Page 14 - Edmonton Antique Car Club

In Search of Thelma Cameron By Hans Van Huystee

I’ve told this story many times over the last 30 available. Including leather interior and Buick’s first V8.
years to anyone who would listen, and I never tire of telling The only variance was the colour.
it. Being a relatively new member of the EACC, I’m sure
I’ve missed telling some of you, so here it is. The Skylark sold
for a flat $5,000. This
The story starts in 1979 when I bought a 1953 was at a time when you
Buick Skylark from piano tuner Ed Walden for $700. I could buy a Buick Road-
know that’s a lot of money but it came with a parts car. master convertible for
$3,500. To recognize the
fact that you laid out five
grand for the car, the
Buick dealer would have
your signature engraved
into the horn button, and
this is where my story
comes in.
Buyer’s signature on horn button
Who was this person, Thelma Cameron, whose
signature was engraved in the Buick’s horn button? When
I wasn’t busy in the garage working on the frame-off resto-
ration, I was in the house putting together a timeline of the
car’s 30 year history. Talking to the most recent owners of
the Skylark, and following up on leads from those who
knew the car, I was able to establish that I was the seventh
Rescued Buick Skylark, 1979 owner. When it came to Thelma Cameron however, the
trail grew cold. The only lead I had was from someone
who claimed he knew of the car in it’s earliest days and
The Buick Skylark was a factory built custom cre- thought the car’s first home was Vancouver Island.
ated to commemorate Buicks’ 50th anniversary. The facto-
ry took 1,500 Roadmaster convertibles off the assembly The Vancouver Island lead promoted me to write a
line and customized them in accordance with design form letter to every Cameron listed in the island phone
sketches created by GM stylists Ned Nickles and Harley books. At the time there was a lot of Cameron’s living on
Earl—no mock up, just sketches. The cars were chopped the island—180 letters went out. Although I received some
and channeled four inches lower than the standard ragtop, interesting responses with some recalling having seen such
at windshield height, and the wheel arches were rounded. a car, none could say that they had owned the car or knew
It had no Buick portholes, had wire wheels instead of hub of a Cameron that had.
caps, and sported stainless steel sweep spears down the full
length of the car. All came equipped with every option My search for Thelma continued over the five

Restored Skylark, 1985
14