1965 Buick Skylark Convertible
The Skylark was introduced in 1953 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding by David Dunbar Buick. This was meant to be produced as a limited edition off the Roadmaster line. Its design was courtesy of the legendary Harley Earl and was given both style and performance. The appearance was lower than the standard convertibles, an effect that was made possible by altering the body design. Buick's Ventiports, also known as port holes, were absent from the vehicle's fenders.Mounted under the hood was a 322 cubic-inch eight-cylinder engine capable of producing nearly 200 horsepower. Zero-to-sixty took about 12 seconds and it had a top speed just over 100 mph. The 1,690 examples produced during its introductory year all had elegant leather seats plus the addition of many standard features. The following year, in 1954, only 836 units were produced. The Skylark name disappeared in 1955 and would not appear again until 1961. When it did return, Buick used the name on their intermediate sport coupe model. The engine was now a 215 cubic-inch eight-cylinder with a four-barrel carburetor and producing 185 horsepower. By 1963, power had risen to 200. 1965 saw the introduction of special full wheel covers, bright rocker an wheelhouse moldings, full taillights, and emblems on the front fenders, deck lid, and roof quarters.
1965 Buick Skylark Cabriolet
The Skylark was not produced in 1955. This limited production vehicle would not be produced again until 1961. When it did return, Buick had used its name on their intermediate sport-coupe model. Under the hood was a 215 cubic-inch 8-cylinder with a four-barrel carburetor resulting in 185 horsepower. A year later the compression ratio was increased and as a result, so did the horsepower. The Skylark had also gone design changes for 1962, one of them being a Skylark badge now adorning the front fender.By 1963, the 215 cubic-inch engine had finally been tuned enough to produce 200 horsepower. The Skylark emblems could now be found on the vehicles pillars. The performance increase continued in 1964 with the addition of a four-barrel carburetor attached to the 300 cubic-inch 8-cylinder engine. The result was 250 horsepower.
1965 Buick Skylark American retro car
n 1965 Buick debuted the Gran Sport package which, in the years that followed, would become its own series. The 300 cubic-inch two-barrel option produced just over 200 horsepower while the four-barrel version produced 250 horsepower.The muscle car era was beginning to heat up. The cars were becoming smaller and the interior were being gutted to take advantage of weight-saving techniques. The engine cubic-capacities continued to climb and the horsepower-to-weight ratio was astonishing. This was true for the Skylark which saw its engine-size and horsepower climb throughout the years.
By 1968 the engine had been enlarged to 350 cubic inch. Depending on the configuration, the horsepower inched towards the 300 mark. The torque was equally as impressive with 375 foot-pounds for the high-performance engine. 1969 was similar and saw little changes in both its mechanics and its aesthetics.
The muscle car era saw its peak in the 1969 and 1970 years. After that the automobile manufacturers were forced to decrease their engine sizes in order to comply with strict government regulations and safety concerns. Insurance premiums were on the rise and it became economically infeasible for many to continue to own these high-performance machines. All this lead to the general public craving alternatives such as luxury and fuel-efficient vehicles.
1970 was a great year for the Skylark which saw its horsepower come closer to 300 horsepower. With the four-barrel 350 cubic-inch eight-cylinder engine, horsepower was rated at 285. In two barrel form the 350 cubic-inch engine produced an impressive 260 horsepower. For 1971 the horsepower began to decline as Buick began complying with the new government regulations. This trend continued in the years to come. By 1973, the production of the Buick Skylark had ceased. It began again in 1976 sitting atop a 111 wheelbase and offered in seven bodystyles including sport coupe, coupe, sedan, and hatchback. Standard was a 231 cubic-inch six-cylinder engine with a 3.8 bore and a 3.4 stroke and produced 11 horsepower. A 260 cubic-inch eight-cylinder was optional but still produced 110 horsepower. The 350 cubic-inch eight-cylinder brought the horsepower up to 165.