles, the rest of the vehicle was hand-built. The Skylark was also styled to suit the features and amenities provided. It featured a full cut out wheel and a Sweepspear running the length of the car which accentuated the low profile of the car. The streamlined look was continued on the car by cutting the windshield by 3 inches and putting the seats, steering, side windows, and the convertible tub proportionally lower than the roadmaster. The rear of the car showed a semi barrel design and the taillights moved to large chromed fins projecting from the top of the fenders.
The Skylark’s major competitors at the time were the Oldsmobile 98 fiesta and the Cadillac Series 62 El Dorado. But, the skylark had outdone the sales figures of its competitors by selling 1690 units. The listed price for the Skylark at the time was US$5000 which was over 50% more than the top variant of the Roadmaster convertible on which the Skylark was based on. The year 1954 saw the cancellation of the model resulting from poor sales figures and higher pricing.
Buick Special Skylark: Rebirth of the Skylark
1961 saw a rebirth of the skylark with Buick introducing the Buick Special Skylark. This came with a wide choice of body designs to choose from, the 2-door convertible, 2-door hardtop, 2-door coupe, and the 4-door station wagon. This year of the skylark production also saw a change with the two-barrel carburetor V8 being replaced by a four-barrel version which boosted the power from 155 hp to 185 hp. The 1961 - 1963 models came standard with a 3.2 L V6 and could be also bought with a 3.5 L V8. It also came with transmission options of a 2 speed automatic, a 3-speed manual, or a 4-speed manual transmission.
The 1963 model adopted a new boxier styling while still using the chassis from the previous models. This caused an increase in the length of the car by 5 inches. This model was also discontinued in the year 1963.
First Gen Skylark
The 1963 model was discontinued to introduce the new variant of the car named the First generation Skylark. The new 1964 model of Skylark came with a 115 in wheelbase. With the introduction of the first generation of the Skylark, the aluminum block V8 was discontinued and the Rover V8 was introduced. It also used an intermediate-sized chassis which it shared with the Oldsmobile F-85, Pontiac Tempest, and the Chevy Chevelle.
The new engine put into the car was a 3.6 L all-iron-cast block V6 with a Rochester 1-barrel carburetor with a power output of 15 Hp at 4400 rpm. Other engine options included a 4.9 L V8 with a cast-iron block, aluminum headers, and a Rochester 2-barrel carburetor that gave out 210 Hp at 4600 rpm. It also came with the same engine being used at a compression ratio of 11:1 with a 4-barrel carburetor, giving out 250 Hp at 4600 rpm. Transmission options included an optional 4-speed, long-throw Hurst shifter.
A gran sports variant was made available in the year 1965 which was offered as a hardtop, coupe, or convertible. Further variants were introduced through the years abiding by the newer laws and legislation being introduced. The 1967 model showed the dual circuit hydraulic brakes, 4-way hazard flashers, softer interior surfaces, shoulder belt mountings, and many more rule compliant features.
Second Generation Skylark
The second-generation Skylark introduced in the year 1968 came in a two-door hardtop coupe or a four-door sedan variant with a 112 and 116 in wheelbase respectively. The basic engine spec offered in this generation was the 4.1 L Chevy Inline 6 engine that gave a power output of 115 Hp at 4200 rpm. The Special Gran Sport package available as an option became a standard and separate series using a 6.6 L V8 producing 340 Hp mounted in a two-door Skylark body and chassis.
In 1971, the power output of the inline-6 engine had to be reduced to 145 Hp to comply with the emission norms. Another variant made available in this time duration was the Skylark 350. Getting its name from the 350 CID V8 engine is used, it was available as a two-door hardtop or a four-door coupe. Complying with the emission norms, the Skylark 350 also had a power output of just 230 Hp.
Third Generation Skylark
In 1973, Buick started production of the Buick Apollo. After many years of restyling and modifications, in the year 1975, the two-door hatchback sedan and the two-door sedan were renamed Skylark, whereas the four-door sedans remained Apollo. Initially, the skylark had the 3.8 L V6 engines in which were then replaced by the 4.3 L V8 engines which were also discontinued in the year 1976.
For a short period of time between 1977 and 1981, Buick Skylarks were also assembled in Iran. These were equipped with 5.7 L engines and were fully equipped with top specs like power windows, etc. These cars were based on the “X-body” platform from General Motors.
Fourth Generation Skylark
The “X-Body” platform continued through the fourth generation Skylarks which came with the new 2.8 L V6 engines made specifically for the x- cars. The fourth-generation came out in two or four-door sedan-type body styles and in the base, sport, or limited variants. The 2-barrel Rochester Carburetors were brought back which helped the skylark produce 115 hp at 4800 rpm.
The Fourth-gen skylark came with a 4-speed manual transmission as standard along with a 3-speed automatic transmission as an optional extra.
Fifth Generation Skylark
The fifth-generation Skylark showed a massive improvement in the engine by replacing the 2.8 L carbureted Chevy V6 with a 3.0 L multi-port fuel-injected Buick V6 that produced 125 Hp at 4900 rpm. This engine was coupled with a three-speed automatic gearbox.
The Skylark’s badge was maintained along with many variants of the car being put out like the Luxury Edition, the S/E package, the gran sport package, and so on. The LE came with a vinyl roof and a luxurious and posh interior. This generation of the Skylark ended in 1991 with the minor mechanical fixes and an optional 3.3 L V6.
Sixth Generation Skylark: The Last Skylark in Production
This generation of the Skylark showed significant changes in the styling and the aerodynamics of the car. With the new pointed grille, the drag coefficient had reduced to 0.319 from 0.374 of the previous generation. The base engine provided with the car was a 2.3 L Quad OHC that gave out 160 Hp at 5200 rpm which was coupled with a three-speed automatic gearbox.
The production of the Skylark ended on 4th December 1997.
Starting out in 1953 as the 50th-anniversary special car, the Buick Skylark has upgraded over the years to produce pretty interestingly fun to drive cars and has ended with the sixth-generation Buick Skylark in the year 1998. It has seen many changes in the body styling, the engine, and the fuel system to end its journey in 1998.