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1964 Buick Skylark

Buick's introduction of the Skylark in 1953 coincided with the arrival of Oldsmobiles 98 Fiesta and Cadillac's Series 62 Eldorado. These top-of-the-line, limited-production convertibles were built to celebrate Buick's 50th anniversary and to promote General Motors' design leadership. Buick built 1,690 examples of the Skylark in 1953 and 836 the following year. When Buick introduced its 1955 lineup, the Skylark name was noticeably absent, and it would lay dormant until 1961. When it did return, its role was completely different, serving as a compact car with similar mechanical components and sheet metal as the Pontiac Tempest, Oldsmobile F-85, and the Buick Special. Although more utilitarian in purpose than pomp and circumstance, the Skylark's popularity had grown considerably, with total sales for 1961 reaching nearly 13,000 units.

While the 1961 Skylark had been a part of the 'Special' model line, the 1962 Skylark became a model in its own right, positioned above the Special and offered as a hardtop and a convertible. A minor restyling and updates to the interior were applied in 1963 before more dramatic changes were made for the 1964 model year.

The 1964 Buick Skylark

The 1964 Buick model lineup included the entry-level 'Special' and 'Special Deluxe,' the intermediate Skylark, and the full-size LeSabre. The Wildcat was a more luxurious, better appointed, and sportier interpretation of Buick's full-size model, and the Electra 225 rested on the largest platform available (with a three-inch larger wheelbase than the Electra 225 and LeSabre).

The 1964 Buick Skylark rested on a new 115-inch wheelbase intermediate-size chassis, derived from the lower-priced Special, and was shared with the Pontiac Tempest, the Chevrolet Chevelle, and the Oldsmobile F-85. The previous 215 cubic-inch displacements, aluminum-block V8 engine was discontinued, and replaced by a new 225 cubic-inch, all-cast-iron-block V6 with a Rochester one-barrel carburetor that delivered 155 horsepower at 4,400 RPM. The optional 300 CID V8 had hydraulic valve lifters, aluminum heads, a cast-iron block, five main bearings, a two-barrel Rochester carburetor, 9.0:1 compression, and delivered 210 horsepower at 4,600 RPM. With higher compression (11:1) and a four-barrel carburetor, output rose to 250 bhp. A three-speed manual transmission was standard, and a long-throw, 4-speed Hurst shifter was optional, as was a Turbine 300 automatic.

Body styles included a four-door sedan at $2,670, a sport coupe priced at $2,680, and a convertible at $2,835. This was the first year the Skylark could be purchased as a four-door sedan. The most popular was the sport coupe with 42,356 examples built, followed by 19,635 for the sedan and 10,255 for the convertible.

Both the Skylark and its lower-priced sibling, the Special, wore more flowing bodywork with the Skylark distinguished by a higher level of brightwork, ornamentation, and interior trim. The Skylark emblem was positioned on the roof quarters of the sport coupe and sedan, and on the rear fenders of the convertible. Another round emblem was placed in the deck cove. The Sport Coupes had twin bright strips on the roof, and all Skylark body styles had bright rocker moldings, wider bodyside moldings, and a brushed metallic insert. The well-appointed interiors included instrument panel safety padding, paddle-type armrests, full carpeting, and a Skylark steering wheel. The sedan had cloth-and-vinyl seats as standard, and an all-vinyl interior with bucket seats was standard for the convertible and optional for the other body styles.

Buick applied minor styling and mechanical updates through 1967 on the Skylark before significant changes arrived for 1968. A Gran Sport option became available in mid-1965, available as a hardtop, coupe, or convertible. Standard equipment included a 401 cubic-inch V8 with a Carter four-barrel carburetor that delivered 325 horsepower. Buick's sales literature described this engine as having a 400 cubic-inch capacity to elude a General Motors limit of 400 CID in intermediate-sized cars.

The Skylark would remain in production through 1998, serving several different roles during that time including as the company's entry-level model, and then in the 1980s, it was offered as a front-wheel-drive vehicle.

by Dan Vaughan

Convertible
Chassis number: 3K7039634

This 1964 Buick Skylark convertible is finished in bright red with a red interior and a power white convertible top. It has its original numbers matching 300 cubic-inch V8 engine offering 210 horsepower. There is a Super Turbine 300 2-speed automatic transmission, factory AM push-button ratio, power steering, factory Rally wheels, and Redline tires.

by Dan Vaughan

Sedan
Chassis number: 3K1071237

This 1964 Buick Skylark coupe has an eight-cylinder engine, an automatic transmission, power windows, factory air conditioning, and 64,000 miles on the odometer.

by Dan Vaughan

Sport Coupe
Chassis number: ck8010810

This 1964 Buick Skylark Sport Coupe was custom-built by Ron's Street Rods of Lodi Wisconsin. Beneath the hood is a GM crate LS3 V-8 engine with 430 HP and paid with a new 6L80E 6-speed GM automatic transmission. There is an aluminum radiator, an Auburn 3.73 Positraction differential, Borgeson power steering, Wilwood front disc brakes, QA1 suspension with coilovers and sway bar, Pypes dual exhaust, and an Old Air heat and air conditioning system.

The exterior wears a custom Black paint and the interior contains restored bucket seat interior with updated console. There is a Dakota Digital dash, Newport engineering wiper motor, Tinted windows, and new US Mag 17 inch chrome wheels.

by Dan Vaughan

In 1953 Buick introduced the Skylark - a vehicle built to celebrate the company's 50th anniversary and intended to be produced as a limited edition off of the Roadmaster line. Designed by the famous Harley Earl, the car had style and performance. The vehicle appeared to be lower than the standard convertibles, this was due to the body design. Ventiports, also known as portholes, were absent from the vehicle. Under the hood was a 322 cubic-inch 8 cylinder engine capable of producing nearly 190 horsepower. Only available as a convertible, this 4300-pound vehicle had a top speed of just over 100 miles-per-hour and a zero-to-sixty time of around 12 seconds. The interior was elegant, with leather seats and many standard features. During the introductory year, 1690 examples were created making it a highly collectible vehicle even by today's standards.

Even fewer examples were produced in 1954, with just 836 examples. The engine was still the 322 cubic-inch eight-cylinder Nailhead except it was now producing 200 horsepower. A chrome tailfin could now be found at the rear of the vehicle, a unique design that was new at the time. The DynaFlow automatic transmission, air conditioning, and Kelsey-Hayes 40-spoke rims were just some of the standard equipment. Of the 836 examples produced in 1954, it is believed that less than 50 exist today.

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 vehicle 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.

In 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 was 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 inches. 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 unfeasible for many to continue to own these high-performance machines. All this leads 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 the 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 body styles 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.

Production of the Skylark continued until 1997.

by Dan Vaughan