Production Dream Car: 1953 Buick Skylark
A production dream car! When you could drive home a Motorama dream car, a limited-production 1953 Buick Skylark.
Buick turned 50 years old in 1953 and celebrated its birthday in style. The company delayed the release of its new V-8 until this model year, improved the Dynaflow (which some had called “Dyna-slush”), updated its B- and C-body cars for the final time in that styling cycle and released the new Skylark, a sporty-looking, limited-production, factory-customized model.
Buick’s new “Fireball” V-8 displaced 322 cubic inches in its original form, and when installed in the Skylark or Roadmaster, it produced its maximum horsepower of 188 units at 4,000 rpm. For comparison, the V-8 for the Super series, equipped with a two-barrel carburetor and with a compression ratio of 8.0:1, was rated at 170 hp at 4,000 rpm. Performance of the Skylark-Roadmaster engine was better due to a four-barrel carburetor and a higher compression ratio of 8.5:1. The basic engine was used by Buick through 1966. Incidentally, the old 263-cid straight-eight still powered the Special, but it received an improved combustion chamber resulting in slightly higher horsepower.
A “Twin-Turbine Dynaflow” helped deliver 10 percent more torque to the rear wheels. It felt less “slushy” and was also quieter than the original design.
Styling refinements for the 1953 Buick line included a raised front fender and hood line and a taller deck. Oval headlamp bezels, much like those of the 1951 Buick XP-300 concept car, were also included.
The Skylark was inspired by drawings penned by designer Ned Nickles showing a customized 1951 Buick convertible. Buick’s general manager, Ivan Wiles, liked Nickles’ ideas so much he thought a special show car, which was dubbed “Skylark,” should be built for the 1952 auto show circuit. According to the book, “The Buick: A Complete History”, by Terry Dunham and Lawrence Gustin, the prototype was first shown to the public in July of 1952. The Skylark prototype, equipped with Carlo Borrani wire wheels, was claimed to be the “answer to the European sports car,” though how such a big car could be labeled a sports car seems beyond explanation today. However, most of the American public had little familiarity with true sports cars, which handled and performed far differently than any of the heavy “land yachts” of the era. The Skylark had some sporty attributes and evidently that was enough to justify the sports car label.
A Buick press release said the Skylark would be put into production if there was enough interest shown in it. In reality, though, it was already scheduled for production. The model was announced in October 1952 and production commenced the following January. Deliveries to dealers began some weeks later. Along with the limited-production Oldsmobile Fiesta, Cadillac Eldorado and Chevrolet Corvette convertibles, the Skylark was the focus of its General Motors division’s display at the 1953 GM Motorama. These convertibles were show cars that people could actually take home, unlike the exotic dream cars also on display at the Motorama.
Based on the Roadmaster convertible, the body of the Skylark (Model 76X) received a “chopped” windshield instead of the wraparound type as found on the Fiesta and Eldorado, a lowered and notched beltline and radiused rear wheel openings. A “bomb sight” hood ornament was recessed into the hood and the now-traditional Buick “Ventiports” were deleted from the front fenders. The top of the front seat was lowered to align exactly with the beltline, resulting in a car that appeared dramatically lower as compared to other 1953 Buick models. Indeed, it was about 3 inches lower. Just as GM’s dream cars were predictive of future styling characteristics, the Skylark was, too, since Buick’s 1954 models would get radiused wheel openings and the sweepspear trim. The 1953 Skylark’s special body sat on a Roadmaster chassis with a wheelbase of 127 inches.
Enhancing the sporty look of the production version of the Skylark was a set of 40-spoke, chrome-plated Kelsey-Hayes wire wheels. (These wheels were an extra-cost option for other Buick models.) Its radiused rear wheel openings helped to show off the glittering wheels. Sweeping over the wheel openings was what advertising described as a “rapier styled sweepspear” molding unique to this model. The sweepspear would soon become a calling card appearing in one form or another on Buick’s cars into the 1970s. Its shape helped to highlight the fender line that flowed into the door and the hopped-up quarters.
In addition to the wire wheels, standard equipment for the Skylark included tinted glass, whitewall tires, leather upholstery with narrow pleats, special carpeting, foot-controlled signal-seeking “Selectronic” radio, tinted glass, heater, power brakes, power steering, power seat, power windows, power antenna, power top (which was of synthetic Orlon) and Skylark-scripted door sill plates along with the 188-hp 322 four-barrel V-8 and the Twin-Turbine Dynaflow transmission. Furthermore, the owner’s signature was sealed into the gold-colored emblem placed on the steering wheel hub. With a price tag of $5,000, the special model was priced nearly $1,500 more than a Roadmaster convertible and about $700 more than a Cadillac Series Sixty Special.
One prototype 1953 Skylark hardtop was built (though two have been claimed to have been built) by Buick Engineering in Flint. However, the roofline combined with the dipped beltline appeared awkward, and no production versions were forthcoming.
Sales for the 1953 Buicks were exceptionally strong. A total of 488,805 were sold, the second best output in Buick’s history and over 50 percent more than the number produced for 1952. Of those nearly half-million Buicks, only 1,690 were Skylarks.
One of those, the car shown here, is owned by Rick Smith, of Longview, Texas. Rick is well-known among restorers of 1950s Cadillacs, though he recently retired from his parts supplying business and sold off most of his parts, parts cars and some of his collection of cars (including another 1953 Skylark) at an auction held in 2018.
Smith has owned this Skylark for more than 20 years, although the opportunity to finally restore the car occurred only about eight years ago. The car came from a Buick dealer in Alabama who drove the car in the 1970s.
The Skylark returned for 1954, but was based on a production body which helped to lower its price. The car’s rear styling was unique to the model, making it a standout. Only 798 were built and the proposed 1955 Skylark never went beyond the drawing board.
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