Among the Buick crowd, the limited-production Skylark convertible is certified royalty. This example in fire-engine red will cross the black at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction on January 12-20. 

For 1953, General Motors unveiled three limited-production, custom-bodied convertibles, one from each of its three premium car divisions: Oldsmobile Fiesta, Cadillac Eldorado, and Buick Skylark. All three of the ’53 sport convertibles, known as the Trifecta among GM enthusiasts, are highly prized by collectors today, and the Skylark, naturally, is the darling of the Buick crowd. Virtually from the day it was introduced to the public, the Skylark has always been a collectible.

Based on Buick’s top-of-the-line 76R Roadmaster model, the ’53 Skylark (76X) used cut-down doors and quarter panels and a radically chopped windshield—nearly three inches—to acquire a lower, sleeker profile. It’s said the hood and deck lid were the only stampings shared with standard Buick production models. And unlike other ’53 Buicks, the Skylark has no fender portholes.

A bit out of character for the conservative Buick division, one could argue, the Skylark sported the raciest styling of the three, with tall, open wheel arches to show off the Kelsey-Hayes 40-spoke wire wheels and tri-color knockoff hubs. While all three GM sport convertibles share a common design theme, each one is remarkably different, too. Unlike the Fiesta and Eldorado, the Skylark does not use GM design chief Harley Earl’s new wrap-around windshield. By the way, there was a dramatically styled Skylark in ’54 as well, based on the smaller Century/Special platform.

With a list price of $5,000, the Skylark was easily the most expensive Buick offered in 1953, and it was loaded with luxury features, from the signal-seeking radio with floor-mounted tuning control to the flamboyant leather upholstery. The 1953 season marked a departure for the Buick division, which celebrated its 50th anniversary that year. Replacing the familiar straight eight was an advanced overhead-valve V8 (read about the Buick Nailhead V8 here) along with a redesigned Dynaflow transmission, power steering, and a 12-volt electrical system.

Of the 1,690 Buick Skylarks produced for 1953, this example stands apart with a continental spare tire, a dealer-available extra. They say that when a red convertible crosses the auction block at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale, the energy level in the room rises dramatically, and with factory-correct Matador Red paint and a snow-white convertible top, this Skylark checks all the boxes. Skylarks at Barrett-Jackson generally sell in the $99,000 to $180,000 neighborhood, and this one should easily do the same in January. —Photos courtesy of Barrett-Jackson.