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9 Buick Skylark
The Buick Skylark first went into production all the way back in 1953, in big touring convertible form and known as the Roadmaster Skylark. A series of generations followed as Buick modified the line to adapt with the times – from big fins to muscle car haunches and massive two-door sedans. By the fourth and fifth generation Skylark, though, Buick hit a new low in terms of design inspiration. The Skylarks of the 1980s transformed into boxy people movers, in a total departure from the entire history of the line.
Front wheel drive, four doors, a transverse-mounted engine, and feeble attempts at luxury defined the Skylark in the 1980s, which would have been bad enough. To add insult to the Skylark’s injury, the engineers and designers at Buick failed to compensate for switching all the mass over the front axle of the car, and the result was a tendency for the rear wheels to lock during braking thanks to limited weight and traction. The Skylark developed a reputation for losing control and crashing, and even adding vinyl roofs, V6 engine options, and a standard automatic transmission couldn’t revitalize the Skylark. The disappointment of the Skylark, including in its followup sixth generation, helped to result in the range of crossovers that Buick focuses on to this day.
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