The 198 V6 that debuted here was the first American V6 built in volume production, cast in iron off the aluminum 215 V8's design.
Lead trim: Skylark 198 cu in Fireball V6 (135 hp gross at 4600 rpm, 1962) · up to 200 hp
Buick Skylark1961–1963
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FactThe 198 V6 that debuted here was the first American V6 built in volume production, cast in iron off the aluminum 215 V8's design.
In the fall of 1960 GM introduced a trio of compact cars for 1961 sharing the same chassis, engines and basic sheet metal: the Buick Special, Pontiac Tempest and Oldsmobile F-85. In the middle of the 1961 model year the Buick Special Skylark made its debut: effectively a luxury trim level based on a two-door sedan (coupe), with unique Skylark emblems, taillight housings, lower-body side moldings, turbine wheel covers, a vinyl-covered roof, three Ventiports on each fender and a plush "Cordaveen" all-vinyl interior (bucket seats optional). The Skylark replaced the Special's standard aluminum-block 215 cu in (3.5 L) two-barrel V8 with a higher-compression four-barrel version boosting power from 155 hp at 4600 rpm to 185 hp. For 1962 the Skylark became a model in its own right with a convertible, a station wagon and a two-door pillarless hardtop, with the 215 V8 tuned to 190 hp at 4800 rpm; the Special/Skylark also offered the 198 cu in Fireball V6, engineered down from the 215 but cast in iron, with 135 hp (gross) at 4600 rpm and 205 lb-ft at 2400 rpm (the page calls it the first American car to use a V6 in volume production). For 1963 the body was restyled, length increased by five inches to 193 in and the 215 V8 generated 200 hp at 5,000 rpm. Wheelbase 112 in, width 70.2 in.
Collectors Spotted in the Buick Skylark Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Buick Skylark yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
4 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skylark 198 cu in Fireball V6 (135 hp gross at 4600 rpm, 1962) | 1962–1962 | 3.2 L V6 | 135 hp | 205 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| Skylark 215 cu in aluminum V8 (190 hp at 4800 rpm, 1962) | 1962–1962 | 3.5 L V8 | 190 hp | 235 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| Skylark 215 cu in aluminum V8 (200 hp at 5000 rpm, 1963) | 1963–1963 | 3.5 L V8 | 200 hp | 240 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| Special Skylark 215 cu in aluminum V8 4-barrel (185 hp, 1961) | 1961–1961 | 3.5 L V8 | 185 hp | 230 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
An estimate, for the Skylark 198 cu in Fireball V6 (135 hp gross at 4600 rpm, 1962) trim: fuel on its EPA figure and a dated national price, upkeep on a per-mile average for the kind of car it is.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
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This Skylark broke a 62-year streak — the first four-cylinder Buick since the original Buick Four was dropped back in 1918.
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The '400' in GS 400 undersold it — the real engine was a 401 cubic inch V8, trimmed to fit GM's internal cap on how big an intermediate's engine could sound.
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Buick sold off the tooling for its aluminum 215 V8 after dropping it here, and Rover kept building that engine until 2006.
The 198 V6 that debuted here was the first American V6 built in volume production, cast in iron off the aluminum 215 V8's design.
Buick sold only 836 of these Skylarks in 1954, undercut by buyers who saw it as a step down from the Roadmaster it borrowed from.
The 1953 Skylark cost over a thousand dollars more than the Roadmaster convertible it was built from, for a car sharing most of the same tub.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
It briefly served as senior sibling to Marquette, a GM companion brand cancelled after just one year.
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A Trabant 601 won its class at the 1970 Monte Carlo Rally, with a second 601 right behind it in second.
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