Driving a vehicle 727 miles a year isn’t a heck of a lot unless a person lives in a big city and doesn’t own a car, or they have a rare future collectible and they don’t want to build up a ton of miles on it. This 1975 Buick Skyhawk has traveled just 31,268 miles over the last 43 years, that’s pretty amazing. This little time capsule is listed on Hemmings with an asking price of $3,500 or offer. It’s located in Rolla, Missouri and it sure looks and sounds like a person could drive it home.
This car looks like it’s in fantastic condition. How many of us kept a car from the mid-1970s in this sort of condition? I have one that’s 16 years old that I’m sort of keeping out of circulation but otherwise my vehicles get used. Maybe because this is the first year of the first-generation Skyhawk? Hemmings recently pontificated as to if the Chevy Monza would be a future collectible, I would argue that a car like this first-year Buick Skyhawk is even more collectible.
The seller says: “I am the second owner of this car that is considered a survivor. It has been garaged its entire life. Has 31000+ original miles. I knew the original owners and know the history of the car. I have owned the car since 2010.” The second-generation cars are the ones that I remember much more and they’re still around, at least more so than these first-gen Skyhawks/Monzas/Sunbirds/Starfires are. Yes, it’s a hatchback, for those of you who may be wondering.
The interior is elegant, at least for a 1975 compact car. It looks as clean as a whistle (as nobody under 40 says) and those seats are killer. I love the white with checked houndstooth filler panels. That’s one great look. The back seat would most likely be a nightmare for anyone over six-feet, but it doesn’t look like anyone has even been back there. This l’il beauty “factory A/C, but needs new compressor. Car is all original except for AM/FM radio, I replaced the AM radio(I have) and hubcaps (story from original owner).”
This isn’t a V8 (red hose) which I’ve heard is the way to go in these small cars (red hose), but this 3.8L 231 cubic-inch V6 with 110 hp looks good (red hose), doesn’t it? The seller doesn’t say anything about how it runs at all but given the overall appearance of this car, I would assume that it runs fine. What are your thoughts on a car like this first-year, first-generation Buick Skyhawk with low miles being a future collectible? I vote yes.
You guys and your red hoses. Please. Stop it already. All of us knew about those before this website was even a website.
Cool ‘lil hoopty. Notice how the seller didn’t show the bumpers. They should have. That’s just the way they were back then. Are those Citation hubcaps???
“YEAAAH! WHAT THEY SED!” Scotty, what ever you do (memories of Bruno Kirby’s speech in GOOD MORNING VIET NAM!!!) and if you do, you will see red silicone hoses and hose covers on aircraft of all breeds. Mandated for fire resistance on fuel, oil, hydraulic and some electrical bundles…. but…are they ever RED! What about the plethora of hoses that occupy the rest of the engine bay on this future collectible. They shore are purty.
Pete, it’s not a “you guys” thing, it’s a me thing and it’s more of a running joke than an actual thing.
Seems like a bargain for the price. Here in Toronto they have been extinct for years. Rust took it’s toll on them very quickly.
One of the better looking American cars of the mid-late 70’s.
Would be a blast to drive with a Buick 3.8 turbo and a 5-speed.
A white Buick Skyhawk, hmmm? I think I much prefer this version:
https://barnfinds.com/gn-turbo-power-500-hp-1977-buick-skyhawk/
If you put the two stories together, it’s pretty much a before-and-after.
Not in my future hopefully….
LOLOL Scotty! (Red hose)
Back to 1987 Just turned 16 and buying cars…My close friend bought the ’77 Skyhawk…Buick 231 was plenty powerful for this body. The 305 wedged into the Monza was rare and not too good. His dad had a brown 4 speed coupe/notch back version, 3.8/231 …Ford guy, have no problem saying that V-6 car was much better than the Mustang offering…Skyhawk/Monza were Vega derivatives, Mustang 2 was a Pinto !
Said nothing in that rant other than i’m aging ! Nice feature…
“Future Collectible” ???
Cudos on ur screen name.
Just buy it and drive it.
Nobody really cars if it has 30K or more.
Hey Scotty – Nice one. Love the Houndstooth seats and white interior. I loved my ’76 Skyhawk 3.8L / 5 sp with the black and white vinyl interior, neat stainless Targa bar. Bought with 119k, sold it to a friend who drove it and sold it to his cousin, etc. it must have had 300k or more on the original motor. It was fun enough to smoke the non-V8 Camaros and Mustangs of the day. I thought about building the 3.8. with Kenne-Bell parts – maybe 250 HP, but I couldn’t see myself loving the numb steering and fade-prone brakes with that much power, so I bought the LX 5.0 Mustang I still have today. That Skyhawk was a trusty friend, and gave me may great road trips and stories. For a good laugh I attached this picture. That’s me in the awesome ’80s sleeveless shirt thing.
That’s a great story and even greater photo, Todd!
@Todd Fitch–can’t tell if that is a salvage yard or a car show with only 70s-80s cars. Like the two Datsun trucks! Someone needs to cut the grass. Mom had the coupe derivative of this car, wrecked it twice and still bestowed lots of love on it even when the panel fit and finish no longer matched. Pretty tough little car with a similar interior.
Hey @Little Cars, I believe that was event parking for the Centre County (PA) Music Festival (not the exact name) maybe 1987 or ’88. Not to be confused with “Arts Fest.” I was trying to pick out cars in the background. Maybe a Corvair in the middle and a first-gen Nova wagon in the back?
I had the olds version, the starfire gt Black with gold stripes. V6 4spd. 1978 model. I must ve had it at the dealer a dozen times in a yr. finally sold it. Carb was so leaned out for emissions that it felt like a vacuum hose was disconnected
I inherited my dad’s ’75 in red over tan with houndstooth. I ran it to 85k miles and painted flip flop blue over the red and it looked like that later mid 80’s Ford blue over red . It was a 350 auto but ran well except for the vibrating odd firing 6. They all melted the original wheel covers from the small front disks. If you can find four rear ones they really help the car. I put on a set of turbine alloys in the day and the lugs kept getting loose which caused a wheel to take flight after I gave it to my sister. A cool car? Kinda. A collectible car? Sure, you can collect anything.
Just because it’s old, uncommon now, and has low miles, doesn’t make it collectable…..otherwise, folks would be stashing low mileage Aztecs away to pay for their grandkids education.
They’re collecting Volkswagon bugs of all things, this Skyhawk is way more cool.
Where I live $3500 is beater money. I’m not in love with these cars, however what a great first step for a young future hobbyist.
This would look good next to my 1980 sunbird hatch. And yes they have a following.
Not a terrible car until you start it up. This one is a 1975. That means it’s an odd-fire V6. For those that haven’t experienced it, it could turn milk into cottage cheese. Interestingly enough, the odd-fire produced more torque than the even-fire.
What RED HOSE ????????? :-)
I bought a new “big brother” to the Skyhawk in 75, a 75 Monza hatchback with the 262 V8. The car ran really well. Yes, it was the model where the rear plug on passenger side was a bear to replace either by unbolting the motor mount and jacking the engine up or being a contortionist. Car was a fun car to drive, I put a sunroof in it and it provided alot of air flow, but the car also would have been much nicer with ac. Alas, they were cheaply made, the front suspension needed a full rebuild around 80,000 miles and I ended up trading it in on a new 79 Chevy pickup in early 79.
In case anyone ever reads this again, I am the current owner of this car. Went to see it after finding it on hemmings, & it was in fantastic condition. No rust, always garaged, no cracked dash/plastics, all original warranty/manual papers, & complete service history papers. The hubcaps on it were Ford pinto, I believe, but came with original wheel set.
Story goes…
Lady bought this car new from Fisher Buick City in KC MO in 1975. She went in with a tape measure to find a car she could fit in her garage with the doors open. She kept it till 2010 when she passed, literally using it to get groceries once a week for 35 years. The car was then left to a family friend (guy who originally listed it on hemmings & sold it to me).
I am a big fan of h bodies in general, but the Buick skyhawk always had a special place in my heart. I used to play race car driver in a rust bucket skyhawk that was on blocks at a friends house when I was a young lad. It belonged to his brother who had big block plans (terrible idea. Too big, too heavy, too hot). That car ended up being scrapped because of rust & being generally gross.
After I grew up & became a car guy I spent many years passively looking for one that was in good enough shape to bother with. Problem is that so many of these were made into draggers or just disintegrated before they gained enough popularity for repro parts to be made. So, you have to find a good one to have a chance at it being usable… Or spend years looking for the parts.
In the time between playing racer & finally getting my own skyhawk I had owned & built many muscle cars. Camaros, novas, mustangs… but always dreamed about finding the one that gave me this damn car disease in the first place. About 2 years ago I found this one, besides the condition of the car the best part was that it was 15 minutes away from my home. Seemed like it was meant to be.
Now it’s in my shop, & when I’m done with my vision for it…well, that’s a different article all together…lol.
Hi Brandon. Thanks for the update! It’s great to hear more about this car’s story. Keep us posted!
Hi there’ Not many people get it with these cars. I bought a 75 also just 60 miles south of home 10 years ago from an estate sale. Little old lady and had 63k on it.I basically restored it and sent it to NS to drive when I was on holidays(I live in Calgary). Drove for three weeks every year then when my father passed I went to pick up the car and drove across the US and home. The conversations and friendships that I made by doing this are amazing. I just sold my GSX so I could keep my Skyhawk. They are wonderful little cars.