American styling has always put the rest of the world in the shade and with the sheer presence of this fabulous Skylark, you won’t get more bling for your buck. The car has a completely different take on the word opulence. At home that word would mean deep leather seats, walnut veneer and hush quiet travel, but not in the US. 

Stateside opulence meant cabin space, the more the better and plenty of chrome. It may be brash in our eyes but along with the audacity of the design comes real innovation. Powered steering, power windows, power seats, power brakes and of course a power roof. Just compare what was available in the UK in 1954 and it’ll come a long way short of this beauty.

The present owner purchased this car as part of a private collection back in 1993. Since then the car has been used sparingly but has been fully maintained and repaired as needed throughout the subsequent years. 

There has never been a major restoration as the car has not required it but there have been body touch-ups, trim repairs and general ongoing jobs to maintain this car in full working order

The sheer space inside the cabin of the Skylark is quite breath-taking, even with the roof in the closed position. The large seats are still very supportive and the attention to detail with all the chrome, emblems and embellishments make it feel very special. There are little signs of overuse of the seating with just a few little touch-ups to the door cards. 

Everything appears to function as it should except for the radio, I couldn’t seem to get a tune out of it. The interior comes to life when the roof is opened and the whole point of this large open interior becomes obvious.

As you stand back and view this remarkable machine you realise just how uncompromising the design is. There is little regard for practicalities and certainly, safety has been somewhat ignored, but the result is a rolling advert of what the 50s were like for our friends across the pond – indulgent. The paint is still in great condition overall with just a few light scratches and marks. 

There will have been some little touch-ups here and there but the car is in very good condition throughout. Importantly, all the bright chrome is in place and displays enough wear to prove its originality.

The car couldn’t be driven on the open road but just moving it around for the photographs revealed that the 4950cc OHV engine sounds wonderfully sweet and has that tell-tale V8 grumble on tick-over. The auto box selected reverse and drive without hesitation and the power steer could be felt working but was still quite heavy to manoeuvre. 

The vehicle has enjoyed a cosseted existence while in the keep of the present owner and has been well cared for over the years. As part of a private collection, this car has travelled little and as a result, has merely needed a regular maintenance regime to keep all the mechanicals working. The owner is confident that the car could be used more extensively if desired. 

American vehicles are enjoying a surge in popularity and have something of a devoted fan base so, imagine the astonishment on their face when you roll up at your next ‘Stars and Stripes’ event in such a remarkable and rare machine. It’s in great condition with all its originality on show and is ready to cruise. All you need do is make sure it will fit wherever you intend to park it.

Get yourself measured for your Stetson and get ready to attract a lot of attention at the next drive-in movie with this ultra-rare full-on American classic.

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