1953 Buick Skylark for sale $159,900

For 113 years Buick has provided substantial unpretentious luxury to everyone from Wall Street bankers to professional athletes. You might say the storied brand has done it all. Its the foundation for todays General Motors Company. Its the foundation for Americas growth in the worlds largest automotive market. And in the 50s when Detroit was at the top of its luxury game fine automobiles like this magnificent Skylark gave serious credibility to the line When better automobiles are built Buick will build them. Commissioned to celebrate the brands 50th anniversary this fully sorted cruiser is 1 of only 1690 Skylarks assembled for the 1953 model year. Visually its some of the coolest metal to ever roll down an assembly line. Thanks to a remarkable combination of smooth power and world-class style the car sits at the pinnacle of luxury engineering. And if youre a cultured enthusiast whos looking for a clean investment grade classic its the carefully restored masterpiece of your dreams!

The 1953 Roadmaster Skylark was one of three specialty convertibles created to promote General Motors leadership in design and innovation. Like its Fiesta and Eldorado stablemates the Skylark was a limited-production hand-made halo that was overwhelmingly admired by the public and rewarded with a very successful sales rate. Today roughly 60 years later the cars world-class design characteristics can be found in pretty much every modern automakers aesthetic DNA. And its unique blend of optimistic swagger and unmatched exclusivity make it one of the most coveted classics on the planet.

BODYWORK/TRIM

Owned for over 30 years by the same family this stately drop-top is fresh out of an extensive 5-year restoration that ensured a 100% factory-accurate appearance. The restorers began by thoroughly stripping the cars curvaceous mostly handmade body. When that heavy cleaning was complete all those Harley Earl-designed panels were assembled into a correct profile that presents largely blemish-free surfaces. After that thorough test fitting a correct coat of Mandarin Red paint was teased to a glossy show-stopping shine. And today this Skylarks prestigious appearance is a lust worthy representation of one of Americas most glorious eras of motoring.

ENGINE

Lift the cars alligator hood and youll find a 322 cubic inch Fireball V8 which wears a correct V2248507 assembly stamp and twists a stout 188 horsepower into 300 ft./lb. of low-end torque. Nicknamed the Nail valve and eventually known as the Nailhead this fully detailed mill employs greater lift and better duration to create a Kansas-flat power band. Funny thing is: hot rodders of the day actually coined the engines nickname as a derisive description of its puny valvetrain and restrictive plumbing but they certainly couldnt ignore its stellar power! The proven block has undoubtedly been rebuilt and probably looks much better today than when it growled off the assembly line. Aesthetically the mill which perches a massive air cleaner and big carburetor above factory heads has been painted a traditional green hue. There are many fresh pieces like pliable belts a tagged Delco-Remy distributor a tagged Delco-Remy generator and proven Packard TV R Suppression cables. A glossy firewall satin fenders and a re-cored radiator frame those pieces in a construct of distinctly American curves. And overall the engine seems clean simple and highly functional.

DRIVETRAIN/SUSPENSION

Essentially Buicks original