Few cars expressed the joy and unbridled optimism of 1950s America than the posh, sporty 1953 Buick Skylark. It was a factory customized limited-production convertible with Buick's first high-compression V-8 and helped celebrate the automaker's 50th anniversary.

The Skylark arrived when prosperous General Motors was presenting fantastic one-of-a-kind auto show concept cars. GM also offered the low-volume, factory customized 1953 Cadillac Eldorado and Oldsmobile Fiesta. The $5,000 Skylark outsold those two cars combined, with sales of 1,690 units, although the $5,000 Skylark was nearly twice the price of a regular Buick convertible and by far the most costly Buick.

Skylark sales were a drop in the bucket, compared with sales of other 1953 Buicks, but the special car created a publicity bonanza for the automaker, which was a symbol of upper-middle-class affluence. Where else could you get an auto that could pass for a Buick auto show concept car?

The Skylark had flamboyant GM head stylist and Buick lover Harley Earl written all over it. It was better styled than the Eldorado and not overdone like the Fiesta. The Skylark was based on the big 1953 Buick Roadmaster convertible, but Buick called the new 4,315-pound model a "sports car." There weren't many genuine sports cars in America, so few argued with Buick's description of the Skylark -- if only because it had such fabulous, sporty lines.

Following tricks of auto customizers, Buick gave the Skylark drastically lowered bodysides, a huge dip in the "shoulder line" along the door and a Roadmaster windshield lowered 4 inches. It also had bold open red or white wheel wells filled by sparkling Kelsey-Hayes wire wheels made to Buick specifications and carrying red, white and blue "50th anniversary" emblems in their hubs (also repeated in the horn button). The car lacked Buick's trademark front fender "portholes" to keep its styling clean, but had discreet special bodyside emblems ahead of the rear wheels.

New Detroit auto gadgets were all the rage, and the Skylark's fabric top that retracted out of sight under a metal cover was considered somewhat of a wonder.

The Skylark set the pace for future mass-production Buicks with its wraparound windshield, full wheel openings and a two-way chromed "sweepspear" that began at the front wheels and dipped sharply ahead of the rear wheels before "jumping" over them and ending near twin "bullet" taillights on each rear fender.

Skylark buyers naturally expected lots of luxury -- and got it: There were soft-tanned two-tone cowhide seats, and the owner's name was engraved on a gold-colored emblem plate on the steering wheel hub. Every conceivable accessory at the time was standard, including tinted glass, whitewall tires and power seats, windows, steering, brakes and top.

There even was a "Selectronic" signal-seeking radio with a power antenna and a floor-button control that changed stations. Adjusting a "more/less" knob stopped the radio at more or fewer stations.

Powering the Skylark was Buick's modern new "Fireball" V-8, which replaced the automaker's inline eight-cylinder that had all cylinders in a row. The 322-cubic-inch V-8 had a four-barrel carburetor and generated 188 horsepower and enormous torque at a low 2,400 rpm for instant response. The car could cruise all day at 100 mph if you lived in states with wide-open roads.

It would be hard to find a Skylark that isn't in excellent (nearly perfect) condition because owners know exactly what they have. Collectible auto price guides value an excellent-condition 1953 Skylark from $130,000 to $190,000 -- and one in good (little wear and driven sparingly) condition at $91,000 to $102,375. Those in just fair (generally in need of cosmetic restoration) condition are valued at $58,500 to $61,300.

The Skylark is a terribly exclusive car from America's most jazzy auto era and is worth every penny. It can only climb in value.