SHOWROOM FRESH: These ultra-low mileage 1987 Buicks look like they just rolled off the assembly line

May 20, 2021
Posted by Barrett-Jackson

Written by independent automotive journalist Steve Statham

Headed to the 2021 Las Vegas Auction, each with No Reserve, are these two low-mileage 1987 Buicks: a Grand National (left) with just 27 miles and a GNX (right) with just under 9 miles.

Headed to the 2021 Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas Auction with No Reserve are two extraordinarily low-mileage turbo Buicks that were superstars during a time when V8s were running out of steam.

The 1980s marked a transition decade for performance cars. There was a not-unreasonable belief running through the automotive industry that the V8 engine was on the road to extinction due to a combination of higher gas prices, government fuel economy standards and emissions regulations. As it turned out, of course, that proved to not be the case, as the V8 staged a satisfying comeback in later years.

The odometer on this Grand National reads just 27 miles.

But as automakers scrambled to generate decent performance from smaller V6 and 4-cylinder engines, turbochargers became mainstream. And nobody did turbochargers with more style and performance than Buick.

The division had taken the lead at General Motors on the turbo front, making a big statement about what was to come with the turbocharged V6 1976 Buick Century Indianapolis 500 Pace Car. Starting in 1978, a 3.8-liter (231ci) carbureted V6 paired with a turbocharger became a production option on the Regal and LeSabre. Performance advanced quickly, and 1984 saw the introduction of Sequential Fuel Injection (SFI) and the all-black Regal Grand National model. In 1987, just as the rear-wheel-drive G-body Regal was going out of production, performance hit a peak.

Interior of the Grand National headed to auction.

Family to the Regal line, this 1987 Buick Grand National offered with No Reserve at Barrett-Jackson’s Las Vegas Auction, June 17-19, is a perfect time-capsule from that era. With just 27 miles on the odometer, it still has its protective plastic on the seats, steering wheel and footwells, along with the Window Sticker still attached to the passenger-side glass.

The Grand National cut a distinctive profile on North American roads in the 1980s. The black paint and blacked-out trim, beefy 15-inch Goodyear Eagle GT tires on special chrome-plated steel wheels, hood bulge with “3.8 SFI Turbo” emblems and Grand National/Intercooled fender badge let everyone know this was a serious car. With 245 horsepower and 355 ft/lbs of torque, the Grand National was more powerful than its domestic V8 competitors such as the Corvette, Camaro Z/28 and Mustang GT, as well as turbocharged rivals like the Dodge Daytona Shelby Z. Grand Nationals came standard with the 4-speed Turbo-Hydramatic 200-4R automatic transmission, and this GN is equipped with the limited-slip differential.

Vegas-bound: this 1987 Buick Grand National.

The Grand National offered in Las Vegas comes with its owner’s manual, warranty booklet, spare parts and memorabilia. Records show service in 2003 and 2014 for battery, fuel siphon and fluid changes. Reports from the ownership trail indicate the car spent much of its life in climate-controlled storage. It is a remarkably well-preserved, ultra-low mileage example of 1980s American muscle.

This GNX has less than 9 miles on the odometer.

Buick had one last card to play in 1987, before the Regal’s shift to a front-wheel-drive platform ‒ the GNX. The GNX surpassed in performance not just its period rivals, but most of the classic muscle cars of the 1960s and early 1970s. The 1987 Buick GNX offered in Las Vegas is #480 of 547 built, with a shockingly low 8.5 miles on it.

ASC/McLaren in Michigan handled the transformation of Grand National Buick Regals to GNX level. Among the modifications were the installation of a Garrett turbocharger with lightweight ceramic impeller for quicker spool-up performance, and a higher capacity air-to-air intercooler. A special coating on the intercooler-to-throttle body pipe dissipated heat for a cooler air charge. The revised turbocharger setup was capable of maximum boost of 15 psi, delivering an estimated 300 horsepower.

A look under the hood of the GNX.

The GNX also received a strengthened Turbo-Hydramatic 200-4R transmission with oil cooler, a freer-flowing exhaust, an aluminum axle cover, assorted chassis reinforcement, and ladder bar and panhard rod additions to the rear suspension. The fender vents are functional, aiding under-hood cooling.

Putting the power to the road are 50-series Goodyear Eagle Razorback tires mounted on 16-inch aluminum wheels, with the rear wheels wider than the fronts. The GNX also received a Stewart-Warner gauge package, including 160 mph speedometer, boost gauge and 8,000 rpm tachometer.

The 1987 Buick GNX headed to Las Vegas.

This ultra-low-mileage example spent its early life strictly as a display vehicle, and later was stored for the long-term in a climate-controlled environment. The car comes with original Window Sticker, owner’s manual and warranty book. The seller states that the battery and a transfer switch have been replaced, but the original parts come with the car.

For anyone who missed the turbo revolution the first time, there will likely never be another opportunity to bid on two such extraordinarily low-mileage turbocharged Buicks. They were fast cars back then … but will likely cross the auction block even more rapidly in June.

For up-to-date information on these and other vehicles headed to the 2021 Las Vegas Auction (with more vehicles being added daily), click HERE.