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In 1954, Buick once again offered
the Skylark but on the shorter 122 inch Century body
/ chassis. Like the 1953 edition, it was a
distinctive automobile. The 1954 was never planned.
It was an encore at the behest of Harley Earl. Since
the entire 1954 Buick model line was new, the
Skylark had to be completely redesigned for a single
model year run. The 1954 Skylark was built on the
Century convertible chassis, with a wheelbase 3.5
inches shorter. For the most part a great deal of
the Skylark’s distinctive styling surfaced
throughout the entire Buick line, including the new
Panoramic windshield, unskirted rear wheels, pseudo
cut down doors, and the bold chromed sweepspear trim
running the length of the body.
What distinguished the Skylark
from other Buicks of that model year was designer
Ned Nickles’ ability to create different looks with
minimal changes. The front and rear cutouts were
drawn back, exposing the inner panels. At the rear,
the fenderline had a stylish downward curve matching
the shape of the wheel openings, and well defined
chromed tailfins completed the Skylark’s distinctive
profile. As a final departure from the rest of the
Buick line, the traditional front fender portholes
were eliminated.
Under the long stretch hood,
Buick loaded the Skylark with the Roadmaster’s 200
horsepower Fireball V-8, coupled to a Twin-Turbine
Dynaflow automatic transmission. The 1954 models
again offered the full compliment of power features
as standard equipment and wide whitewall tires
mounted on special 15x6 inch Kelsey-Hayes chrome
plated wire wheels. While Buick referred to the
Skylark as a “sports car,” that was stretching
things a bit. Built on a double X-braced frame, the
Skylark had an independent suspension and a
semi-floating rear axle. The car had great styling,
quick acceleration, but a soft, floating ride and
the cornering ability of a Chris Craft. The Skylark
was anything but a sports car.
Only 836 Skylarks were built in
1954 at a Manufacture’s Suggest Retail Price of
$4,355.00 |
