1976 Buick Skyhawk.

March 18, 2012

14 comments
Ben's favorite post of 2012. See the rest of our Best Ofs.

14 comments:

The Professor said...

Count the logos!

Anonymous said...

Best of 2012 candidate? I think so.

Justin said...

Anon....definitely. Killer patina...and as you said, Professer....the amount of logos, jeez!

Justin said...

*Professor
Fast typing, always getting to me.

Anonymous said...

fantastic. wonderful. superb. maybe the best yet.

Dave said...

It's a good thing you got the picture when you did. The hose sitting next to it makes me wonder- Is he going to wash it?

Anonymous said...

Perhaps there are so many logos on it because at first glance it's almost impossible to tell the difference between the Buick Skyhawk hatch, the Oldsmobile Starfire hatch and the Chevrolet Monza hatch - thank goodness Pontiac had a difference front/rear for their version - the Pontiac Sunbird. That being said, this was quite an attractive car considering it's roots go back to the Vega/Astre.

Pete said...

And GM were just starting on their badge-engineering thing then. But to sell that car as a Buick, there really SHOULD have been different panels, not just umpteen dozen badges.

Tony Piff said...

dangit, and ben scores his second skyhawk.

i wouldn't be inclined to pick such an obviously non-running project as a best-of, but i can't recall another car that's elicited so many instant responses.

i about broke my compute digging up this image from ben's old website.

did joe actually drive a skyhawk? or just pilfer from the abundant badges for his coolest-ever hat?

oh yeah, and very nicely photographed.

Mikael said...

It bears a slight resemblance to a Mk2 Opel Manta IMO.

David said...

They are nice logos. It was a pretty interesting car. There were so many of them around back then you'd never think twice about them. At least it shows that American styling in the 1970s wasn't all Ford Pinto and Dodge Dart.

Ben Piff said...

I can see what you're talking about Mikael, oh how I'd love to see another Manta.

I had to document the badges because not only do I think they're wonderful, but I couldn't believe how much differently they had aged based on the direction the car has been parked. Where did the outer material of the last emblem go (it looked sealed under a piece of glass)? There were a bunch of receipts that had been printed on those old reel type printers with the holes in the side, and man did I want to know what they said and when the last one was printed. Also saw a Woodstock (that's the name of Snoopy's little pet bird thing, right?) thermometer glued discreetly down under the dash. Apparently in a moment of patina-fevered excitement, I told the friend who was with me "I want to buy this thing!". I must have sobered up after editing photos and researching the car.

I predicted to him that this would be a best of, and most likely my favorite of the year. Can't tell you how psyched I was to see other people make the same comment so quick!

I think Joe's first car was a Skyhawk, but I never actually saw it. It certainly made an impression with all his friends. I'll try and find out some more info on it.

Anonymous said...

Looks like a groundhawk to me.

David said...

You find some gems don't you?! lol... I owned a 79' model, it drove like a dream. I liked the torque that the little V6 had in it. It was the perfect sized car for that engine. ahh.. Another car I wish I'd kept.