Buick joins the Musclecar Revolution with a SKYLARK GS-400: HOWITZER WITH WINDSHIELD WIPERS!
Not long after having access to 1965 performance cars, I suggested to Mel Jacolow, editor of CARS magazine, that he change the award – American Classic of The Year – he presented annually to carmakers. With production cars getting quicker and faster and carmakers targeting the burgeoning youth market, I felt we needed something more relevant. My suggestion: Top Performance Car of The Year.
It was not an easy sell. Shortly after agreeing and we started test-driving suitable candidates, Jacolow abruptly resigned. Maybe it was something I said!
Less than five years after starting as editor of Custom Rodder and CAR Speed and Style, I was tapped to take over CARS. My first issue would be April 1965, our annual award issue. At the end of April, I hired an assistant editor, Fred Mackerodt, and I was later named the company’s editorial director.
Gordon Chittenden, CARS West Coast Editor, had driven a new 425-cubic-inch, 360-horsepower Riviera Gran Sport from Los Angeles to GM’s Proving Ground in Mesa, AZ as part of a road and track test. The dual-four-barrel Wildcat engine in the Riviera generated 465 pound-feet of torque. He turned in a glowing report.
“The luxury is apparent in around-town and highway driving. Performance shows up when you’re on a twisting mountain road watching a sports car driver trying to outcorner you. And on the first straight strip of road, you blast through and leave him choking in the dust.”
Under GM supervision, Chittenden clocked 92 mph in 15.4 seconds, 0 to 60 mph in low-to-mid-7s, and a top speed of 130 mph. I had driven a Skylark Gran Sport powered by the 401-inch, 325-horsepower version of the 425. Both engines were old design, small-valve “Nailhead” V-8s that suffered from loss of breath at higher rpm.
While most of Buick’s Mid-Size model lineup featured only minor upgrades, inspired by the sales success of the ‘64 Pontiac GTO and Olds 442, a “Gran Sport” option appeared in January 1965, available as a coupe, hardtop, or convertible. It was powered by Buick’s 401-inch V-8 with a four-barrel carburetor and dual exhausts.
The Skylark, like the Riviera, exhibited a wonderful combination of ride, handling, braking, and performance. All GS models were built on stiffer convertible model chassis with heavy-duty everything! The Skylark GS I tested earlier at GM’s Milford Proving Ground ran consistently mid-15s at 86-88 mph. Even though it was not a serious GTO competitor, I really liked the car. NOTE: At the time, I believed that the Riviera and Skylark tested were engineering-prepared cars and most likely quicker and faster than showroom stockers.
I also got a chance to spend a week with a production Skylark GS-400 in New York. It didn’t feel as strong as the one we drove at the Milford Proving Ground, so I took it to Pacers Automotive, a local Oceanside, NY speed shop, and had George Snizek, left, driver of the NHRA National-Record-holding Tasmanian Devil AA/A roadster, work his magic!
At that point, I decided to amend our honor to Top Performance Car(s) of the Year and presented the award to Buick General Manager, Edward Rollert. I especially remember congratulating him on the full-page advertisement: SKYLARK GS-400: HOWITZER WITH WINDSHIELD WIPERS!
OVER-DRIVE magazine’s 1965 Buick Mid-Size model Fact Sheet covers the SKYLARK GS-400: HOWITZER WITH WINDSHIELD WIPERS! Plus Skylark details facts, figures, specifications, and valuation tools @ https://over-drive-magazine.com/2023/11/25/1965-buick-mid-size-cars-fact-sheet/