Even on a bright, sunny day in Brooklyn, this Grand National looks decidedly menacing. Stripping a car of chrome and painting it black will have that effect, and fortunately these cars had the performance to cash the check the styling was writing: by 1987 they had 245 hp and 355 ft-lbs from a turbocharged 3.8 V6, with a 0-60 of around 6 seconds. It does make me wonder, though: are there any cars this size that wouldn’t look menacing with the blackout treatment and nice wheels?
245 was the “official factory rating,” similar to the Japanese gentleman’s agreement which kept “official” horsepower ratings at about 220(?) . The car actually developed about 300 RWHP stock in ’86/’87, but because GM couldn’t have anything rated higher than the Corvette, chose to rate it at 245.
This is mine!
a beautiful Buick.I was in two minds re the styling originally but as those cars age and also me,I find I really like the look of your car.I did a business course a few years ago and one classmate was an Australian man who had lived and worked in Canada for many years as a newspaper editor,now an artist/painter.He was an interesting man and one day we spoke of cars and he told me the best car he had owned was a black Buick Grand National he purchased new.He held that Buick in very high esteem.He told me that he wished he had shipped the Buick home to Oz when he left Canada,or “Canadia” as our conservative Prime Minister called it!
Nothing as menacing and sinister as an all-black sedan with some proper rims, and lowered a bit. We’re not talking Ford Fiesta sedan of course, something bigger please.
I like those Buicks !
Utterly black = Machine From Hell.
Johannes what a beautiful C6,you certainly have eyes for fine Citroens.Your black Citroen Prestige is the best looking CX I have ever seen {in pics].
Unfortunately the C6 isn’t mine. The C6 is a future classic, 100% sure, regardless the color. That shape and design can only come from Citroën, with its hydropneumatic suspension as a bonus.
“…are there any cars this size that wouldn’t look menacing with the blackout treatment and nice wheels?”
Yes. Anything newer than 2005 or so. All-black-everything’s done to death and an actual color with the nice wheels would be much more appealing.
The next time I buy a car off the lot. I want black. It would stand out from the herd.
Quasi-CC Effect … I saw a black Regal T Type yesterday. At first glance I thought it was a GN, but no. Still, it’s the first Turbo Regal I’d seen in years, then this morning’s post.
I don’t think I could bring myself to have another black car. Black gets as hot as an oven in the summer; it shows every scratch and speck of dirt and dust on the body; it hides rust until it’s too late to nip in the bud; it isn’t visible enough to deter foggy-eyed motorists from nearly crashing into you on the highway.
Besides, looking menacing isn’t my thing…
+1
Living on a gravel road, black is not an option.
Sweet looking car. I’ve always loved this generation Buick Regal, before Buick decided to ruin it by going front-wheel drive.
I think a Diplomat would not have a sinister look. The wheels on the GN are similar to late 70s Chrysler road wheels that wouldn’t look weird on a Diplomat. Blackout trim would probably just look like a cheapskate special. Or maybe a Diplomat ES, you know to take on Mercedes.
What is it with people who try to scare others with the use of their automobile? As Frasier said in one of its episodes when they were going to face the CEO in the black tower: it’s just glass and concrete, or as is the case with cars – steel, glass and rubber. Although it’s hard not to have the fear button pressed by the presence of one of these cars behind you, all it takes is a reminder that those angry angel eyes of that BMW in the mirror is nothing more than LED lights and plastic with an owner who is composed of the same flesh and blood that is within all of us who may or may not have repressed anger issues against life resurfacing.
This fear mongering all apart of this new age of public belligerence is getting a little tedious. At least the Grand National was uniquely bad-ass amongst more generic styling trends of the day. Now, it’s just mainstream and desensitizing all the “intimidating” cars out there — black cars notwithstanding.
There now that I said what was really on my mind, I actually want to praise this black beauty for what it is, not what some people want it to do. I always loved the G body Cutlass Supreme, but having it in this flavour really makes it awesome. I especially love the wheels. It goes well with the car.
Alright, I just contradicted myself with a touch of hypocrisy there, but much like the pampered classic car is sometimes called the “Garage Queen”, I’ll take it upon myself and label the Grand National as one of the “Hell Queens” in the same fashion — perhaps Hell Master as it rolls of the tongue easier… Something some of us would love to hate for what it largely represents, but appreciate it for what it is on some other level and even have some secret adoration for it in other ways. Yes the GN is menacing and gets respect based on its appearance, but underneath is a heritage of many positive GM traits: a strong frame, “Body by Fisher”, gutsy engine and tranny combo, tried-and-true interior, and all under the umbrella of a strong GM brand with all the spare parts and resources of the massive General itself. If I had Jay Leno’s garage, this car would definitely be in it, I’d just have it transported because God knows what kind of menace I’d transform into driving it in…
That point has been on my mind, too. In addition, I think motorcycles, SUVs, clothing, & tattoos are often used for that purpose as well. Grown men want to look like street thugs; it’s mainstream fashion now, and few want to look harmless like Richie Cunningham, except for Hello Kitty fans (I saw a Chinese tour bus with that all over it).
Black or not, I like the A-body coupes.
Mmmmm, that looks tasty.. and all original. Those were some bad Buick wheels.
By the way, although I’ve never driven a GN, I did have a colleague who upgraded from his RWD Corolla to a new T-type Regal Turbo. I drove it a few times and it was very nice. I’ve driven a handful of other RWD A bodies and this one was much nicer. Power was quite decent for 1981 (82??) and steering and cornering weren’t bad.
Not a Regal, But still a Buick….My 1987 Lesabre T-Type.
I actually think those LeSabre T types benefited even more than the Grand Nationals did with the blackout scheme, as I’ll occasionally see a GN or GNX clone repainted in white or something and they look just as good. The Lesabre on the other hand is totally transformed by the color.
I’ve always loved the LeSabre T-Types. Looks really great in all-black.
Im down with that LeSabre too. I guess they have a 5 x 4.5 bolt pattern, because Ive seen these coupes wearing Bullit mags pirated from late model Mustangs. This car on Bullits with a supercharged 3800 under the hood….I could get behind that!
I like those quite a lot! As I mentioned in the recent outtake with the Delta 88 coupe, these big FWD H-bodies looked great in coupe format, and the blackout scheme works well here.
Wasn’t there also an even rarer LeSabre Grand National? Or am I making that up?
Nope, here’s a Lesabre Grand National… Hopefully, it was at least a turbo, to wear the Grand National name.
The regular T-types were nice looking, but no turbo and FWD, kept me away.
Le Sabre Grand National… Only made in 1986, for Nascar, only 112-117 ever produced.
One car that always looked evil in black, or with the monochromatic blacked-out trim… The W126 Mercedes AMG. Also around in the 80’s like the Grand National.
Another car, around at the same time as the GN, that also looked great in all black. Not a Buick, but also a G-body. Looking very sinister.
My 1986 Chevy Monte Carlo SS
Beautiful car! Ive always liked these G bodies with T-tops, no padded vinyl and leaning more towards pseudo-muscle instead of brougham. These were the business back in the day and still a respectable performance car now.
Personally I like ‘menacing’ and ‘intimidating’…but only when there is substance beneath the look. The GNX, absolutely should be blacked out. The current trend of ‘murdering out’ a ride is something Im at odds with though. On the way home, I saw a brand new Camaro SS that carried a Deth Starr paint job liting up the hides. Nothing I haven’t seen before, but that car looked as serious as it was. Much more to my liking was a Challenger R/T in black but with an offset red rally stripe. Never seen one done like that before and it really looked nice. You want to Darth Vaderize your ride? Great, but at least have something to back up that swagger or it comes off a bit pretentious. Going full stealth fighter on just any kind of car is where it gets tired and lame. Ive seen many hyundais, camries, even Priuses done up in all black. No one is feeling the ‘vibe’ from your feeble econobox. It comes off a lot like Mr Rogers trying to rock a biker jacket. Just not working.
The ultimate G-body. Little more than a stripe package the first year (1982 I think?) this quickly became the baddest car in any of GM’s lineups. Legendary.