How many are still registered/on the road

[Guest barbjth2]

How can I find out how mant 1970 Buick Skylark Custom Convertibles are still registered?  Only 4900 were made.  As an original owner,  I'd like to know how "rare" the car is.

 

barbjth2

[Guest my3buicks]

There are a few services that will do model checks for registered cars across the country - it is not inexpensive - the service also fails to count cars that are not registered (with license plate) which is not all that uncommon in the collector market, cars that may have crossed out of the US borders etc.  Usually being the most collectible, convertibles have a better survival and save rate than most other models.  They were often used less, had higher sales in nice weather areas (thus better persevered) and of course tended to be saved more.     4954 Skylarks Custom conv for 70 was pretty much on par with previous years, 71 & 72 actually had a fairly large drop in production in comparison. Rare also does not guarantee desirability or value, although a nice clean 70 Skylark convertible has some of both.   If you look on eBay both current and past auctions there have been several listed in the past few months. So you can pay and have a service give you a guestimate of how many are left or just figure while not a huge number of 70 Skylark Custom conv were built, they still would not fall into the  "rare" category. 

[Guest my3buicks]

PS: we would love to hear more about your car and see some pictures.  It's always great to hear about family owned or original owner owned Buicks.

[John_S_in_Penna]

I usually don't believe people's claims that,

for example, there are "only 5 left."

To me, such numerical claims are almost irrelevant.

 

In Pennsylvania, for example, a 1970 Buick

Skylark Custom convertible would be registered

only as a "1970 Buick convertible."  The 

registration data do not include any model name

or trim level.  So the compilers, if they had access

to all the state data--and perhaps they don't, due

to privacy laws--wouldn't know of any of Pennsylvania's Skylarks.

 

If the compilers search club records, there are always

many, many car owners who don't belong to marque clubs.

 

So enjoy your car!  It's not rare, but it will be fun,

and you can't quantify FUN.

Edited September 7, 2015 by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)