Barrett-Jackson to auction 9-mile Buick GNX
With federal agencies mandating everything from exhaust emissions to bumper absorbency to the thickness of sun visors, 1987 wasn't generally a good time to be a muscle car enthusiast. Yet there was one exception: The grossly underrated, 276-horsepower 1987 Buick GNX.
Clad in Darth Vader black, the GNX was the penultimate edition of the NASCAR-inspired Grand National. Envisioned as the "Grand National to end all Grand Nationals," the GNX was the result of a series of "race on Sunday, sell on Monday" specials that started in 1982 and got hotter and hotter by the time 1987 rolled around.
Buick teamed up with McLaren and ASC to put a unique Garrett turbocharger, a low-restriction exhaust and a bevvy of other performance upgrades into an otherwise dull rear-wheel-drive Regal coupe.
Sealing its deal as a performance car was its sub-5 second 0-60 sprints and its ability to crank through the quarter mile in about 13.7 seconds. It was unquestionably the global performance leader back in 1987 and its figures are impressive even today.
Unfortunately, Buick never followed up on the GNX with another real hot rod; the next-generation Regal was a dull front-wheel-driver that helped cement Buick's Early Bird Special reputation. The automaker is planning to launch a new Grand National based on the Opel Insignia/Buick Regal, but no matter how good it could be, there's no way it will offer the ludicriously neck-snapping performance of the GNX.
It's only new once
It seems a shame that someone would buy a GNX new back in 1987 and never drive it, but that's just what the owner of this car did. Showing just 9 miles on its virgin odometer, GNX #482 (of 547 built) is a brand new car. We're all for preservation, but this just seems like an injustice to us.
Barrett-Jackson will offer the car at its Palm Beach 2010 auction next month. If you're interested, look for lot number 676 and get your bid in early! Values of these GNXs are on the rise - and as the saying goes... "it's only new once"
