Show Car Sunday returns with a sharp dressed cruiser

CLASSY BLACK BEAUTY

I was strolling along on a tony block of Park Slope when I ran across this smart little number:

This is a 1965 Buick Skylark in Regal Black. It is very easy to date this car because it is the only year for a 4 door pillared sedan Skylark. In '66 all 4 doors became pillarless hardtops.

I love just about every domestic vehicle from 1965, and this is no different. Design was still unencumbered by federal safety and emissions regulations and the Muscle Car craze was just getting going. Then there are vehicles like these that are midsize mid-priced offerings every bit as classy as the more expensive models. I once owned the big brother to this ride; a full size 1965 Buick Electra 225. This has almost every styling cue my Electra had just in a smaller size.

To me the proportions are just about perfect. That gentle curve of the back window and sail panel, the trailing wheel arches that are longer in the rear, the purposeful chrome side spear that start at the front wheel, and the thick chrome outlining the windows all add up to a very cool ride.

A 225 V6 engine was standard. This was actually a 300 V8 cast with 2 less cylinders! The aforementioned 300 was an option as was a 330 V8.

Check out this rad stylized bird on the front fenders!

The full-width taillight looks amazing lit up at night. The Electra had a similar treatment.

This body was shared across the entire GM lineup which included a lot of now famous rides. The Chevelle, Cutlass/442, and LeMans/GTO all shared these exact dimensions.

Well that's that; a classy, confident cruiser that looks right at home in 2016. The build quality for Buick in this era was very high and the mechanicals are as basic as can be, so owning and operating one of these would be easy. I loved my Buick and would roll with another in a heartbeat.