If you are into Buick Grand Nationals then you really need to take a look at this. The seller claims that this GNX has only covered 13 miles since it left the factory! He bought it a few months ago with 11 miles and proceeded to add two more. I’m sure he enjoyed every minute of it, but he is ready to move on already. So it’s been listed here on eBay and bidding is already pushing six figures!
The GNX wasn’t any old Grand National. There were only 547 built and they offered much more performance over the standard GN. After putting them together, Buick shipped them over to McLaren where they worked their magic. The turbo system was upgraded, transmission reprogrammed, suspension firmed up, and the gauges swapped out.
It sure looks like new in there, but don’t touch the headliner because it might leave a mark in the deteriorated foam. This car had been parked for a while when the seller received it so he carefully went through everything. Fluids were replaced, a new fuel tank went in, and a leak was fixed. And then they took it around the block…
These were serious performers when new and are highly collectible today. This particular car could be the one to get if you want the very best. The seller claims that it won a perfect score at the GS Nationals. The only problem with this car is that you might feel bad adding miles. I know that I couldn’t stop at just two!
This will be a record setter
I checked with an inflation adjuster, the $5200. in 1988 would be worth $106000.today. So maybe the price isn’t so far out of line.
Therein lies the difference, those who have a passion for cars and those who have a passion for money. Then again, the proletariat perceive themselves as temporarily unfortunate millionaires.
where the hell did you get that # from? CPI Inflation calculator of $5200 of Nov 1986 to today’s dollar is only $11,527 https://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm
Okay, I’m really trying to get there. . .
[Current inflation adjusted values shown in brackets]
Original window sticker was $29,290 [$62,116] when it was originally sold in December of 1987. Seller claims that the original owner paid a $5,210 [$11,049] premium at the time of purchase for an original sale price of $34,500. Adjusted for inflation, that makes the original purchase price of this car $73,165 in 2017 dollars.
It went no-sale for $123,100 on 18 June, the equal of $58,046 in 1987 dollars. Adjusted for inflation, that looks like an actual gain of $23,546 over the original purchase price, or a gain of about 59-1/2%.
While not an ideal retirement plan, it’s better than putting the money in savings at 3% for 30 years (interest compounded semi-annually) which would turn the $34,500 into $84,100.
Inflation calculations from:
https://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl?cost1=34%2C500.00&year1=198712&year2=201705
Interest calculations from:
https://www.investor.gov/additional-resources/free-financial-planning-tools/compound-interest-calculator
Mike H & the others,
I think you’re putting too much effort into this inflation-profit thoughts. I like to enjoy the cars for what they are. I can see a little interest in the subject, but all this calculation using inflation sites and taxing your brains to see the percentage of profit/inflation, just takes the fun out of it. Just my $.02. Everyone have a good day.
Rocco,
First, I highly value your opinion, and 99% of the time I completely agree with you. However, when one produces a 30-year-old performance car with delivery mileage on it, the car is no longer what the car was meant to be (mechanical conveyance of a hoot to drive?) but instead it becomes a commodity. Why else would someone buy a car that was rare and prohibitively expensive for its time and pack it away undriven for three decades?
They did it for the anticipated appreciation in value, which is what was being discussed. Whomever becomes the new owner of this likely isn’t going to take it to the track for a flogging, and it also won’t become anyone’s sweet weekend cruiser. . . No, this car’s destiny is to remain as pristine as possible, quietly on display somewhere instead of being enjoyed as it was designed and built to be. Therefore, discussion of inflation adjustments and appreciation in value is entirely relevant when a unicorn such as this appears.
Me? I’d want to drive it, but I don’t have the (probably) $125,000 that the seller must think this one is worth. However, if I did have the money I suppose I wouldn’t buy this one and destroy the value by using it as The General intended.
Nice car! Lot of low mileage GN’s and GNX’s coming out of the woodwork these days!
Wasn’t this car ”flipped” a short time ago?? Either here or BAT…
This may be 1 of 2 that were sold recently dusty & dirty as a pair featured here in past.
Crazy how much these cars go for in recent times… I love Buicks, but I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to afford a GN, nevermind a GNX! bidding is at $101,600!!! That’s $134 000 for any of us Canadians reading…
Things like this make me sad. It’s like on Antiques Roadshow when someone brings a toy that was never played with.
I can remember the one and only of these I have ever seen as it came off the truck at the Buick dealer I was working at. The plugs were fouled, and it wouldn’t idle. I remember replacing the plugs and resetting the ECM. These always idled rough as the fueling was very aggressive. It was sold within the hour… I can die saying I drove one…oh the memories….
No Third pedal. No thanks.
Simply put: a bad ass , beautiful Buick! Even with astronomical price tag…. DRIVE HER!
Wet Dream
This would be no fun to own at all. You can’t drive it or you’ll loose it’s value. You can’t show it because you can’t take a chance on anything happening to it. The first scratch, nick, or blemish will drop it’s value. The only thing you can do is put it in a climate controlled building and cover it up. What fun is that? If you have the bucks to do that, so be it. Bid away!
It may continue to increase in value but, if it’s an investment you’re looking for, there’s always the stock market.
Well a new car depreciates – why not just treat it like buying a new car and drive it till you don’t like it and then sell it? Perhaps by that time the price would have continued up and you could sell your beat up GNX for 50-60K
There are a lot better cars you can buy for $105,000, but there isn’t a lot of 30 year old collectible cars with 13 miles on them. Who ever buys this, isn’t buying it to drive. In my opinion, this shouldn’t be driven, just displayed.
The original fuel tank was replaced with 13 miles on the clock? Well, it’s not totally original now so I’ll give you 4 grand, just because you kept it so shiny.
Best comment of the day Coventrycat
I would drive the piss out of it…
That’s part of the problem here – GNs and GNXs, if you drive the piss out of them, they hand grenade. That’s been my experience at least – and quite a few others – the bottom end was never designed for the boost…
Not true. That was never a problem. The 200r4 was the weak link.
Oh yes it is my friend. I know that odd-fire V6 like the back of my hand (worked in Flint at Buick). It was designed as an economy car engine and was a poor (odd-fire) design. It wasn’t until Buick conceived the 3800 with offset rod journals and balance shaft that it became a decent platform. It was simply not designed for a boosted application. Bottom end would let loose. Knew a lot of Buick employees that had them and this was a common complaint – beat on it and it starts a knockin – then crunch as a rod windowed the block. IIRC you could get 30-35K miles on it before it popped… Fun tho…
Very Not True. This is a solid motor and if left stock it will last forever no matter how much you beat on it. The only thing that grenades this motor is if you crank up the turbo boost and even then you’ll blow a head gasket before the motor.
Don’t know about the eng., but the trans was a good design that held up in most of the GM applications, if the detent(trottle) cable was set correctly.
Maybe I’m alone here but I just never got this mindset. How do you not drive this car?? Sure, the eBay final bid will look great but if you put the original $29.9k MSRP into a mutual fund back in 1987, and it subsequently earned 10% per year average, you’d have about $522k in the bank right now. I’m sure the final bid will not be that impressive!
What jw454 said….plus…I really don’t care….but someone else does….maybe the owner ?
I’m lost – why is this v6 auto $100000 valuble?
Because GNX.
So what exactly are you supposed to do with a car that’s so perfect that scientists use it to calibrate their instruments? My guess is you take it to the Corn Horse da Ellie Gams and stand in front of it with your nose up in the air and some mashed up Goose innards on a cracker in your hand so people can tell you how great you are but I don’t know, never been there myself…
I’m NOT into GNs or GNXs but this is a sweet and badass car.
Whether or not, people would decide to drive this car, it still remains very special. The fact that it was tweaked by Mc Laren makes it valuable. The low production numbers make it valuable. I had the pleasure of driving one of these cars and it was a blast! There are people who bought these cars in the 80’s, hoping to make a fortune on them. Some of them have cashed in on their speculation. At the end of the day, any GNX is simply a bad-ass car!
Big black trophy….
13 miles put on it a 1/4 mile at a time!!
They were expensive new and like the National I never cared for them. Black yuk. You could buy 5 perfect 1987 Monte SS s in all different colors for the money this car will bring….
If I bought it I’d drive it, I believe cars should be driven. Even then how many miles does a hobbyist drive per year?
My wife’s brother inlaw’s neighbor bought one new in the 80s and he seldom drove it thinking it would be collectable. He died in the 90’s and his wife sold it soon after, bet she’s kicking her butt right now. Poor guy never got to enjoy it or the money his wife sold it for which at the time was chump change compared to today.
Iggy O $101 600.00 for us in south Africa its R1 625 600-00
crazy I tel u I can buy two houses
How is this even a barn find? They made 500 GNX and i bet 400 were put up and stored like this one. It can’t be found if it was never lost. This was a guys dream investment in 1987 when they sold for 50K plus after dealer markups. The guy stored it until he died and his kids said lets get rid of dad’s old car. broker buys it makes it run, gets the awards to add value and flips it? A low mileage GNX is like a a Cobra with Shelby’s signature on it, there are probably fewer Cobras without the signature as there are fewer GNXs with more than delivery miles out there than not.
$100K seems right however and the owner got the enjoyment out of owning it for all those years. Since he didn’t loose (never mind in a savings account at 1% he would have made more) or make money (inflation adjusted) and was happy I am good with it.
Bid to $123,100.00
Reserve not met
[ 40 bids ]
0-60 in a little under six seconds. 13.8 quarter-mile at about 105 mph. 124 top speed (rev limited) for $123,000 +. ?? This is truly a niche vehicle and the bubble will burst eventually. At these prices these cars will never be driven again.