Few cars were as unintentionally polarizing as the sixth-generation Buick Skylark, with its huge beak of a front end and wraparound rear taillights. While the Skylark name is one that’s synonymous with Buick’s heyday in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, the final swan song for the model seemed almost cruel in comparison to the great designs the name previously was synonymous with. Today, few of them are seen with any regularity on the road, making this low-mileage grandma-owned example here on Autotrader.com borderline museum-ready with just 14,401 miles.
The seller is asking $9,900 for this time-warp Skylark, which is factory correct right down to its wheels. What’s intriguing to me about this generation of Buick’s famous nameplate is how it is all but forgotten at this point. Normally, almost any car that gained some notoriety – good or bad – pops up on various blogs or classifieds sites. The Skylark simply doesn’t check any of the major enthusiast boxes, from being used as an autocross car, or even a beater in the LeMons-style events. And for sure, no one is restoring a sixth-generation Skylark, or upgrading the suspension and adding forced induction.
Of course, it is completely believable that one would turn up with ridiculously low miles. I suspect it was mostly older folks who bought these for puttering down to the grocery store or to church, as the nameplate would seem familiar and the driving experience (or lack thereof) unimportant. When it comes to sellers who have low-mileage time capsules of relatively undesirable cars, I’m always perplexed as to what they, or the next owner, would do with it. Its (modest) value is wrapped up on the below-average mileage, so you can’t very well use it. And who else but a Skylark fanatic is going to pay close to $10K for one?
So, then, are you prepared to give up a garage spot for a time-warp Skylark, keep it on a trickle charger, and occasionally trot it out for local car shows? Even with the enthusiastic embrace of the ’80s and early ’90s vehicles in the newfound Radwood movement, cars like this simply don’t find friends easily among the enthusiast crowd. While the interior is as spotless as you’d expect, the next driver will likely find the three-speed automatic inside, as the four-speed didn’t become standard until 1996. Are any of you secretly running a GM museum and in need of a pristine Skylark? Better snatch this one up.
How could anyone pass up a car in such a PRISTINE MINT CONDITION?
Very easily.
Three grand tops. It isn’t worth preserving. It has none of the character of a Falcon or Valiant, and it never will.
How do you know? Lots of folks like these; you may not like it, but it’s not for you to decide if it should be preserved or not. Geez!
$4g’s generous.
$2000 on a good day.
When these were new gm was paying $50 if you would test drive one. I didn’t buy one.
I’d forgotten how ugly these things were. Thanks for the reminder.
IIRC these weren’t big sellers even new. Most of them moved straight off the line to the Avis lot. Even among elderly Buick intenders the A-body Century ate its’ lunch.
I sold these and the Century, the only people that still bought the Skylark were little old ladies that HAD to have a 2 door car but didn’t want a Regal.
Yes, but this one is a 4 door
I passed my NY state drivers test in my mothers 1989 skylark custom with a quad 4 engine. After a while its engine liked to die out at stop signs and intersections. It soured me on buicks exceptions being grand nationals t-type le sabers and reattas.
Buick dealers, in a slump, waited a long time for the “NEW” Skylark.
“Stay tuned, it is coming!”……waited quite awhile, then they arrived…
WTF?…….
Skylark models were always a staple. Whelp gone… now a laughingstock.
How could this happen? Answer: The new Skylark was designed by committee….WHO are these committee people? No answer.
OK “Comrades”, a car for the middle class masses…..
Oops. BIG FAILURE.
Lots and lots of them were sold cheap to the rental car companies.
I may be wrong but i do believe this styling theme came from the buick bolero styling exercise from gm design
Yes, there was a concept car that shared the styling, the production Skylark was was a lost in translation cost cut version of that car.
At least it wasn’t called “disposable”
Looking for a nice ride to put Mom into
while we send her beloved LeSabre out
for some much needed repairs, and this
would be it. It checks all the boxes for
what I’m looking for, but it chokes me up
up with that lofty price tag. For $10K,
I could probably put her into a 5 year old
Sonata or Carolla. I like it, but not 10K
worth. Sorry folks, I’ll pass.
People forget these had the 3.1 v6. Off the line they would light the tires with the traction control off. We used to beat the living snot out of them working for a rental company back then, the beak nose and column shift.. was a throw back in its day.. they just were awful with the 4cyl models.
Did anyone under retirement age actually buy these? Other than the rental companies.
Say what you want but there are positives to a bench seat or no console to get in the way.
“…MUST SEE THIS CLASSIC CAR..”
“…CLEANEST CLASSIC CAR…”
“…THIS IS A CLASSIC 25 YEAR OLD CAR…”
You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
One very bad thing about these cars were that there was no cover above the heater box. Corsicas, Berettas, Grand Ams, etc. GM relied on the cowl being held down with 2 sided tape pressed against the bottom of the windshield. Of course, over time it would fail and water would just pour right in and soak the carpets. I learned that from all my years in auto glass.
Regarding this Buick, it all depends on how you see it. A collectible model sure to appreciate? Probably not. A nice, low mileage, well-optioned daily driver? Why not? The seller will probably be disappointed when he finds out nobody is going to snap this up for almost ten grand. Or $8k. Or $6k. If you can get it cheap, it would be a nice first car for one of your kids or your winter beater.
Look on the bright side. Nobody is going to steal it.
I guess if you’re pedestrian….and….fate dictates you’re gonna get hit by a car….
this is probably the model I’d pick.
These cars were AWFUL even when new, and didn’t age well either. I had one as a rental in Phoenix once (in July!). The a/c did not work and then the car overheated on the way back to the Budget Rent-a-Car lot. They gave me a little Geo Metro that was actually a hoot to drive (and blew cold air!).
George Costanza drove one
Sure looks like a Buick, at least, unlike today’s cars.
Too bad they didn’t make a, or this
http://www.carstyling.ru/en/car/1990_buick_bolero/
as a, 2 door.
Hard to tell if the concept has [hidden] wipers …
http://www.carstyling.ru/resources/concept/1990_Buick_Bolero_Concept_Interior_01.jpg
Not worthy of the name “Skylark.” What a yawn of a car. The very definition of malaise. Those rear wheel arches harken back to the days of bathtub Nashes. Not a good look.
Buick is just now recovering from these sorts of elderly automotive juggernauts. Reference the latest Regal TourX which, in their ultimate wisdom, the General has decided to pull the plug on. Actually built by Opel in Germany. I love mine!
That TourX is one cool rig Little_Cars. I saw one on a small lot here in Wisconsin. I pulled in to take a look. Probably the first car in 10 years that took me off the road to look at a new car on the lot. Congrats.
Same here, took me a minute to figure out what it was. In order to get the right combo of options I didn’t pop in to talk to the salesman at the first lot where they had it displayed with two kayaks on the roof! A little underpowered until the turbo kicks in. Wish it had a better exhaust note. Will probably upgrade to Magnaflow once I have a few more payments under my belt. Thanks.
These were mediocre cars at best. I actually liked the coupe body when they came out in 1992, before they foolishly removed the Buick emblem from the grill. The later ones always looked like something was missing. Overall it kind of looks like a baby Roadmaster. I like the semi skirted rear wheels and the whole rear treatment. Styling never really worked as well on the 4 door, although it was still better looking than the far better selling contemporary Grand AM. When you compare this to something like a Dodge Spirit or Chrysler Lebaron, which were much better cars and far roomier, it’s no surprise Skylarks didn’t sell well. Can’t see this car ever having any collector interest. Would make a decent low mileage daily beater for 2000-2500. Not worth half the asking price on a good day even to a Buick fan, IMO.
I own a ’95 Pontiac Bonneville SSEI with just over 20k miles. I bought it for my son. By the time he’s driving most of them will be gone. Some of these 80’s and 90’s cars will be cool just because there will only be a few left.
Always loved the 92-98 SSE Bonneville, I’ve been on the hunt for a nice one, there aren’t many around.
My ideal 90’s Pontiac variety pack would have one of those and a Turbo Grand Prix.
This car was produced at just about the lowest point in GM history. (Well, next to now, when they have or are going to cease production of almost all cars!) Such an hideous end to the Skylark nameplate. (I had a 1970 Skylark that to this day I wish I still had!). This example is admittedly in great shape. But even the most pristine of turds is still a turd.
This car is worth preserving if for nothing else to show what the car was like at that time.
Very few of these are still on the road, so somebody has to have one.
Someday we all may feel differently, but I think this is a just a nice daily driver right now.
If you can get a couple of years out of it and get the price down a few $K, you could have a fairly affordable transport.
I had to chuckle at Little_Cars comment above. If that wagon feels under powered to you, I’d like to see what you were driving before…
I took my friends Regal Sportback for a spin and I certainly didn’t feel any lag. But his isn’t the awd model, so it’s got the 9 speed slushbox. I thought it was the engine, but maybe it’s all in the gearing. Either way, definitely didn’t drive like a Buick!
Sal, it depends on whether you are talking what I traded in for it, or what I’ve driven in say the past decade or so. The Regal TourX feels underpowered compared to the two MINI Cooper S, VW GTI, Honda and Chevy Sonic I owned, all with manual stick and a lot less gross weight to throw around. My Peuguot turbo from 1984 did a better job of getting up to speed. Alas, I’m a family man now and the Buick “wagon” is me conceding that one must have a back seat and cargo room for all the baby stuff and baby. It’s no longer going to be offered in the US, so hey future collectible!!!! And NOT an SUV!
I wonder how the Stevens with very young Tabitha on “Bewitched” got by with a 1st gen camaro …
http://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/i230234.jpg
& same with the couple in the standard coupe below(just don’t hold your baby like that today & not seat belted either! – it’s not 1967 & doing that would be serious laws broken today & big penalties) …
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhmI1P7k5ro