1972 Buick Skylark

1972 was the final year for the styling introduced in 1968 when all of General Motor's mid-sized cars began using two different wheelbase sizes, including a shorter 112-inch platform for the two-doors and a longer 116-inch wheelbase for the four-door body styles. For 1973, the Buick Sport Wagons, Gran Sports, and Skylarks were replaced by the new mid-sized Buick Century.

The engines powering the 1972 Skylark were equipped with pollution controls and lower compression levels to comply with new federal emission regulations and to accept leaded and unleaded gas. Another emission reduction feature was the retarding of the spark timing while driving in lower gears. The standard engine was the 350 CID V8 with overhead valves, hydraulic valve lifters, a Rochester 2GV two-barrel carburetor, and delivering 150 (net) horsepower at 3,800 RPM. A four-barrel carbureted version boosted horsepower to 175 and was standard in the Skylark 350. A three-speed manual transmission was standard, and a four-speed manual and Turbo-Hydramatic 350 automatic was optional.

The front end styling of the 1972 Skylark was mildly updated with redesigned bumpers that now included bumper guards as standard. In the back, the taillight and bumper assembly gained black vinyl surrounds. The Skylark script could be found on the rear fenders, joined by a 350 badge when the four-barrel 350 CID V8 was installed in the engine bay. A lower body molding trim traversed the body side and chrome molding was used around the windshield frame and wheelhouse. Standard equipment included a heater and defroster, padded instrument panel, front ashtray, and side terminal energizer battery. The Skylark 350 came standard with Deluxe cloth and vinyl seats, rear ashtrays, armrests, dual horns, Deluxe steering, and carpeting.

Body styles on the Skylark and Skylark 350 included a coupe, priced at $2,930, a hardtop coupe at $3,000, and a sedan at $2,975. The hardtop coupe was the most popular with 84,868 examples built, followed by 42,206 of the sedan and 14,552 of the coupe.

A one-year-only trim option, offered only in conjunction with the Skylark 350 Sport Coupe, was known as the Sun Coupe. It had bright red or gold carpeting, golden emblems on each C-pillar, and a manually operated folding vinyl sunroof. The manual sunroof was also available as a stand-alone option on all three Skylark trim options, including the 'base', Skylark 350, and Skylark Custom, along with the Skylark-based GS. As many as 3,943 examples were equipped with the Sun Coupe option, however, but since Buick did not keep a detailed record of the actual count, some experts believed the actual number was fewer than 1,800 units.

The top trim level on the 1972 Buick Skylark was the Skylark Custom, distinguished by additional exterior trim and a more luxurious interior. It had a grid-textured bright grille, wider rocker panel and wheelhouse moldings, and rear stone guard extensions. The interiors were finished in cloth and vinyl, or all-vinyl. Body styles included a hardtop coupe, sedan, convertible, hardtop sedan, and a sport wagon. The hardtop coupe was priced at $3,260 and 34,271 examples were built. Next in popularity was the Sport Wagon, priced at $3,445 and finding 14,417 willing buyers. The hardtop sedan listed for $3,330 and 12,925 examples were built. The most exclusive was the convertible, priced at $3,400, with 3,608 examples built, followed by the $3,230 sedan with 9,924 examples built.

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