The Buick GNX is no stranger around here and we’ve covered in great detail why the legendary 3.8L V6 turbocharged engine is one of the best ever. But for those not aware, in the 80s Buick was destined to blow away the performance car market. In 1987, Buick introduced a limited production run of the Buick Regal, called the Grand National Experimental or GNX for short. Buick produced only 547 GNs with the interior trim package in collaboration with McLaren Performance Technologies/ASC, which were then transported to McLaren to be converted into the Buick GNX. Although the GNX’s real power is 300 bhp and 420 lb-ft of torque, Buick undervalued it with 276 hp and a sizable 360 lb-ft of torque.
The “Grand National to end all Grand Nationals” was the intention when it was designed and boy did it deliver. The GNX lit the sports car market on fire, and the 3.8L V6 turbocharged engine was getting the folks at Ford and Dodge to really sweat. It was also getting attention from the exotics, as the GNX had a better quarter mile than the Ferrari F40 and Porsche 930, doing it in 12.7 seconds at 113.1mph. As a result, the GNX has increased in value overtime and have slowly become unattainable for the common folk. But the most recent sale we’ve tracked online, has officially blown the GNX market out of the water.
An original owner 1987 Buick GNX just sold for $200,000 on BringATrailer. That’s right, $200,000. I will say this GNX was in incredible condition with just 2,300 original miles on the clock and in completely original and mint condition. It was number 217 out of the 547 ever made and the seller had all the documentation as well as copies of the original purchase documents to show.
Part of me wants to say that this GNX fetched $200,000 because it was in such great condition and so well documented but it’s not just that. Don’t get me wrong, being able to show every repair and maintenance history ever completed on a vehicle is certainly helpful. It is also important to document the entire history, from purchase to the point of sale of any number car as it really keeps it pristine.
But the truth is, this particular Buick GNX was no different than some of the others that have been offered for sale. Most of the GNX’s hitting the market are going to be in excellent condition, and pretty much all of them have a documented history. This is largely in part because the Buick GNX was sold as a numbered car and every original buyer was smart enough to know it would become a classic. Even the GNX’s that have been sold multiple times over have had extremely well documented histories that still make them valuable.
At the end of the day, the Buick GNX was destined to be a classic and fetch wild money on the market. This was a vehicle that created automotive history by delivering unprecedent performance out of what was considered a smaller engine at the time. It then delivered performance that rivaled that of the vehicles that, at the time, cost literally 3 times the amount it did. The only said part is, now GNX’s are fetching that amount themselves even if they are worth every penny. Not bad for a car that at the time it was new sold for $29,900 which is about $71,317 in 2022 dollars.
