(first posted 5/2/2018) The 1980s was a very dark period for design at General Motors. Building one virtually unchanged box after another, compact Chevrolets looked like full size Cadillacs and everything in between. The N-body Buick Skylark, despite some unique sheetmetal, shared its roofline and doors with its Pontiac and Oldsmobile siblings, and overall styling with other GM platforms such as the E-body and K-body. The 1986-1991 Skylark was boring and forgettable, which helped its sales given its primary elderly consumer base, yet hurt it in leaving little in the way of lasting impressions.
Pulling a complete 180, the 1992 redesign of the Buick Skylark was bold, daring, and distinctive, unlike any other Buick. And unlike its forgettable predecessor, it certainly did leave an impression.