On September 27, 2026, a 30-mile 1987 Buick GNX sold on Bring a Trailer for $427,000. The same car, number 450 of 547, sold on the same site for $200,000 in June 2024. A regular 1987 Grand National still averages about $50,000 on classic.com. Two black Regals from the same year, one eight times the price of the other.
From NASCAR Tribute to Turbo Legend
Buick named the Grand National after the NASCAR series its Regals won in 1981 and 1982, and built just 215 in 1982. When it returned in 1984, every one was black and every one had a turbocharged 3.8 V6.
The real jump came in 1986, when Buick added an intercooler and sequential fuel injection. Output rose to 245 hp and 355 lb-ft, and production climbed from 2,102 in 1985 to 5,512 in 1986. Demand peaked as the car was being cancelled: Buick built 20,193 Grand Nationals for 1987, the last one on December 11, 1987 at the Pontiac, Michigan plant.
The GNX: 547 Cars and a 4.7-Second Run
For a send-off, Buick took 547 finished Grand Nationals and sent them to McLaren Performance Technologies and ASC. They came back with a Garrett T-3 turbo with a ceramic impeller, a larger intercooler, a revised rear suspension, fender flares and louvred front fenders.
Buick rated the GNX at 276 hp and 360 lb-ft. The commonly cited real figures are 300 hp and 420 lb-ft. Car and Driver ran it to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds in May 1987, quicker than any Corvette of that year. It listed at $29,900.
What They Cost in 2026
- 1987 Grand National: classic.com benchmark about $48,500 and an average sale of about $50,300. Hagerty puts a good-condition car at $41,100. Original low-mile cars sold for $75,000 on Bring a Trailer and $79,200 at Barrett-Jackson earlier this year, while modified cars trade in the $35,000 to $40,000 range.
- 1984 to 1986 Grand National: fewer built, but the 1984 and 1985 cars lack the intercooler, so most buyers pay more for a 1986 or 1987.
- 1987 GNX: classic.com benchmark about $191,000 and an average sale of about $188,600, with sales from $90,500 in 2022 to the $427,000 record this week. Mileage decides almost everything.
What to Check Before You Buy
- Originality: most Grand Nationals have been modified at some point. Check the turbo, intercooler, chip and fuel system against factory spec, and price a modified car accordingly.
- GNX paperwork: every GNX carries a numbered dash plaque and was sold with a production certificate. Ask for both, and compare the VIN with the GNX registry.
- Condition: look for cracked dash pads, worn driver seat bolsters and T-top leaks on cars that have them.
- Title: a clean title in the seller's name and a bill of sale. We need both to clear US export.
What It Takes to Import a Grand National
Every 1987 car is now 39 years old and built in the US, which keeps the import simple.
European Union. An original Grand National or GNX over 30 years old can clear as a collector's piece at 0% duty with reduced VAT in France, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and Italy. A heavily modified car can lose that status, but as a US-built car it can still claim the EU's 0% duty on American cars with proof of origin. Our proof of origin guide covers the paperwork for Germany, the Netherlands and the rest of the EU.
United Kingdom. A car over 30 years old in original condition can enter as a historic vehicle at reduced VAT with no duty. See our UK page.
Australia. Every Grand National qualifies under the 25-year rule. See our Australia page.
A $427,000 GNX, or any car headed for a concours lawn, usually goes in its own 20 ft container or by air. A $45,000 driver can share a container to keep the cost down. On the US side we handle all of it ourselves: our own warehouses in California, New Jersey and Florida cover the whole country, so our own team collects the car, loads it and files the export paperwork, then ships it door to door.
For other turbo and muscle cars of the era, see our guides to the 1994 to 1996 Impala SS and the 1991 GMC Syclone, and how to check values in our classic car values guide.
Get a Grand National Shipping Rate
Ready to bring a Grand National or GNX home? Get an instant rate for your country on our international car shipping page, or contact our import specialists for a personalized consultation and see how simple bringing your dream car home can be.
It's your dream car. Let's bring her home.
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