We’ve seen a few examples of the 1987 Buick Grand National cross our desks here at Barn Finds over the years, and they seem to fall into two broad categories. Some will be genuine trailer queens with barely enough miles on their odometer to be considered broken in. Others will have lived life hard and fast as Buick intended, and those cars generally need a load of TLC to return to their former glory. This Grand National treads a middle ground because while its odometer reading is below average, it is still a car that its next owner could drive and enjoy without worrying whether those extra miles will impact its value. If you find yourself tempted by the prospect of parking this Grand national in your garage, you will find it located in Trenton, New Jersey, and listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has raced to $37,600, but that figure is still short of the reserve.

I’ve previously talked about how much I like the appearance of the ’87 Grand National and how Buick got the mix so right with the Black paint and the distinctive chrome wheels. Our feature car has an interesting past because its original owner was a GM employee. She ordered the car with every option she wanted to create her dream classic, but she didn’t drive it very often. It is being offered for sale by her son, which suggests that the original owner may have passed away. The overall condition of this Buick suggests that she cherished it because there’s not a lot that I can fault. It seems that the car may have received a repaint due to some minor damage, but it is hard to clarify this from the listing text. The owner has also replaced the bumper fillers due to deterioration. This is a common problem, and these replacements will probably survive better due to ongoing improvements in plastic technologies. The chrome wheels look free from corrosion and damage, while the glass is spotless.

I recently wrote about a 1986 Monte Carlo SS and how American manufacturers struggled to drag 180hp out of its 305ci V8. I mentioned that those companies turned the corner as they came to grips with new technologies like fuel injection and engine management systems, and the ’87 Grand National demonstrates this perfectly. As well as those technologies, Buick equipped the Grand National’s 3.8-liter V6 with a turbocharger and an intercooler. These changes transformed the vehicle into a genuine muscle car because that motor now churned out an incredible (and “official”) 245hp. Couple that with a THM200-4R automatic transmission which was standard fare, and this beast should be capable of storming the ¼ mile in 14.7 seconds. However, those figures also hid another story. Many experts believe that Buick understated the output by a considerable margin. Figures of 290hp were often considered closer to the mark, while magazine road tests in 1987 repeatedly produced ¼-mile ETs of 14-seconds or less. The owner says that the Grand National is factory stock, with no changes or modifications. He recently installed new tires and a new exhaust with Flowmaster mufflers. It has a claimed genuine 17,777 miles showing on its odometer, but the seller doesn’t indicate whether he holds evidence. Otherwise, it seems that this is a turn-key proposition for its next lucky owner.

The lack of wear and deterioration with this Buick’s interior suggests a couple of things. The first is that the odometer reading is likely to be accurate, and the other is that this car hasn’t seen a lot of UV exposure. While the Grand National had an almost bulletproof drivetrain, its interior was prone to some of the deterioration typical of cars from this era. However, the Buick took this to a new level because the distinctive seatcovers could get dirty, stained, and rotted faster than almost any other upholstery available at that time. That hasn’t been the case here because this interior is in excellent order. The seller identifies a small rip in the carpet on the driver’s side, but it isn’t visible in the supplied photos. The power window switch on the driver’s door is cracked, but a replacement comes with the car. The power antenna is also stuck and will require attention. Otherwise, there are no problems to report. The owner has recently replaced the compressor, so the air conditioning blows ice-cold. In addition to the A/C, the original owner ordered the Grand National with power windows, power locks, a six-way power driver’s seat, cruise control, a tilt wheel, and an AM/FM radio and cassette player.

When you consider this ’87 Grand National’s overall condition, its odometer reading, and the options that the original owner chose, it’s easy to see why the bidding has been so intense. The auction opened at $1,000, and it took a mere two days for thirty-eight bids to push it to its current level. There’s still plenty of time left on this listing, meaning that there are ample opportunities for the price to climb significantly higher. With the ways values have grown recently, I wouldn’t be surprised if it eventually rises beyond $50,000. Would you?