Buick Grand National

Buick Grand National at a glance

The Grand National appears in our Buick catalogue and in the malaise-era section of the American muscle car guide.

A NASCAR name on a Regal

Buick had used a turbocharged V6 in the Regal since 1978, when the Regal Sport Coupe offered a 3.8-litre turbo engine with an automatic gearbox. The Grand National name came from motor sport. NASCAR's top series was then called the Winston Cup Grand National Series, and Buick had won the manufacturers' cup in 1981 and 1982.

The first Grand National of 1982 was not black. Buick shipped charcoal-grey Regals to the subcontractor Cars and Concepts in Brighton, Michigan, which added the Grand National package. A run of 100 cars was planned, but 215 were converted. Most had the naturally aspirated 4.1-litre V6 with 93 kW (125 hp) and 278 Nm. At least 35 were based on the Regal Sport Coupe and used its turbocharged 3.8-litre engine with 130 kW (175 hp).

In 1983 there was no Grand National. The Sport Coupe was renamed T-Type, and 3,732 were built with 134 kW (180 hp) and 380 Nm.

The black Grand National (1984–1987)

For 1984 the Grand National returned, now painted black all over. The turbocharged 3.8-litre V6 became standard and received sequential fuel injection and a distributor-less, computer-controlled ignition. It produced 149 kW (200 hp) at 4,400 rpm and 407 Nm at 2,400 rpm. Of 5,204 turbo Regals built that year, only 2,000 were Grand Nationals. At standard boost of 10 psi, the 1984 turbo Regal ran the quarter mile in 15.9 seconds.

The next step came for 1986. An air-to-air intercooler raised power to 175 kW (235 hp) at 4,000 rpm and torque to 447 Nm. Wikipedia describes this as the start of the intercooled Grand Nationals that made the car famous. Buick built 5,512 Grand Nationals that year, alongside 2,384 T-Types.

For 1987 the engine was rated at 183 kW (245 hp) and 481 Nm. Demand was so strong that GM extended Grand National production into December 1987, and 27,590 turbo Regals were built that year in total. The 1987 Regal was also the last rear-wheel-drive G-body Regal. The T-Type was replaced by a "T" package, which could even be ordered with a 5.0-litre V8 instead of the turbo V6.

Engine and performance

These are figures from the SAE net era. They look modest next to the gross ratings of the 1960s, but they come from a V6 of less than four litres.

GNX

The GNX was the farewell to the rear-wheel-drive Regal. Buick built 547 Grand Nationals with a special interior trim package and sent them to McLaren Performance Technologies and ASC for conversion. The work included a Garrett AiResearch T-3 turbocharger with a ceramic impeller and a GNX-specific engine control chip. A low-restriction exhaust with dual silencers and a reprogrammed Turbo Hydramatic 200-4R automatic with a custom torque converter completed the package.

From the outside the GNX can be recognised by vents on each front wing and 16-inch black mesh wheels with VR speed-rated tyres. Buick rated the engine at 206 kW (276 hp) at 4,400 rpm and 488 Nm. Wikipedia states that the real output was 224 kW (300 bhp) and 569 Nm, so the official figures underrated the car.

Which Grand National to look for

The 1987 GNX, with only 547 made, is the best-known version. Among regular Grand Nationals, the intercooled 1986–1987 cars are the strongest, and the 1987 model has the highest rating. The 1982 car is even rarer, with 215 built, but it is grey rather than black and mostly without the turbo. Compare the Grand National with the V8 cars of its time in our car rankings.

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