Picking a car that is destined to become a future classic can sometimes be a pretty easy task, whilst at other times the process can be extraordinarily difficult. On looks alone, the 1987 Buick Grand National was always going to be a strong contender. The fact that it was a car that possessed levels of performance to back the intimidating appearance effectively sealed the deal. Today they remain a coveted choice amongst enthusiasts searching for a 1980s classic, and this has seen values continue to push ever upwards. This particular car is a clean and tidy example that is searching for a new home. It is located in Fraser, Michigan, and has been listed for sale here on eBay. All you have to do is to hand the owner $34,900, and you can drive this beauty home.

The presentation of the Buick is pretty impressive, especially given the fact that it is said to wear all of its original paint. The owner supplies a good selection of high-resolution photos, and these tend to indicate that the paint is free of significant flaws or blemishes. The panels remain very straight, while the exterior trim and plastic have survived very well over the past 33-years. I’ve always felt that the chrome 15″ wheels provide a great contrast to all of the black paint and trim, and prevent the car from developing a “heavy” look. These wheels look to be in good condition, with no signs of damage or corrosion. The photos of the vehicle’s underside also reveal no problems, with everything looking to be completely rust-free.

Necessity is the mother of invention, and tightening emission laws was certainly the catalyst that forced manufacturers to go back to the drawing board in a bid to recoup some of the lost performance from the glory days of the 1960s and early 1970s. This wasn’t just about regaining horsepower that had been lost to legislative requirements but finding better and more efficient means to utilize that power. Forced induction offered one possible answer to this conundrum, and nowhere was its potential better demonstrated than in the Formula 1 cars of the early 1980s. From a road car perspective, the magic power output figure has always been acknowledged as being 100hp/liter. Formula 1 took performance to a completely new level, with the 1.5-liter turbo engines produced by the likes of BMW and Honda regularly pumping out 1,500hp. That equated to 1,000hp/liter, which is a simply staggering figure. Now obviously, such figures were going to be totally impractical in a road car from a reliability standpoint, but the addition of a turbocharger and intercooler, along with a few other niceties, boosted the base 3.8-liter Buick engine from 110hp to a healthy 245hp once it was slotted into the Grand National. I mean, who is going to knock back a power increase of more than 100%? Another area that came in for attention was the transmission. Gone was the lumbering 3-speed automatic transmission of years gone by, with the 4-speed THM200-4R transmission providing a far more efficient means of feeding the power to the rear wheels. The result was a car that could accelerate from 0-60mph in 6.2 seconds and was also capable of demolishing the ¼ mile in 14.7 seconds. It seemed that past glories had been regained, and even by today’s standards, that level of performance still stacks up quite well. The owner mentions some modifications in the listing but doesn’t elaborate about whether these are the obvious cosmetic changes that are visible in this engine photo, or whether there have also been some changes aimed at boosting (no pun intended) the Buick’s performance. What he does claim is that the Grand National has a genuine 39,904 miles showing on its odometer, although he doesn’t indicate whether he holds evidence to back this claim. The most important thing that he does say is that this is a car that is fun to drive, which is definitely an important attribute in a classic car.

The interior of the Buick presents quite well and has managed to avoid that “tired” appearance that can afflict these cars if they have been the victims of either abuse or lack of general care throughout their lives. The upholstery on the seats can be particularly prone to wear and fading, but these seats look really nice. The rest of the upholstery and the plastic trim has held up well, and there is nothing that appears to be damaged or broken. There are a couple of additions that the next owner might want to consider, and it will be a matter of personal preference as to whether these stay, or whether they are removed. The first is a turbo boost gauge mounted in a pod on the front pillar. The other is the fitting of a premium Kenwood CD player, complete with a trunk-mounted amplifier and speaker box. This is purely a comfort and convenience item, but the boost gauge does raise a question in the back of my mind as to whether there really might be some performance upgrades that haven’t rated a mention in the listing. Otherwise, the next owner will be driving a car that comes equipped with air conditioning, power windows, power locks, a power driver’s seat, remote exterior mirrors, cruise, and a leather-wrapped tilt wheel.

The 1987 Buick Grand National has managed to find itself firmly entrenched in the “classic” category of the automotive world, and good examples are highly sought. Values have been interesting on these because they experienced a sharp spike about a year ago, then dropped. They are climbing steadily once again, and for a car in the sort of condition that this one appears to be in, the asking price seems to be quite competitive. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if this one sells pretty quickly.