Grand National/GNX Trivia Question of the Week: 1. Who was the superstar actor (known for his portrayal of Mark Twain) chosen to advertise the Buick line for 1987? 2. Regal began as a sub-series in the Buick Century line. What was the first and last year for the ‘Regal’ model name? 3. What female pop star opened her ‘Who’s That Girl?’ Tour in Osaka, Japan on June 14, 1987? 4. The song ‘Hazy Shade of Winter’ was a big hit for it’s writers, Simon & Garfunkel... the artists who first brought the song to the Billboard Charts in 1968. What nineteen eighties ‘girl band’ performed a ‘cover’ version (remake) of this song which became a big hit in 1987? 5. The aforementioned cover version of Hazy Shade of Winter was used in the soundtrack for what 1987 movie starring Andrew McCarty; Jami Gertz and Robert Downey Jr.? 6. Donna Rice made the news in May, 1987. Who is she?

For the answers to this week’s trivia questions, visit my web site at http://www.thefinman.com.

Nearing the end of a two-decade run of ‘ho-hum’ automobiles from all divisions of the ‘Big 3’, Buick had much to tout in its advertising for the ‘87 models. Designers were finally beginning to find ways to blend those nasty, federally-mandated 5 mile per hour crash standard bumpers into body lines, making them a bit more palatable. And, the deflated, SAE ‘net’ horsepower ratings which began in 1971 (when high-performance was considered politically incorrect) were finally beginning to come around. Excitement was returning to motoring and the pinnacle of Buick performance was delivered by the Grand National which evolved from the Century/Regal/Grand National series.

The ‘Grand National,’ often called simply ‘GN’ for short, was part of the second-generation, mid-sized Regal line introduced for model year 1978, but the Grand National would not appear until four years later in model year 1982. The GM ‘A’ body was used from 1971-1981 and the ‘G’ body from 1982-1987. The 1982 Grand Nationals were available in variety of colors, however, after a one year hiatus in 1983, the GNs came back for 1984 through 1987 available in black only.

What made the midsize Buick GNs so hot? The heart of the Grand National was its engine and popular rear-drive platform– a preference of racers. Lack of a manual transmission was considered a negative for some, but automatics were becoming the norm at the drag strip and on the ovals. The original Grand National was powered by a relatively large, 4.1 liter V-6 that produced 125 horsepower. A Turbo version was offered which upped the ponies to 180. The return of the Grand Nationals in 1984 was celebrated with a new, 3.8 liter V-6 which would see continued refinements culminating with a sequential fuel injected, intercooled version in 1987 which produced 245 horsepower and a commendable 355 ft/lbs of torque. For 1987, the ‘Grand National to end all Grand Nationals’... the mighty GNX was produced in a cooperative effort by the Buick Division and McLaren/ASC... an company with a stellar reputation for taking stock, factory vehicles and turning them into limited production, high performance models. The GNX was powered by a conservatively rated 276 horsepower turbo V-6 with 360 ft/lbs of torque. The cost to own one of these special cars was $29,000.00... double that of a standard Grand National.

I guess the FIN MAN is showing his age by quoting a now well-dated phrase that went, "black is beautiful." Okay, so "beauty is in the eyes of the beholder"...nonetheless, if that saying holds even the slightest degree of credibility, then the Buick Grand National and GNX are one gorgeous bunch, for they don’t get much ‘blacker’ than these beauties. As taken from the sales brochure: "Black bumpers, black headlamp and tail lamp trim; black front air dam; black rear spoiler; blackwall tires; black accented turbo wheels; black windshield wipers; a black interior (well, okay, charcoal and black), and needless to say– black exterior paint. Henry Ford may have once said that you could have a Model T in any color so long as it was black– but the same held true for the Buick Grand Nationals, half a century later.

If my story has inspired you to run out and round up a Grand National or GNX of your own, I can tell you where there’s a ‘black cherry,’ if you will, for sale. Texas Direct Auto is an internet car sales company which turns about a thousand cars per month on Ebay and elsewhere on the web. They have a 1987 GNX on the floor that you can pick up for the paltry sum of $109,980.00. I spoke briefly with Ed Williams, GM of Texas Auto Direct, and although he didn’t say the figure was negotiable, I’d be willing to bet that he’d consider an offer around $109,950.00. You may think this figure is a bit steep, but bear in mind that the Old Cars Price Guide, considered the ‘bible’ of old car pricing, lists the 1987 Buick Regal GNX coupe at $90,500.00 in number one show quality condition. What do you get for the extra $19,450.00 that Ed Williams is looking for? A car with only 9.9 documented, original miles! That’s right, this car is a tenth of a mile shy of 10 whole miles. Needless to say this car has the original everything including battery, spare tire and probably windshield washer fluid! I would hazard to say that if you bought this car, you might have the lowest mileage example in the world.
As they say, "beauty is in the eyes of the beholder," and I would submit that a ‘sale price’ is in the eyes (and checkbook) of the seller and buyer. If like me, however, you’re not in the enviable position of having an extra hundred Gs or so in discretionary income lying around the house, you can find a ‘higher mileage’ example for quite a bit less. Scanning the latest issue of Classic Cars & Parts, formerly the Auto Trader Old Car Trader (or as I like to call it the Toys R Us Catalog for big boys), I found a half dozen Grand Nationals for sale, priced from a low of $10,000.00 or best offer, to $25,900.00 on the high side. None of these were listed as GNXs you must know... and mileage figures varied, one having 100k plus. Just remember also, buyer beware... generally you get what you pay for. And, if you want to learn more about the black beauties of Buick performance fame, the internet is rife with sites including clubs, registries and racing specialty web sites for Grand National and GNX owners and those who are merely interested in learning more about Buick’s hot mid sized performance cars.

For more about the Grand National and GNX, visit my web site at www.thefinman.com.

Don’t forget to MARK YOUR CALENDAR. Join The FIN MAN for the Route 66 Festival on Saturday, October 4, 2008. For details visit his web site at http://www.thefinman.com.
Bruce Kunz is available for your group’s special event and is currently booking dates for 2008 and 2009. During his appearances, he presents an overview of the collector car hobby plus a detailed look at American cars from the fifties and sixties. His program includes a Power Point presentation with images of collectible automobiles and various associated nostalgia and Americana. Guests also have the opportunity to play "FINS for FUN" (which inspired his nickname), the video car trivia game Mr. Kunz first produced in 1987, in which players compete for auto related prizes donated by supporting Fin Man sponsors. For more information, click on this link: http://groups.msn.com/the-fin-man/seminaragenda.msnw.

Bruce Kunz is a member of the Society of Automotive Historians, the St. Louis Chapter of the Buick Club of America and the Monte Carlo Owners Association of America. He welcomes your comments and suggestions. To e-mail him, click here > mailto:the_fin_man@msn.com.