1971 Buick Skylark Convertible

Car collectors are interesting people, and this 1971 Buick Skylark convertible comes out of the same collection as the 1965 Riviera I listed the other day. This particular collector not only loves Buicks, but he loves good, low-mileage, original cars, and most of all, he loves green. Acting as a kind of matched set, these two dark green Buicks look awesome together and this pretty Skylark is just as nice to drive as big brother Riviera. One thing I should note, however, is that I just can't seem to take a good photo of this Skylark. No matter how I changed the lighting or my camera settings, I just couldn't make the green look right and the car looks far, far better in person than it does in photos. That's a good thing for you, though, because there are no disappointments here.

This car has had just two owners, including the current gentleman who has owned it for 28 years. He acquired it with about 33,000 miles on the clock and it shows 62,000 or so today, so it's led a very good life. It was the archetypal little old lady special and very gently used. She did, however, suffer from the same maladies that will eventually catch up with us all and there were signs that she was "parking by feel" so to remedy the scuffs on the fenders (no sheetmetal damage, just streaks of white house paint) the second owner treated it to a full repaint in the original Verdemist Green. And much like the Riv, it still looks fantastic even after three decades and if not for one area where I found a masking mark, it could pass for factory paint. It's really nice. The bumpers are unmarked originals with production chrome on them, the emblems sparkle, and all the stainless is in excellent condition.

I really like the green interior. Yes, it's a lot of green, but I bet it's unusual and rare, too. It's quite tasteful and there's no question that it's original upholstery. The seats remain firm and there are no rips or tears in the vinyl and the carpets are equally good, protected by a set of factory floor mats. The speedometer and fuel gauge are bright and crisp, but for reasons nobody can explain, the clock is kind of cloudy. I figured that he must have had the speedo and fuel gauge rebuilt, but he says no, that's just how it has always been. The clock doesn't work anyway, but that might be a worthwhile project to undertake. The factory A/C blows cold, the AM/FM stereo radio with rear speaker sounds decent, and the power convertible top stows itself easily. That white top is original and with only some light soiling that might just clean up with some elbow grease, and there's a matching green boot. The trunk is fitted with what could be the original mat, and unfortunately, those mats trap moisture underneath, so the trunk floor has some very minor surface rust and one tiny hole about the diameter of a pencil--odd in what is an otherwise super solid car.

This is the Deluxe Skylark, which means a 4-barrel carburetor and dual exhaust on the 350 cubic inch V8. It's a very strong runner, torquey and extremely smooth, and the polished road manners of this car are proof of its low mileage claims. It starts easily and has a pleasant V8 burble that's not too loud. The engine bay in particular is nicer in person than it is in photos simply because the flash magnifies the dirt, but the Dante Red engine paint still looks great. No modifications, but plenty of evidence of conscientious maintenance. The TH350 3-speed automatic transmission has nice, firm shifts and with 2.73 gears out back, it's a very comfortable highway cruiser that still feels agile around town. Suspension and brakes feel supple and effective and I'd argue that the Buick Road wheels are some of the most attractive rolling stock ever made.

A very nice summertime convertible with no needs and a good dose originality. If this were a Chevelle or a GTO, it would be somewhat more expensive, but I rather like the fact that you can drive this car and still look like an adult. We're asking $29,900 and we're always open to reasonable offers. Thanks for reading!