Times must be good because this 1987 Buick GNX has been bid to $145,100 after 23 bids and the reserve is not even met! It wasn’t long ago that these were $60k to $90K cars but when the car is this special and only has 1,872 miles, the bids go up. There is no arguing that this car is a survivor. It has not even been broken in after 35 years! This GNX is located in Lockport, New York and there are 4 days remaining in the auction here on eBay. The Buick GNX in the 2nd generation Regal is a one year only car with a production run of 547 cars.
Some may ask, what is so special about this car. Well, if you are lucky enough to have driven one, you would immediately know. For the rest of us, the special wheels, fender vents, wheel flares, badging and unbelievable engine underneath the hood make this a special vehicle. My Mom bought one of the first Regals with a naturally aspirated 3.8 liter engine in 1978 when the 2nd generation of the Regal was introduced. I think its output was around 110 horsepower. Buick engineers took this mild mannered V6 and over a number of years they made it into a giant killer. By the time they were done in 1987, the 3.8 liter GNX engine boasted improved cylinder heads, fuel injection, a Garrett AiReseach turbocharger, and intercooler that was advertised at 276 horsepower. Most of us believe it was closer to 300 horsepower and could cover the quarter mile in 13.4 seconds.
We have seen lower mileage GNX cars here on Barn Finds but this one is very nice and looks to be showroom perfect. The interior carpet and seats are covered in plastic and the car has its window stick on the passenger side window. The seller states in detail how the car is original and well maintained. Another unique feature of the GNX is the gauge package. I really like the round gauges and had an aftermarket set in my 1987 T-Type.
I love the angular look of the Grand National and GNX. The black paint with these wheels were the perfect selection by the factory. The GNX weighed just over 3,500 lbs and was devoid of any chrome. We always said that if Darth Vader drove a car, this would be it. So if the buyer needs this car driven from New York to their home, please let me know. I will happily drive it to you and take the utmost care and circuitous route!
I got to drive one of these, a press car, in 1987, my not even two year old daughter in her car seat loving every minute of it on a highway outside Philadelphia. I still have photos I took that day and I copied the window sticker on our copier. So fast. And yes almost 30 large all those years ago.
One just sold at Mecum Orlando 2022, with 55 ORIGINAL miles, for $205,000!!!
Oh those wheels and fender flares, be still my heart! If I ever win the Powerball…..
What a car!
Wow bidding up to $180K when I checked !!
$181,100 is not chump change. (Roy Orbison should have called his song “Only The Wealthy” not “Only The Lonely” as it would fit this car. The seller just improved his retirement plan by cashing in. GLWTA!
I just finished reading the long version of the description. Make sure you have provisions beside you as it is quite a hike.
I L O V E this car. Unfortunately I chose the wrong parents so I can only envy the next owner (caretaker?). (I am quite happy with my real parents, but as both have gone on to their “great reward” do any rich people want to adopt me? I don’t “go” indoors, lol).
If you had parents rich enough to allow you to plunk down 200 grand for this on a whim, you probably wouldn’t want it anyway. You would consider it beneath your status. The only reason you would want it would be for an investment, and to hell with that. Those are not true car people, just posers.
You’re probably right Squigly.
If I had known what the present value would be, I would have bought 2 back in 87 – stashed one as an investment and driven the living crap out of the other one. Cars are meant to be driven. I recall reading a column way back in Car and Driver (I think). Someone smashed up an historic irreplaceable Ferrari during a vintage car race. The driver was bawling his eyes out. The writer told him to stop because “it was only a hunk of metal”, (or words to that effect). I can see both sides of this. I’m not sure how I would have felt if I was the Ferrari driver. I may have either agreed, or, attacked the giver of “friendly advice”. lol.
I had a Buick dealer for a client for many years and he said the 3.8 was the best enging GM ever produced, near bullet proof.
Maybe by the time this car was built, but in the mid 70s Buick 3.8s were a massive POS
The chevy strait 6 of the ’60s is up there too & it doesn’t even have a timing chain(or belt)! Also, the motor can lose the alternator belt & still get you home driving quite a distance – the fan & alternator each have 2 pulleys – the other for PS. Tho the motor is hardly hi performance. lol
Lets see you pay 6 figures for a car with low miles and now what?
1. Stuff in your garage and show your friends.
2. Flip it.
3. Drive the hell out it and loose money.
4. Put a coat of wax on it every week. Drive it around block and repeat weekly.
5. Let it out on to attend the local Wednesday night car shows.
6. Hooligan the dam thing.
I love how the seller says he only uses non ethanol fuel. Kids, he doesn’t use any fuel. Such a shame that a fine car is just an investment. Oh well, almost all the extraordinary cars made today suffer the same fate. In days past such cars depreciated and us mere mortals got a chance to own them. What has the world come to? I suspect it is what Marx called “Mature Capitalism”. //// I never cared for the BBS style wheels. Also think the front end work on the fenders is too busy, like the standard T-Type body and color options better too. I do like the better dash and of course, the engine limiter on the GNX was removed. Never understood why ordinary GNs had that.
The base GN’s were limited to 127 mph because at greater velocity the rear end tended to rise up and lost traction, very dangerous at 130!
Tragic buying a car like this and resigning it to a life of unuse. Is it a good car? Is it fun to drive? Who knows because the owner never drove it! I have driven GN’s and GNX’s and while I prefer the much better overall performance of a GMC Syclone to these Buicks I still can’t imagine buying one of these for the only purpose to make money on it someday. I would argue the profit isn’t worth the 35 years of experiences and memories lost by not driving it. .
The profit on a stock account would have creamed this as an investment. In 1987 he could have bought a cherry C2 Vette for a pittance, drove and loved that, and properly invested the rest. Today he would be far richer and also richer for having driven a great car. Though I imagine that anyone who does this is already far richer than anyone needs to be already.
Why wouldn’t GM look at the prices for these relics and put out a limited-edition, rear-wheel-drive model that basically was this plus all the government-mandated safety stuff and make a quick killing? There is a big demand for cars like this and people my age have the money to buy them. We’d then be talking about THOSE cars on Barn Finds for the next 40 years.
Yeah, and the dealers would charge way over list. Then all the rich boys would gobble up the supplies, then flip them to other rich boys on BAT. Finally, almost all of them will end up like this, off the road for decades. It is a mindset that needs to change, or our hobby is doomed. GM needs to make cars like these, but screw the limited edition BS. Make them great at a price that most can afford. Sell as many as they can. We do not need or want collector items for the wealthy, we need happiness for the masses. This country could use some healing, perhaps that could be a small piece of the start of that.
Oddly, the goodyear 245-50r-16 tires on this car do not appear to be as wide as
the goodyear 225-55r-16s gatorbacks mounted on some mustangs & 3000gt’s back in the day. Maybe the latter tire would have been a better idea?
Made it to $200,200 and it did not make the seller’s reserve.
Now, the seller decided to relist it without the auction nonsense, at $280,000.
INSANITY!!!!!