Car: Buick Grand National Coupe
Year: 1986
What makes it special: In February 1982, the Regal Grand National debuted, which was named for the NASCAR Winston Cup Grand National Series, the “Grand National” term was part of the Cup series nomenclature until 1986. Buick had won the Manufacturers Cup in 1981 and 1982, and wanted to capitalize on its success: “What wins on Sunday, sells on Monday”. All started out as charcoal gray Regals that were shipped off to a subcontractor for finishing.
What made it famous: With a turbocharged V6 under the hood that helped gain quicker accelerations and a standard black paint job that made the design of the Grand National more intimidating, this car is definitely considered as one of the true muscle cars during its heyday. In 1986, Buick added in an air-to-air intercooler and tweaked the boost output to net the 3.8 liter V6 an extra 35 horsepower and 30 pound-feet of torque. The extra power pushed the Grand National to a new height, hitting 60 mph in 4.8 seconds and clearing a 1/4-mile in just 13.7 ticks of the second hand.
Why I would want one: I remember when these first hit the streets, they had such an incredible street cred that everyone wanted one. They were like the bad boy that just rode into town.
Fun fact: People often referred to the Grand National as the “Darth Buick,” as an nod to the all-black wearing, sinister bad guy from the famed “Star Wars” movie series.
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