nighthawk

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Buick Skyhawk

NIGHTHAWK

In 1977, Buick came out with a special edition Skyhawk, named the Nighthawk. The Nighthawk is essentially an appearance package only, featuring the same standard features of the Skyhawk. The similarities end with the exterior look of the car. The Nighthawk starts out with coal-black paint and gold colour-keyed wheel covers. The truly unique feature that completes the Nighthawk is the special reflective striping that only become really visible at night. They start on the side of the front facia going along the side of the car right to the rear hatchback and across the back of the car with the trademark Buick hawk bird on the front fenders and the rear hatch and 'night hawk' in script on the front of the doors and also on the rear hatch. There is also a wide gold band on the 'hump' of the hood as well as some pin striping along the side of the hood 'hump'. Click here for GM documentation on the Nighthawk's striping.

As Buick says, they are virtually invisible during the day but "shine like the moon" with a gold tint when they are hit with light.

The Nighthawk was spawned from a car owned by one of the Buick Studio Engineers, Ron Nowicki, who had a black Skyhawk, blacked-out all the trim, painted the wheel covers gold and put gold Skyhawk decals on the fenders. This is his car.

The Nighthawk decor package was given an RPO Code of WH6 and was only available for the 1977 model year.

The pictures with the gold striping that seems to 'glow' (2 bottom left pics) were taken with a flash to give you an idea of what they would look like at night, in the light.