The Buick Skylark is a passenger car formerly produced by Buick. The model was made in six production runs, during 46 years, over which the car's design varied dramatically due to changing technology, tastes, and new standards implemented over the years. It was named for the species of bird called skylark.
The Skylark name first appeared on a limited production luxury convertible using the Buick Roadmaster's chassis for two years, then was reintroduced in 1961 as a higher luxury content alternative to the entry-level Buick Special on which the Skylark was based. It was then positioned as Buick's luxury performance model when the Buick GSX was offered. As GM began downsizing during the late 1970s, the Skylark became the entry-level model when the Special nameplate was used as a trim package designation, then in the 1980s was offered as a front-wheel-drive vehicle where it was both a coupe and sedan for three different generations.
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1953–1954
Created to mark Buick's 50th anniversary, the Roadmaster Skylark joined the Oldsmobile 98 Fiesta and Cadillac Series 62 Eldorado as top-of-the-line, limited-production specialty convertibles introduced in 1953 by General Motors to promote its design leadership. Of the three, the Skylark's run of 1,690 units proved the most successful, and a sales feat considering the car's 1953 list price of slightly in excess of US$5,000 ($ in dollars ) was over 50% more than the US$3,200 Roadmaster convertible on which it was based ($ in dollars ). It was comparable in price to the 1953 Packard Caribbean with a similar retail price. Only air conditioning was not offered, unnecessary in either convertible. which included wheel cutouts that could be painted in a contrasting color to the body's. The trunk was sloped into a semi-barrel, and tail lights moved to large chromed fins projecting atop the rear fenders.
Re-designated Buick Skylark Model 100, the car was based on the all-new shorter Century/Special series 40 chassis and not the larger series 60 Roadmaster/Super chassis, also all-new for 1954. Once again, all Skylarks were built as 2-door convertibles and carried the same luxury equipment as before, but front leg room dropped .
|width = it featured unique Skylark emblems, taillight housings, lower-body side moldings, turbine wheel covers, and a vinyl-covered roof. 1961 Skylarks featured three Ventiports on each fender. A plush "Cordaveen" all-vinyl interior was standard, with bucket seats available as an option. Instrumentation was minimal, consisting of only a speedometer and fuel gauge.
The Skylark replaced the Special's standard aluminum block two-barrel carburetor V8 with a higher compression ratio four-barrel version that boosted power from at 4600 rpm to .
thumb|left|1962 Buick Skylark Sport Coupe
For the 1962 model year, the Skylark became a model in its own right. It used the previous year's basic sheet metal but was available in two new body styles: a two-door convertible coupe (shared with the Special and Special Deluxe models) and a two-door (pillarless) hardtop unique to it. Tuning of the 215-cubic-inch V8 increased power to at 4800 rpm. In 1962, the Skylark Special was also the first American car to use a V6 engine in volume production; it earned Motor Trends Car of the Year for 1962. This 198 cid Fireball V6 was engineered down from the 215 and used many of the same design parameters, but was cast in iron. Output was 135 hp (gross) at 4600 rpm and at 2400 rpm. In their test that year, Road & Track was impressed with Buick's "practical" new V6, saying it "sounds and performs exactly like the aluminum V8 in most respects."
In 1963, the Special's body was restyled and minor changes made to the interior, particularly to the dash and instrument cluster. The 1963 Special was available as a two-door pillared hardtop coupe, a four dour sedan, a convertible, and a station wagon. Engine choices were a standard V6 with a twin-barrel carburetor and an optional V8 with (two-barrel) or more powerful four-barrel ( in 1962, in 1963).
Second generation (1964–1967)
left|thumb|1964 Skylark coupe
thumb|left|1965 Skylark sedan
thumb|left|1966 Skylark Convertible
Beginning with the 1964 model year, the Skylark trim level had enough sales to merit its own separate line. The Gran Sport featured Buick's 401-cubic-inch "Nailhead" V8 with a Carter 4-barrel carburetor that produced at 4400 rpm,
| length = 2-door coupe, hardtop and convertible<br/> 4-door sedan<br/> station wagon
| width = 2-door coupe, hardtop and convertible<br/> 4-door sedan and station wagon
| weight =
|related=Acadian Beaumont<br/>Buick Special<br/>Chevrolet Chevelle<br/>Pontiac Tempest<br/>Pontiac LeMans<br/>Oldsmobile F-85<br/>Oldsmobile Cutlass<br/>Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme<br/>(performance coupes)<br/>Pontiac GTO<br/>Oldsmobile Hurst/Olds<br/>Buick GSX<br/>Chevrolet Chevelle SS<br/>(coupe utility)<br/>Chevrolet El Camino<br/>GMC Sprint
The 1968 model year was one of significant change for the Buick Skylark. Although still using the same basic chassis, all of GM's mid-sized cars adopted a policy of using two different length wheelbases. Two-door models used a shorter wheelbase of , while four-door models used a longer wheelbase of 116 in (the Buick Sport Wagon and Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser used an even longer wheelbase of 121 in). All of GM's mid-sized cars received all-new sheet metal, incorporating a semi-fastback appearance, which was a revival of a streamlining on all GM products from 1942 until 1950 as demonstrated on the Buick Super Club Coupe (sedanette), that showed influences from the restyled Riviera. More Federally mandated safety features improved occupant protection and accident avoidance, including side marker lights, shoulder belts (on all models built after January 1, 1968), and parking lights that illuminated with headlights.
| class = Compact
| body_style = 2/4-door sedan<br/>2-door hatchback
| platform = X-body
| layout = FR layout
| engine = Buick V6<br/> Oldsmobile V8<br/> Pontiac V8 <br/> Chevrolet V8 <br/> Buick V8 <br/> Chevrolet V8
| transmission =
| aka =
| related =
When GM's compact X-body platform was extensively restyled for the 1975 model year, Buick retained the Apollo name for their four-door sedan, while their two-doors (hatchback and sedan) were both rechristened "Skylark".
thumb|left|1976 Buick Skylark 2-door
left|thumb|1976 Buick Skylark sedan
left|thumb|1977 Buick Skylark S/R sedan
Both the Apollo and the Skylark were available in Base and S/R versions; the S/R (Sports/Rallye) being European-inspired and more upscale. The Skylark sedan was also available as a very plain, lower-priced Skylark "S" with minimal interior and exterior trim.
Gone since 1968, the "VentiPorts" design element reappeared, integrated into the front half of the rub strip that ran the length of the vehicle.
The Skylark was available in two- or four-door sedan bodystyles, and in base, Sport, or Limited trims. The standard 2.5 L Iron Duke 4 used a 2-barrel Rochester carburetor and produced at 4000 rpm. The optional 2.8 L V6 also used a 2-barrel Rochester carburetor and produced at 4800 rpm. A four-speed manual overdrive transaxle was standard with a three-speed automatic transaxle as an option.
thumb|left|1983–1984 Buick Skylark Custom, rear view
For the 1982 model year, the base 2.5 L engine received throttle body fuel injection (TBI). The optional 2.8 L V6 was joined by a more powerful high-output version that produced at 5400 rpm. Also for the 1982 model year, the Skylark received a mild facelift in the form of a new grille (the front parking lamps moved from outside the headlights to inside). In model year 1983, the base Skylark became the Skylark Custom. The Sport model was replaced by the T-Type, which was available only as a two-door coupe and came with the high-output version of the 2.8 L V6 engine as standard equipment.
In 1985, the last year of production, the X-body Skylark was available only as a four-door sedan in Custom or Limited trim, as the two-door coupe was replaced by Buick's new Somerset Regal coupe, built on GM's new N-body platform, shared with Pontiac's revived Grand Am and the new Oldsmobile Calais. For 1985 the grille was again redesigned, as was the rear. The taillights were wider and the license plate was moved down to the bumper, while a "Buick" plate appeared where the license plate had been on previous model years.