Buick Grand National History
Catalog record
Photography for this nameplate has not yet cleared the archive’s licensing and identity checks. The researched text below remains available while the page stays out of search and advertising inventory.
History
The Buick Grand National began as a high-performance version of the rear-wheel-drive Regal, named for Buick's NASCAR Grand National racing success. After a 1982 debut and a one-year pause, it returned for 1984 in its iconic all-black livery, powered by a turbocharged and (from 1986) intercooled 3.8-liter V6.
By the mid-1980s the Grand National was one of the quickest American cars you could buy — a turbo V6 that out-accelerated contemporary V8 Mustangs and Camaros, an unlikely high-tech outlier in an era of slow malaise-era engines.
The legend was sealed in 1987 with the GNX (Grand National Experimental), a final 547-unit run modified by ASC/McLaren with a ceramic-impeller turbo and upgraded intercooler. Rated at a conservative 276 hp, it was widely tested faster, marking the end of the rear-drive G-body and one of the most collectible Buicks ever built.
Body styles
- Coupe
Notable special editions & performance variants
GNX
The 'Grand National Experimental' — a final 547-car run modified by ASC/McLaren with a ceramic-impeller turbocharger and upgraded intercooler; the fastest and most collectible Grand National.
T-Type / Turbo T
The lower-key turbocharged Regal performance trim sold alongside the all-black Grand National.
Related models
Collect the nameplate
Find a scale model of the Buick Grand National
Search Amazon across available years, colors, and scales. Exact releases vary, so confirm the listing before ordering.