1953 Buick Skylark 2-Door Hardtop

Here is a car you probably never knew existed.

This unique Skylark is a one-of-a-kind concept car documented by General Motors.

Buick created it to test public interest in a Skylark hardtop.

This unique piece of automotive history was so stunning that the wife of the general manager of Buick, Mrs. Ivan Wilkes, purchased this car after its Motorama tours for her personal use, which was quite a departure for concept cars, as most were retained by General Motors or crushed.

This special one-off car came with every option available at the time, plus some that were not. Options that make this car special include trunk-mounted factory air conditioning, foot-controlled signal-seeking radio, Autotronic eye headlight dimmer, Skylark chrome wire wheels with knock-off hubs, special interior and exterior badging, and much more.

It was shown for the first time after a full restoration was finished in January 2010 at Amelia Island, where it earned the prestigious Amelia Award in the “Cars You Never Knew Existed” class.

I have always felt the ’53 Buick Skylark convertible, as shown below, was one of the best auto designs ever, and almost bought one when there were still affordable, but now that I have seen this hardtop version, I don’t know which one I would pick if I were lucky enough to be able to own one of them.