With a four-barrel carburetor, that power was increased to 185 horsepower. The compression ratio was 8.8 to 1, torque was 220 and bore and stroke were 3 1/2 inches and 5 51/64 inches.
Options
The Skylark had a three-speed manual or a four-speed floor shifter for its coupe edition.The Skylark returned to the Buick lineup in 1961 as a mid-size sports coupe in the conformation of the Buick Special. The Skylark had been its own model through 1954 and disappeared, only to return in 1961 under the name of the Buick Special Series.
Engine
The smaller Buick of 1961 was powered by the 215 cubic inch V-8 engine that had 150 horsepower.
A three-speed-automatic was an option. Power steering was an option, as were power brakes. The car ran on 6.5- by 13-inch tires and had a 112-inch wheel base, the shortest of Buick's lineup.
Performance
The Skylark, or Special, was sporty with solid performance for a mid-size car. The vehicle was relatively light at 2,579 lbs., but the extra two barrels of carburetor gave it a strong power boost. The car could accelerate zero to 60 in 9.3 seconds and complete the quarter-mile in 17.2 seconds. The car was rated with a top speed of 112 mph.
