As part of their 50th anniversary celebration in 1953, Buick introduced the Buick Skylark, a convertible based on the flagship Buick Roadmaster. The Skylark came with a three-inch shorter windshield than the limited-production Roadmaster, giving it a sleeker, more streamlined appearance and better aerodynamics. The Skylark had hand-finished bodywork, resulting in a sticker price just over $5,000, well in excess of the Roadmaster’s $3,200 price tag and more than double that of the average new Chevy.
The 1953 Buick Skylark was powered by the new 322 cubic-inch Fireball Nailhead V8 that replaced the Buick Straight 8. Backing the new 188-horsepower Fireball was the Dynaflow automatic transmission, adding to the Skylark’s luxury allure. As it was built using the Roadmaster as a base, the Skylark could be had with the same list of luxury options, including the Selectronic AM radio, power brakes, power windows, 40-spoke Kelsey Hayes wire wheels, and full carpeting. Though the Skylark had two corporate cousins in the Cadillac Series 62 Eldorado and the Oldsmobile 98 Fiesta, it handily outsold both, with 1,640 Buick Skylarks leaving the factory for the 1953 model year.
Our feature 1953 Buick Skylark, #1,231, has been the subject of a fastidious restoration with well over $350,000 invested. During the restoration, most of the original hardware and fasteners were blasted, plated, and reused. It is finished in Majestic White with a black cloth convertible top over a red and white Hampton Coach interior. It is powered by the original 322 cubic-inch Fireball V8 backed by the two-speed automatic Dynaflow transmission. The Skylark is equipped with power steering, power brakes, a power bench seat, power windows, a power antenna, and a power convertible top. It rolls on 40-spoke Kelsey Hayes chrome wire wheels shod in wide whitewall rubber. Included in the sale are the judging sheets from The Buick Club of America showing a perfect 400-point Gold Score, as well as photos from the restoration.
This stunning 1953 Buick Skylark convertible will cross the Mecum Auctions block at their Kissimmee, Florida event in January 2025.
Comments
Wow, something actually older than me! Dad (long since gone) had a ’53 coupe before I was born. Can’t say the styling is beautiful but the car is well-done.
Three sentences written: “Me” , “I” , “I”
It’s not all about you – Nothing is about you…
Congrats. You get The Most Obnoxious Person Of The Year award.
You are well-qualified to judge.
One “I” .
Count much ?
Well if his grammar was correct, there would be an “I” at the start of the sentence.
Read much?
I can say it’s beautiful, just like most other car lovers!
“Ladies, ladies! Please…. You’re all pretty, ok?”
A beautiful machine. I salute those who are willing to make the huge investments to restore these magnificent works of art.
When I was a teen, I helped drive-deliver one of these back from Hershey to Warren Michigan. We were with the SE Michigan Chapter of the BCCA. Foot-switched Wonderbar radio and rear seat heater were part of the luxury….
This is when cars had a style and life of their own. Beautiful no cookie cutter here.
And they sold 1,640 of them for the whole year.
Very nice, but the one to look out for is the 1953 Buick Half-Century edition. I also believe that 1953 may have been the last year of the McLaughlin-Buick in the form of a limousine for British royalty.
This is when I wish I had enough money to bid on this beauty. At $350,000 I suspect the restoration shop may have overcharged a bit, but it’s hard to argue with that 400 point score. But my 1977 Electra had a 390 point score for a Gold Senior Award, and I only paid $2,000 for that car. Detailed in my one stall garage.
My friends, that is a Buick. It is little wonder that Fidel Castro is reported to have said that he would know he had made it in the world, when he was driving a Buick.