Did you want to own a Buick Grand National back when they first came out, but missed the opportunity? Well, here’s your second chance to own a brand new 1987 Buick Grand National! This has to be one of the lowest mileage and cleanest examples we’ve ever seen! It has covered just 49 miles (yes you read that correctly) and is like a brand new car. I bet it even smells new inside! You can find this incredible turbocharged survivor here on eBay in San Marcos, Texas.
Ultra low mileage cars like this have become extremely sought after and this one is especially desirable. The original owner drove the car just two times, once from the airport gate to the hanger where it was stored and then back from the hanger to the gate when they sold it. During the 12 years they owned it, the engine was started and serviced regularly. The second owner kept it for a short period of time and then sold it to the third owner, the seller’s brother. While it stayed parked, his brother continued to service it up until just recently, when he unfortunately passed away.
Unlike some of the other low mileage Grand Nationals we’ve seen, this one wasn’t even prepped for the dealer lot. It retains all of it’s protective plastic covers and even has the front bumper protector that was installed prior to shipping from the factory. The original owner apparently took ownership before it even made it to the showroom floor!
With over 4 days left to bid, it’s hard to say how much this Buick will end up going for. This is a once in a lifetime type of find! There can’t be too many other Grand Nationals with such low mileage that still retain all their protective coverings. Many of the survivors with this low of mileage were parked and forgotten, leaving all the seals and gaskets to dry out and fail. While I’m sure the next owner will avoid driving it, given the premium they paid for the mileage, it’s nice to know that you could drive it without needing to rebuild everything! So, do you think the next owner will actually use this one or will they dust it off and lock it away?
Seeing how it is at 70 grand bid and i bought mine new for $18,000 I can’t see it. It would be a crime to drive this thing but no fun in it.
ALWAYS FORGETTING INFLATION
$18,000 in 1987 equals $40,157.76 in 2018.
1987 GAS
Gasoline Price: $0.93
Would love to have this but 70 grand for a center piece in a garage is way to high..
I have owned several, new and used….definitely priced me out of the mood. Wonderful cars but made to drive, not to store.
Act now and we’ll include this 2×4 hood prop for no additional cost.
A hood prop on a supposed 49 mile car???
How can it be a “survivor” if it never lived?
That’s deep!
The stock market theory of “Buy and Hold” doesn’t seem to apply to cars anymore (if it ever did). I wonder how many collector cars Warren Buffett owns?
I would say zero.
Unless they’re for his personal enjoyment probably 0, right. Say this cost 18k new (to use the out the door price another poster paid for his new). If you put that cash in a mutual fund back then, and it only averaged 5% per year, you’d have 82k in the bank now.
And that’s a terrible performance that would have gotten a succession of fund managers fired, and probably a derisive nickname like the “Billy Goat Fund.” Realistically, you’d probably have double that.
I have a California bought and stored since day one 1987 Buick Grand National with 26 original miles. All plastic still intact with original window and factory dealer stickers as well. Always stored in climate controlled environment since purchased. I cannot load pictures as the file is too big.
Please email us the photos so we can run a story on your car. Everyone would love to see it! Here’s the address: mail@barnfinds.com
Change the camera settings and take more pics.
I remember Grand Nationals cars at Baylands raceway in Fremont California back in the mid to late 80’s. For the time they smoked all corvettes, Mustangs and kept up with Ferrari’s in the quarter mile with the change of the chip to a stage 3 running low 11 second quarter mile. Early 50’s to 60+ year olds appreciate just what this car is and was.
@ John, Google Buddy Ingersoll and see what he accomplished!
Great read Craig! I wish we still had a quarter mile track here in the South Bay Area. Those were good times. People there for the same reason, everyone getting along and helping each other. Much different world today. I’m coming up on 50 now and the GN was the car to beat. I enjoy watching Street Outlaws and if any of you follow the show the fastest cars are all twin turbos. The people fortunate enough to have the money to have one with 26 miles or buy one with 49 miles have enough in there 401K and bank accounts that after the purchase it would be like me buying a set of tires for my car.
Hey, this older than 50-60year old, appreciate what these autos are.
The 1/ quarter miles was darn near top end, we seen approximately 116 on certified under cover cop car.
They were actually quite luxurious, quiet inside and good enough handling on two lane back roads.
I can maybe afford the 2×4, and please don’t talk inflation, as I can remember when a 2×4 was a real 2 inch by 4 inch and that knot filled one in pic was only used to build a chicken coop or dog house.
If I had the cash to buy I would not as I do not think even inflation would raise its value in ten years, 70- 90 K at Most.
Baylands…watched the drags as a kid, raced the dirt oval as an adult. Was a great place…
I would definitely want the 2×4 hood prop, but only if it is original and documented, as the rest of the car!
We can have it plastic-wrapped if you prefer.
This is one of the highly-coveted early ’87 builds, as Buick switched mid-year to metal studs for this option. Be advised to check the production date and build sheet to ensure this is not an aftermarket stud.
Made for a good time, not a long time.
That protector in the front keeps the bumper from cracking at the crotch of the “V” during a light tap with contemporary cars back in the day, a common issue with the Regal.
You do realize that a grand national has steel bumpers right?
Unless it is going to a museum, one has to ask , why? Someone is going to pay a huge amount of money to shine it up, take it to a car show or cruise in and park it next to another well-cared for one with 50,000 miles on it and the majority of people won’t make any distinction. Owner no doubt will have a placard made noting the low mileage so people will.
All that dust isn’t doing much good for the paint finish.. Could have at the least kept it clean /covered.
Mothballed vs driven. I wonder what the ratio is on these cars.
Wash The Car!!! please
Oh h*ll naw……I would never pay that much for an eighties production car even if it’s a Grand National. Why? For that much coin you can buy a new base corvette that you can actually drive and is much faster!
I don’t understand why people think dust and dirt makes a car more desirable or valuable. Wash it!
Nice one, Josh. I was going to talk about how the HP was under-rated, etc. but what’s the point? Drivers have barely enjoyed this car’s one job — embarrassing sportier-looking cars all day, every day. Instead it’s merely an alternative to an IRA. I’ll take the stock market any day over a low-miles, low-smiles piece of mechanical art. I couldn’t stand to own it; to see it beckoning, torturing me with its unused perfection. This one is merely a rolling Mutual Fund with low diversity and a murky future. Or maybe someone *should* buy it and burn the tires off. Can I get a “Yee-Haw!?!” https://www.investopedia.com/articles/financial-advisors/020216/why-collectible-cars-shouldnt-be-considered-investment.asp
Ten years to early. Still to contemporary to command 70K I’m thinking. In another 10 years that low mileage will be a big draw for an enthusiast. Now, not so much.
There are probably more of these in this condition stashed away than people realize. It was the last mid-sized two door rear wheel drive American muscle car ever produced. These were hyped up by every enthusiast publication in existence. As the original purchasers start liquidating their assets more of these in similar condition will likely show up, diluting their value.
Steve R
I agree Steve, I went with a buddy who bought some patio doors off Craigs list. Yup, had to move a perfect GN to get the doors out!
An eighties Buick regal is still a eighties Buick regal no matter how fast they are. Eighties production cars were cheaply assembled and cannot compare to the quality and power of todays cars and for less $$$.
Where’s the thumbs down button when you need it?
What a waste! Drive it! If we’re going to collect cars , collect Hot Wheels
Maybe if this was one of the elusive 500 GNX models…but for 70k? c’mon. there were too many built and for 70k you could restore a decent one, have it like new, and still have some coin left over. You gonna drive it anyway, right?
Interesting article recently in the New York Times regarding the closing of many automobile museums in the United States. Where are these cars going to go? The car collector hobby is dying. It just doesn’t acknowledge that fact yet. I’m glad I got to experience the hobby during the “Golden Years”.
Up to $70k as of this post….wow!
As I am not much for rules, I would probably disconnect the speedometer and enjoy the car a little until I got tired of it, which would be pretty fast, and then park it again.
For the asking price, I have never wanted one that bad.
You sir are a crook. It’s very dishonest to represent something as being what it’s not for personal gain. Shame on you. Never disconnects speedometer to establish a lie.
Yes I am a crook. Sure I am.
Tell me why a couple thousand miles would matter on this car.
To me, the saddest thing is that the second & third owners apparently NEVER even drove the car! Life is fleeting and (IMO) there are going to be a LOT more “Boomer”cars than affluent buyers would need. The post-boomer generations are interested (if at all) in 90’s Honda’s/Toyota’s, etc. AND with automatics!! :-)
We can say that this car is not worth the ask, but that Ebay auction has actual bids up to 70K, so somebody thinks it is worth that.
Fascinating brand new 30 yr old car, God Only Knows what it’ll need to be road worthy. Seals drying up, vacuum lines, you’d really have to love these cars and have money to burn in order to go for this one. Is the paint faded or badly scratched, and they’re hiding that by leaving it dusty in the pictures? I agree with the above, “WASH IT”.
These are cool cars, but there are SO many of them in this shape that have been squirreled away that even with the low mileage, the price of this garage ornament is just ridiculous.
It’s gotten to the point where more often than not, when you see a Grand National come up for sale, it’s in immaculate shape from being in storage for 20+ years.
Again, they’re way cool. I guess I’m just bored with em and therefore can’t see the value, hah.
My ego would be okay with buying a ‘gently used’ GN, versus one that’s been hermetically sealed. My bank account on the other hand, would be ecstatic.
God, not ANOTHER one.
It was bought as an investment, and stayed that way. I like as-found photos, followed by photos after cleaning.
I’m glad to see that someone else agrees with me, that even though the idea of future generations being interested in antique and classic cars, the sad reality is that as our generation passes there will be few IF ANY younger people who will appreciate cars such as Stutz bear cat,Cord, corvette, tri-five chevy or anyother collector cars. We are a slowly dying breed who finds beauty in old cars. That my friends is sad to contemplate.
I agree 70,000 for a run of the mill GN is outrageous but if someone wants this car that bad i say more power to them
SC/RAMBLER,
From what I’m seeing teenagers have been hammered over the head with Carbon Footprint until they’ve got a carbon footprint on the brain. Peer pressure in this group will have them as fond of public transportation and municipally owned bicycles as we are of cars.
I think this is outstanding! If someone has the money and really wants a car like this for his/her collection, who is anyone to criticize them? I spend vast sums of money on guns and accessories. I could care less what someone on the internet thinks about that. I enjoy them and that’s all that matters!
I don’t think the new owner will ever get his money back some day. It’s not worth that much, certainly how Millennials aren’t car lovers from that era. I agree, they only want 1990’s souped up Honda’s at best.
I agree with Len. Besides, with a $70,000 price tag, seems to me the owner either is looking to subsidize his 401k or doesn’t really want to sell it.
Let me throw one in the hat. We have a 1997 Mazda Miata M edition last year production of the original NA built from 1990-1997. It is showroom fresh with 126 original miles. This was also pulled prior to the dealer prep so it has boxes of accessories that were not even installed by the dealer as yet but are still in boxes in the trunk. The 126 miles is from driving it aroung the block every 2 months or so to keep it lubricated. The original tires and wheels were removed and stored and others put on so they would not get out of round. This is probably the newest and lowest mileage 1997 Miata there is. WhT a great car but ya got to have another one to drive and enjoy
Maybe there’s some schill bidding going on to drive that price up? All it takes is 2 who want it bad enough to drive that price through the roof.
Yeah that is what I was thinking……A straw bidder getting a cut of the final bid. Car is not worth 70k plus.
A quick check of B-J results show a good deal of these with less than 10k miles sold below 40k. At 40k and 5,000 miles I’m not worried about putting more on; but, this…. It will be worth almost half of it’s selling price once the odometer rolls over 100.
Photo tip #2…If advertising an old car in “almost new” condition don’t have the hood held open with a “stick”
@ John, Google Buddy Ingersoll and see what he accomplished!
Collecting cars and investing in the stock market are two different things often inaccurately compared. I have owned many enjoyable cars and have generally lost money when I sold them. This hobby is not about return on investment. Enjoyment is derived from owning these cars. The subsequent deprecation (adjusted for inflation) is the cost of admission. More power to an individual if they have the means to preserve a vehicle in as built condition. Perhaps these examples will be studied and enjoyed by the next generation(s) of car enthusiasts.
Buy it and drive it, before The Motor Law!
https://www.rush.com/songs/red-barchetta/
The inspiration for the lyrics was from a short story in the November ’73 issue of Road & Track.
https://docslide.us/documents/a-nice-morning-drive.html
$70k and can’t even put a battery in it.
The hood is held up with gas pistons, not springs, and the seals have dried up, therefore a prop is needed. So, probably, most of the other seals, hoses, and gaskets (except maybe the head gaskets) and the tires have dried up, too. My ’93 Allante had been stored indoor for 6 years when I bought it, and, all were toast, gas pistons, brake lines, non metallic hoses, etc. Then, the GN engines with the turbos were unusual enough that parts are very had to find, even with the internet. My Allante suffers from the same problem, engine is pure Cadillac of the day but lower hoods resulted in non-standard GM engine parts, and the plastic ones deteriorate, one of mine is replaced by enema hose and electrical tape. But it runs fine and passed the CA emissions tests.
I remember these whoosh mobiles all too well, my 5.0 just didn’t have the top end to close the deal on these. When modified these were absolutely nuts, especially the trailered race GN’s an t-types. That isn’t news to any of us here. The big news to me is what kind of enjoyment would this low mileage Buick bring me now, can’t drive it as it’s too valuable, not even a quarter mile at a time, and that’s what these were all about. It is basically useless except for looking at. I’d rather have a regal T-Type in good shape so I could drive without worrying about ruining a piece of automotive history. Well, nice car it is but it’s no rare hemi’cuda or Boss 429 Mustang.
Ended: May 26, 2018 , 10:00PM
Winning bid:US $75,200.00
[ 79 bids ]