Models

• The 1965 Buick Skylark was offered as the 6 Series equipped with a six-cylinder engine, or the 8 Series with a V-8 power plant. The Skylark came as a two-door convertible, coupe and sport coupe, or pillar-less hardtop and a four-door sedan. The performance Gran Sport came as a convertible, coupe and sport coupe. The GS featured a blackout grille, non-functional hood scoops, front fender vents and GS badging.
  
  

Under the Hood

• Three engine options were available on the Skylark. The base V-6 displaced 225 cubic inches and had a 3.75-inch bore and a 3.40625-inch stroke. The compression ratio was 9-to-1 to deliver 155 horsepower and 225 foot-pounds of torque. The V-8 on the standard Skylarks was a 300 cubic-inch engine with a 3.75-inch bore and 3.40625-inch stroke. The V-8 also had a 9-to-1 compression ratio to help develop 210 horsepower and 310 foot-pounds of torque. The Gran Sport version featured a 401 V-8 with 4.1875-inch bore, 3.64-inch stroke and a 10.25-to-1 compression ratio. The 401 delivered 325 horsepower and 445 foot-pounds of torque. While the 401 delivered the raw power, its fuel efficiency was poor: 6 to 8 mpg on city streets and 11 to 12 mpg on country roads for a combined mpg of 8.8.
  
  

Dimensions and Chassis

• The 1965 Skylark featured a 115-inch wheelbase. Its body was relatively long at 203.5 inches. It measured 73.9 inches wide and 54 inches tall. The front and rear track widths were 58 inches. The tank held 20 gallons of gasoline. The front suspension system had an independent ball joint and coil spring setup, while the rear was equipped with coil springs. The car stopped on all-wheel 9.5-inch drum brakes.
  
  

Performance and Production

• The 1965 Buick Skylark Gran Sport equipped with the 325-horsepower 401 V-8 achieved zero to 60 mph in 7.8 seconds and the quarter mile in 16.6 seconds at 86 mph. Skylarks with the 300 V-8 reached 60 mph in 9.9 seconds and the quarter mile in 17.7 seconds at 78 mph. The standard Skylarks equipped with the V-8 were more popular than the six-cylinder versions. The top-selling 1965 model was the V-8-powered sport coupe, which numbered 47,034 units. Buick sold 22,335 four-door sedans, 11,877 coupes and 10,456 convertibles. For the V-6 versions, Buick sold only 4,549 sport coupes, 4,195 coupes, 3,385 sedans and 1,181 convertibles. Included in the production were the Skylark Gran Sport models. In all, Buick produced 11,351 GS sport coupes, 2,147 GS convertibles and 2,282 GS coupes.