Buick Roadmaster Skylark 1953

The 1953 Buick Roadmaster Skylark, model 76X: the 50th-anniversary convertible with the chopped windscreen, notched beltline and open wheel arches. 1,690 built, $5,000 list. The 322 cu in Fireball V8, the first Nailhead: 8.5:1, a four-barrel, 188 bhp at 4000 rpm and 300 lb-ft at 2400. Twin-Turbine Dynaflow (a 1.82/1.00 two-speed, as Assetto Corsa has no torque converter), 3.60 torque-tube axle, coil springs all round, 12 in power drums, power steering, 40-spoke Kelsey-Hayes wire wheels on 8.00-15 whitewalls, 121.5 in wheelbase, 4315 lb. The physics are written from the 1953 factory figures.

Inside: the maroon-hooded dash with the white Damascene panel, working gauges and clock, the gold SKYLARK horn button. Ten skins in 1953 Buick colours, named as Buick named them, each with the matching one of the four factory interiors: white leather with red, black, light blue or light green.

What’s new in 1.1

• The trunk ornament redone as the 1953 Roadmaster V-Eight emblem: red enamel BUICK and EIGHT panels in the chrome wings, the red disc with the Buick crest behind the chrome V, the black ROADMASTER band.

This car is open to anybody who wants to improve it: its SVN repository on SourceForge holds the installable car folder. Work directly in the KN5 model and the data files.