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Buick Skyhawk
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The Buick Skyhawk was Buick's compact car offering in the 1970s and 1980s, replacing the Opel Manta that was sold by Buick dealers. It is the only sub-compact automobile ever built by the division. The first Skyhawk, built on the H-body platform, was rear-wheel drive and available only as a sporty three-door hatchback. The 1982 model was part of the new J-body line of front-wheel drive subcompacts and was a full series of cars with 2- and 4-door sedans, a three-door hatchback, and a four-door station wagon.
1975-1980
The first-generation Buick Skyhawk was a rear-wheel drive subcompact sporty hatchback coupe introduced in the fall of 1974 as a 1975 model, along with its corporate clones, the Chevrolet Monza 2+2 and the Oldsmobile Starfire.
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Encyclopedia
The Buick Skyhawk was Buick's compact car offering in the 1970s and 1980s, replacing the Opel Manta that was sold by Buick dealers. It is the only sub-compact automobile ever built by the division. The first Skyhawk, built on the H-body platform, was rear-wheel drive and available only as a sporty three-door hatchback. The 1982 model was part of the new J-body line of front-wheel drive subcompacts and was a full series of cars with 2- and 4-door sedans, a three-door hatchback, and a four-door station wagon.
1975-1980
The first-generation Buick Skyhawk was a rear-wheel drive subcompact sporty hatchback coupe introduced in the fall of 1974 as a 1975 model, along with its corporate clones, the Chevrolet Monza 2+2 and the Oldsmobile Starfire. It was originally intended to compete with other small sporty cars, such as the Toyota Celica, Capri, and the Ford Mustang II.
Based on the same chassis as the Chevrolet Vega introduced in the fall of 1970 for the 1971 model year (and Pontiac Astre), the General Motors’ H-platform, the Buick Skyhawk was the smallest car to wear the Buick badge in more than 60 years.
Though the Skyhawk would be sold alongside the Opel Manta for 1975, it would ultimately replace the Manta as the small sporty car offering from Buick-Opel dealers in the U.S. Currency exchange rates had increased the price of European Opels to the point where they were not competitive with Japanese and American cars.
Throughout its entire life, the Buick Skyhawk would only be offered with the Buick-designed 3.8 liter (231 cid) V6 enginue using a 2-barrel carburetor that generated @ 4000 rpm. A 4-speed manual transmission was standard and a 3-speed automatic was offered as an option.
The 1975 Buick Skyhawk, Chevrolet Monza 2+2, and Oldsmobile Starfire, along with several GM full-size models, were the first cars to adopt the newly approved quad rectangular headlamps and had a strong resemblance to the Ferrari 365 GTC/4. They were the first GM product to incorporate a torque arm rear suspension (rear coil springs with 2 links) - its design was later incorporated into GM's third and fourth generation F-bodies (Camaro and Firebird).
Following the introduction of Skyhawk, in the middle of 1975 it was joined by a lower-priced and less well-equipped Skyhawk ‘S’.
In 1976 a 5-speed manual transmission became available as an option. Another new option was the Astroroof, which was a large heavily tinted overhead glass roof combined with a wide aluminum band that extended from one B-pillar over the roof to the opposite B-pillar. In 1977 a conventional sliding sunroof became optional and was also often ordered with the aluminum band.
For the 1979 model year, the Skyhawk would receive a face lift that incorporated single rectangular headlamps replacing the previous dual rectangular headlamps that all previous models used. A new option was the Road Hawk package that included a Rallye ride and handling package consisting of larger front and rear stabilizer bars, larger tires, and special interior and exterior trim. There was also a Skyhawk Designers’ Accent Edition that was primarily an exterior trim package available in bright yellow or red with black trim.
There were few changes for the 1980 model, the last that the Skyhawk would use the GM H-Body platform, most notably the discontinuance of the 5-speed manual transmission as an option. Only the 4-speed manual and 3-speed automatic transmissions were offered for 1980.
The H-body Skyhawk was replaced in the spring of 1981 with the new front-wheel drive Buick Skyhawk built on General Motors’ J-body platform. However, this new second-generation was not a direct replacement for the original Skyhawk. While the original Skyhawk was a small sporty car, the second-generation model would be a line of compact cars that included 2 and 4-door sedans, a 2-door hatchback coupe, and even a 4-door station wagon.
H-body Skyhawk and Starfire production ceased December 21 1979 to allow for more production of Monza and Sunbird hatchbacks.
1982-1989
The 1982–1989 front-wheel drive Skyhawk (J-body) was available as a 2-door sedan, 3-door hatchback, 4-door sedan or 4-door station wagon. It was similar to the Chevrolet Cavalier. The standard engine was a corporate 1.8 liter OHV carbureted four-cylinder, with a Brazilian-built 1.8 liter overhead-cam TBI four as an option. A turbocharged version of this engine was available on the T-Type model from 1983 through 1986. Both 1.8 engines were replaced by a 2.0 liter version for 1987, one with throttle-body injection, the other with multi-port injection.
The Skyhawk, along with its sister vehicle, the Oldsmobile Firenza, was built in Leeds, Missouri from 1982 through 1988. 1988 was the last year of Oldsmobile Firenza production due to slow sales, and Leeds Assembly was then closed. For 1989 GM moved Skyhawk production to its Janesville, Wisconsin assembly plant where it also produced the Chevrolet Cavalier. Production of the Skyhawk ceased after the 1989 model year. The Chevrolet Cavalier was also produced at Leeds for some of the model years.
Sources
- Flammang, James M. & Kowlake, Ron, Standard Catalog of American Cars: 1976-199, 3rd Edition (Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 1999)
- Gunnell, John, Standard Catalog of American Cars: 1946-1975, Revised 4th Edition (Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2002)
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