They were designed at the height of muscle cars - so it wasn’t any surprise that GM’s 1968-1972 A-body mid-sizes all had muscle car overtones. But one of these cars was not like the others - at least, not in appearance. The ’68-’69 Buick Skylarks and Specials have been uncharitably described by some critics as “not entirely cohesive.” Buyers disagreed - the Buick A-cars had a record year in 1968, and they did what they were meant to - look like smaller senior Buicks (LeSabre, Wildcat, Electra). - The ’68-’69 Skylarks were characterized in front and in back by complex bumper/fascia arrangements that moved inward towards the center of the car, particularly at the rear, but it was the sides that captured most of the attention. The ’67 full-size Buicks had revived the brand’s famous #sweepspear - a character line running from the front fender to the rocker ahead of the rear wheel, then kicked up again - after years of sober straight lines. It first appeared on the 1949 Roadmaster Riviera and had been a Buick trademark in the 1950s, only to be swept away by 1959’s space-age delta-wings. - Under Buick style chief Dave Holls (and possibly from the pen of stylist Paul Deeson), the sweep returned in mild form on the big Buicks. It had only a most modest kick ahead of the rear wheels, but made big Buicks look more distinctive. The treatment was applied to the A-body Special/Skylark for ’68 to bring them in line with the big cars. The sweep was more radical on the A, sweeping back to the rear wheels and not kicking very far up. Broad, clean quarter panels and optional fender skirts gave it a heavy look out back. Despite the the potent Grand Sport (GS350 or GS400) and the base Special (on its way out - the Skylark handily outsold it), these cars were seen as more upscale than other As, indeed, they were several hundred dollars costlier than their Olds siblings. - The Buick studio was taken over by Don Lasky in early ’68 and in 1970 the Skylark was restyled to be more conventional (as were the ’71 big Buicks, aside from Riviera); and nobody’s ever rushed to claim credit for the ’68/’69 cars, but customers liked them - sales were up 20% from ’67 and stayed strong in ’69. https://www.instagram.com/p/B19Cs7Gl0Mi/?igshid=1wf2l1fcqd0ia