1961 Buick Skylark Coupe
Buick is a part of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors. It was founded by David Dunbar Buick in 1903. The Buick Skylark was first introduced to the consumer market in the year 1953. It was introduced as a passenger car and was produced in 8 production runs over the years. The name of the car was inspired by the bird species named Skylark. 1961 saw a rebirth of the skylark with Buick introducing the Buick Special Skylark. This came with a wide choice of body designs to choose from, the 2-door convertible, 2-door hardtop, 2-door coupe, and the 4-door station wagon. This year of the skylark production also saw a change with the two-barrel carburetor V8 being replaced by a four-barrel version which boosted the power from 155 hp to 185 hp. The 1961-1963 models came standard with a 3.2 L V6 and could be also bought with a 3.5 L V8. It also came with transmission options of a 2-speed automatic, a 3-speed manual, or a 4-speed manual transmission.
For consignment, this beautiful Skylark 2 door coupe oozes early 1960's design. This same family owned since 1985 skate was repainted and had the interior redone about 10 years ago. Since then a recent restoration was performed, the transmission was rebuilt and over the course of its life this car has accrued a mere 89,818 title verified original miles. Imagine yourself cruising down the road, Wayfarers on, wife in bandanna, a cool breeze licking in from the vent windows, and not a care in the world. Open up the carburetor and allow the Turbine Drive transmission to take you downtown to the fondue party with the hipsters.
NOTE: While this vehicle's VIN and trim tag both decode as a 1962, the title is showing a model year of 1961. Please check with your local, regional, county, state, country or provincial DMV for proper titling procedures
Exterior
A color change about 10 years ago from the factory Cadet Blue to a very close Laguna Blue respray covers the totally finless metal slabs that retail an array of good condition brite work. From the 3 front quarter panel quintessential "vents" to the chrome trimmed horizontally barred grille to the pointed front fenders to the rear trunk lid tri shield, all presents in good condition. A slight stinger bulge is noted in the hood, a sign of things to come for the soon to be restyled Corvette. The use of a straight line ending in a V curve shows in front and on the rear quarter panel. Boomerang like shapes are sprinkled throughout and the overall design is leaving the 50's behind and ushering in the jet age. Styling cues from the era are present throughout and even the roofline has a hint of "bubble top" lineage to it. Speaking of the roof, it has been refinished in the trim tag matching Arctic White and is looking just fab. Keeping this jet age runner on the ground are factory 13-inch blue painted steel wheels with standard Buick tri-shield turbine style wheel covers wrapped in 185/80R13 thin whitewall radials with good tread.
Interior
Like new smooth light blue vinyl on the bolsters and perforated white tuck and roll vinyl make up the front bucket seats which are revealed with a swing of the wide doors. In the rear, a full sprawling bench mimics the buckets in color but has the added nicety of tufts and buttoning in the inserts. Bright blue carpet floats these seats and is well protected by black ribbed rubber mats. The doors carry a light and dark blue motif, with buttoned and tufted embossing in the light blue. Bright chrome is on for the cranks and handles, blue carpeting covers the lowers and light blue steel finished makes up the top sill. In front of those seats, a sculpted two tone blue padded and steel dash hangs bright chrome trim for the heater slides and brushed aluminum around the knobs in the stand out speedometer pod. The factory AM radio resides in a central dash panel, just below a dash top pod holding the factory clock. In front of the driver, a painted blue steering column spins a pale blue 2 spoke wheel and sports bright chrome for the gear selector and signal indicator. And behind the passengers is a gigantic tan lined trunk featuring enough room to swallow anything short of a baby grand piano.
Drivetrain
A new 4-barrel carburetor sits proudly atop the aluminum Fireball 215ci V8. This mill is finished in a pale blue hue and rests in a well restored and clean engine bay. This V8 is backed by a recently rebuilt 2-speed automatic Turbine Drive transmission which sends power to the rear axle weighing in with a 3.36 ratio. Clean hoses and supple wiring are routed through this bay, and frankly I can't' get enough of the factory GM glass windshield washer bottle and the added see through distributor cap.
Undercarriage
A mix of light blue painted steel, undercoated flooring and unibody rails, and minor surface rust coat this undercarriage. It remains original and structurally sound with solid rockers and slight dampness to the underside of the drivetrain. The OEM style single exhaust presents as nearly new and drum brakes are all around. Overall, the car is nice and presents as an honest original.
Drive-Ability
As expected, with a twist of the key the V8 sprung to life and settled into a steady purr. On our often imitated but never duplicated test track this car performed well with good acceleration, nimble handling and bias free braking. All functions were working swimmingly save for the clock that did not keep time and a fuel gauge that is inaccurate.
An honestly presented "compact" car, an older repaint, a nicely done interior and a clean undercarriage make for a great survivor that can be driven daily without the fear of ruining a multi-thousand dollar paint job. Why not add this Jetson-esque styled classic to your garage and enjoy your turn behind the wheel and "feel your dreams come alive".
3I1561653
3-Skylark
I-1962
1-Flint, MI Assy Plant
561653-Sequential Unit Number
TRIM TAG
03D-4th Week March
STYLE 62 4347-1962 Skylark 2 Door Coupe
BODY FB12393-Flint Body #
TRIM 118-Blue Vinyl
PAINT EC1-Cadet Blue, Arctic White Roof
A6-Turbine Drive Automatic
H-Reverse Lights
Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special interest automobile showroom, featuring over 850 vehicles for sale with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle barn find collection is on display. This vehicle is located in our showroom in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888) 227-0914. Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.
