“Special-Size” Skylark

With SUVs, crossovers, and trucks having dominated U.S. automotive sales figures for years, we’ve grown accustomed to looking down on other motorists from a commanding driving position. Getting into a classic car from an earlier era can be eye-opening, as what was once considered normal now feels anything but. When Buick introduced its Skylark in 1961, that car’s appeal lay in its blend of full-size styling and amenities within comparably small dimensions. Through today’s lens, the Skylark is both small and large, and this well-kept example bridges two worlds.

Buick’s version of General Motors’ 1961-’63Y-platform was the most upmarket of the trio, befitting this division’s penultimate status, but the Pontiac Tempest and Oldsmobile F-85 shared its forward-thinking brief. They all followed in the