Buick GNX
This black Buick turned a comfortable coupe into a turbocharged special with its own serial number.
1987 Buick GNX at the Sloan Museum · Michael Barera · CC BY-SA 4.0
Research pending
A matching completed auction sale has not been verified for this exact year, body, trim, engine, transmission and market.
Joyride shows this gap instead of substituting an asking price, unsold bid or mismatched special vehicle.
More than a set of wheels.
For the Grand National’s farewell, Buick created something extra: the GNX. Grand National cars went to ASC/McLaren for changes to the engine, suspension and appearance. Only 547 were made, each carrying a numbered dashboard plaque. Its plain, dark shape hid a powerful mechanical surprise.
Look a little closer.
GNX stands for Grand National Experimental, although these numbered cars were sold to customers.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
The numbered farewell
The GNX evolved from the Grand National, itself based on the Regal. Buick gave it black paint, mesh-style alloy wheels and special badges; its dashboard number made every example individually identifiable.
Source: Buick · The iconic Buick GNX ↗More than a turbo swap
The museum describes a larger intercooler, revised engine control and special rear-suspension parts, including a torque bar. These changes helped the chassis work with the stronger engine.
Source: American Muscle Car Museum · 1987 Buick GNX ↗Six readouts for a turbocharged Buick
Car and Driver's May 1987 GNX test describes Stewart-Warner instruments for road speed, engine speed, boost, oil pressure, engine temperature and fuel level. It is a useful cockpit guide, but the article explicitly tested a prototype. Its development-car power figures and planned production total are not substitutes for this profile's production specifications; the exterior cover cannot authenticate a surviving car's instruments.
Source: Car and Driver · Tony Assenza's GNX test, May 1987 issue ↗Where these facts come from
- Buick · The iconic Buick GNX
- GM · The story of the Buick GNX
- Car and Driver · Tony Assenza's GNX test, May 1987 issue
- American Muscle Car Museum · 1987 Buick GNX
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed September 30, 2026.