The Buick Grand National was an anomaly of sorts for the car company back in the mid-’80’s, as they didn’t have any other performance car offerings at the time and really hadn’t since the early ’70’s. The car, based on the Buick Regal G-body platform, debuted in 1982 in super-limited numbers, built to capitalize on the fact that Buick had won the Manufacturers Cup in NASCAR in 1981 and 1982.
By 1984, the car was produced in an all-black exterior finish with the standard turbocharged 3.8L V6 engine making 200 horsepower and 300 foot-pounds of torque. The car boasted computer-controlled sequential electronic fuel injection and produced 10 pounds of boost, good for 15.90’s in the quarter-mile, which easily crushed the Camaros and Corvettes of the day, especially when combined with simple modifications that took the car easily into the 13’s. They were a terror on the street, and the run that year consisted of 5,401 cars including 3,401 T-Types and 2,000 Grand Nationals.
This super-clean GN is available right now in the Chicago area, and as an ’84 model with the rare Lear-Sigler interior, it’s a true find, especially if it runs and drives as clean as it looks. The car does have the ’86-’87 wheels installed, but other than that it appears to be an original find.
We can recall the days when the GN’s terrorized the streets, and the GN/Mustang races of the early ’90’s were legendary on the East Coast. These cars were the envy of many a high-school boy, and the opportunity to ride in one is nearly as rare as the cars themselves.
This particular car looks to be super-clean, as we can’t spot any wear on the seats or anywhere else in the interior. If only there was more money in the old bank account, I wouldn’t even be writing this for you all to see – instead I’d be on my way to pick it up myself.