1987 Buick GNX

1987 Buick GNX brings a defined factory performance identity into Buick’s range. This profile explains its history, specification, production scope and collector significance with named sources and credited photographs.

Record: BUI-113 · Buick · 1987 · High.

1987 Buick GNX: history and background

The 1987 GNX was Buick’s specialist finale to the rear-drive turbo Regal. GM’s retrospective states that 547 were built with the assistance of ASC and McLaren Engines. The programme took the Grand National as its starting point and added dedicated mechanical and visual changes. Its full name, Grand National Experimental, describes that development role; it should not turn every modified Grand National into a factory GNX.

Specifications and production scope

Design and engineering

GM identifies a Garrett AiResearch T-3 turbocharger, revised exhaust equipment, a Turbo Hydramatic 200-4R transmission and additional development changes. The black mesh 16-inch wheels and removal of the Regal bonnet emblem helped distinguish the exterior. The numbered dashboard plaque is central to each car’s identity. The auction-display photo illustrates a source-identified GNX, but the visible exterior is not independently linked here to a specific number in the 547-car series.

GNX #001: the documented first car and parent rarity

GNX #001 is documented by GM as part of its Heritage collection. The workbook’s BUI-114 chassis entry is therefore consolidated into this BUI-113 profile as an inventory alias and a documented first-car subsection. It is one of the 547, not a 548th car and not a second upload. Original plaque identity needs supporting factory and conversion records, because easily reproduced badges or body details cannot settle the provenance of an individual car.

Collector significance

The GNX has become a recognisable expression of late-eighties Buick performance, combining a comfortable coupe body with specialist turbo development. Its historical significance is the complete factory-authorised programme and the people who developed it. GM’s Mark Reuss recollections add a first-person account of development work, while the numbered production statement supplies the bounded rarity scope. The ordinary Grand National, the development surrogates and the numbered customer GNXs remain distinct identities.

Compare related verified Buick profiles

Read this 1987 GNX beside the 1972 Buick GS 455 Stage 1 and 1983 Buick Regal T-Type to place its two-door rear-drive performance coupe in context. The related entries retain their own years, model identities and production scopes, so their figures are not added to this record.

• 1972 Buick GS 455 Stage 1
• 1983 Buick Regal T-Type
• 1986 Buick Regal T-Type

Frequently asked questions

How many GNXs were built?

GM states 547 numbered cars in the 1987 programme.

Where is GNX #001?

GM identifies GNX #001 with its Heritage collection. BUI-114 is consolidated as an alias within this parent profile, so it creates no duplicate upload.

Can a Grand National be authenticated as a GNX from badges?

No. The plaque number, original factory/ASC documentation and the correct equipment history need to agree. Exterior details alone are insufficient.

Why is the GNX included as a rare Buick?

547 numbered GNX cars stated by GM. GNX #001 / BUI-114 is included in this parent programme, not an additional profile. The scope is tied to this specific year, body or original project. It does not confer the same rarity on every car carrying the broader Regal name, and it does not describe how many survive today.

What records help identify an individual GNX?

Begin with the documented year and two-door rear-drive performance coupe. Read the original model/body identification and surviving factory or collection records together. Record replacement components and restoration work separately. For a concept or racing car, its physical-car provenance is especially important; for an optioned production model, retain the equipment paperwork.

What photographs and credits accompany this profile?

The bundled photograph is retrieved from named Wikimedia Commons file records. Each image has a visible photographer or archive credit, its own licence link and an accurate subject caption. The pictures illustrate the documented model; they do not establish ownership, present condition or every component’s originality.

Sources and photo credits

Production figures retain the scope and qualifications of the named references. Manufacturer and museum records establish project identity; auction and historical model references supply additional body-specific context.

• General Motors — Mark Reuss and the Buick GNX, manufacturer account, February 17, 2025
• GM Heritage — original 1987 Regal GNX collection record

Photo: ilikewaffles11 / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0. No local cropping, retouching or content removal. A source-supplied size variant is used where available.