Road trips are awesome.
Road trips in a classic car are awesome-er.
Road trips in a classic car to find another super-rare classic car are awesome-er-er.
So when we heard there was a mythical 1987 Buick Grand National GNX lurking somewhere in southwest Ohio, we had to go find it.
And we knew exactly which car to take with us on our quest.
Our story starts with Jon. He’s a friend of OnAllCylinders and no stranger to classic cars, with a particular penchant for full size GM coupes from the 1970s. But his pride-and-joy will always be a 1987 Buick Grand National—his teenage dream car he finally picked up a few years ago.
Being a huge Grand National fan, Jon had learned about a legendary Grand National GNX located just outside of Cincinnati, Ohio.
A few phone calls later, he tracked down its owner and we hopped in his Buick to check it out.
What’s so cool about a GNX?
While we’ve talked about the epic Buick Grand National before, the GNX trim takes it to another level. Released in the final year of Grand National production, 1987 GNX models were tuned by ASC/McLaren to up the stock Grand National’s turbocharged 3.8L output to 275 horsepower. That number was definitely under-rated though, as later third-party testing pegged it closer to 300. (For reference, a contemporary Corvette was making less than 250 hp.)
That extra power allowed a GNX to bolt from zero to sixty in under five seconds—on par with a Ferrari Testarossa. For the quarter-mile, a GNX could dip into the 12s, which bested both the Ferrari F40 and Porsche 930.
Yet only 547 Buick Grand National GNX models were ever made.
So yeah, they are fast. They are rare. And they are incredible.
When Jon’s Grand National rumbled up to the address, Matt Murdock was there to greet us, pointing to an open garage door.
And there it was—one of those 547 cars.
Turns out, Matt is a bona fide car lover, having owned a series of other drool-worthy rides over the years, including a second-gen Chevy Camaro, a Dodge Viper, and (of course) a vintage Buick Regal T-Type.
Matt’s GNX was purchased new by his father-in-law, another gearhead who had owned cars like a C2 Corvette Sting Ray and an AMC Rebel Machine in the past.
Story goes, when his father-in-law walked into the Buick dealership back in 1987, he pointed at the GNX on the floor and simply said “I want that one.”
Matt inherited the GNX about a year ago.
Aside from re-coring the radiator, Matt explains that he hasn’t had to do much to keep the GNX happy. He plans some minor cosmetic touch ups, but intends to keep it clean and stock.
Of course, we asked Matt if he’d put his foot into it yet.
“No, but when I first met my wife, her father took me for a ride in it—and he did,” Matt laughs. “From what my wife says, that’s the only time he’d ever done that.”
We both agreed that was a serious sign of approval from dad on the burgeoning relationship.
Matt started up the GNX’s turbocharged 3.8L V6 and the sound of a rowdy idle filled his garage. Though the GNX had been driven sparingly, racking up a only a few thousand miles over the years, Matt plans to show the car off as much as he can.
“It’s a reason to get the family together, go out, drive, and do stuff,” he says.
We then chatted for a while about all-things motorsports (shocker: Matt’s a huge race fan too). Then we shook hands, thanked Matt for showing us his car, and ducked back in Jon’s Grand National for the ride home.
Two Grand Nationals. One GNX. And a very awesome-er-er experience.
All my life…. I have dreamed of being able to own a Grand National. In 1987, as a 17 yr old… my parents were looking at a Grand National to buy…. But… the sales tax was at the time..$1,900.00 Therefore, there was and still is, my only shot at owning a Grand National. I am 52 hrs old…. And still am dreaming of that car. Maybe…… maybe one day…
How much ?
I wonder what idiot decided it would be ok for Kendrick to stand on the hood of that GNX during the Super Bowl halftime show! THAT WAS A SACRILEGE!
If you look closely at some still shots from the halftime show, it was most likely a prop car – an empty shell of, say, a base Buick regal modified into the exterior of a GNX. That said, some of those emblems and fender louvers (if they’re original) would still command big bucks.
The car in the Superbowl was a prop…there was no floor which is why a dozen people popped out of it like a clown car.
Back in the days when you can’t afford a Grand National but a drivetrain comes up in your budget, why not install it in something different and make it a real sleeper…82 Caddy Coupe Deville
https://youtu.be/QNXs18MmgXs
There is a guy New Jersey has GNX with no miles on it. Go find him.