1953 Buick Skylark Convertible – Model 76X
The 1953 Buick Skylark convertible was the centerpiece of Buick’s 50th Anniversary. The Skylark came with standard equipment beyond anything previously offered by Buick. Based on the premium-series Buick Roadmaster chassis, the Skylark had a look all of its own. The Kelsey-Hayes 40-spoke chrome wheels are acknowledged by collectors as among the most beautiful wheels to ever grace a production car. Powered by Buick’s first modern V8 engine, this car’s performance matched its racy appearance. Sales in 1953 totaled just 1,640 units, making the Skylark a rare and collectible car.
Offered from the Roadmaster Collection
Top-of-the-line Buick from 1953
Older frame-off restoration
322 cubic-inch V-8; automatic transmission
Finished in Majestic White over red and white leather
One of just 1,640 built
Although there were many unique design features of the 1953 Skylark, one that goes almost unnoticed today is that the top and seating of the car were lowered a few inches below the Roadmaster and Super convertibles. This was achieved not by changing the frame, body or suspension, but by cutting the windshield almost three inches shorter and lowering the side windows and convertible top frame. To accommodate people without bumping their heads with the top up, the seat frames and steering column were lowered.
The wheels of the 1953 Skylark were true wire wheels, produced by Kelsey-Hayes, with everything chromed save for the plated and painted “Skylark” center emblem. Although this was high style in 1953, the wheels were heavier than the regular steel wheels, would require periodic truing to keep them straight and balanced, and required tubes within the tires just when tubeless tires were becoming the norm, as they were throughout the rest of the Buick line.
Inside, the near-vertical dash features chrome trim lines paired with a distinctive checker-like pattern that extends into the door panels. The steering wheel’s horn cap depicts a 1953 Buick, a delightful reminder of the automaker’s past. A similar icon can be found on the front bumper Befitting its luxurious status, the Skylark’s interior was commonly trimmed in upscale leather and typically boasted then-rare accessories such as power windows.
Finished in Majestic White with a white convertible top over an interior trimmed in red and white leather, the car wears its Earl-penned curves, chrome, and details exceptionally well after a frame-off restoration performed around 1994 at a cost reportedly exceeding $250,000. The Skylark is equipped with power windows and steering. The interior features a clock and radio, and a red boot cover conceals the convertible top when down. Powered by Buick’s Fireball V-8 linked to a Dynaflow automatic transmission, the older restoration now shows patina expected from occasional use, none of which detracts from its show-stopping presence. The Kelsey-Hayes forty-spoke wire wheels wrapped in wide whitewall tires complete the look.
Bearing the unmistakable signature of Harley Earl, this 1953 Buick Skylark is a rare icon of style that will instantly transport its next caretaker back to the height of General Motors luxury and design.
