So then why is it build #003?
There's a very good chance this opportunity will never come up again, at least not for many years. What you're looking at is the first 1987 Buick Grand National GNX sold to the public. Chassis #003 will be a featured car sold with no reserve atBarrett-Jackson's Scottsdale, Arizona event in January. Why was #003 sold to the public and not #001 and #002? Because both were retained by GM, #001 as part of its Heritage Collection and #002 is at the Buick/Sloan Museum in Flint, Michigan.
GNX #003, however, was the vehicle Buick loaned out to magazines like Autoweek, Motor Trend, and Road & Track for official test drives. After sticking around in Flint for the year and serviced exclusively by Buick, GNX #003 was sold in 1988 with about 8,000 miles on it to Fischer Buick in nearby Troy, Michigan where a local resident quickly swooped it up. Whoever that was barely drove it and put it up for sale again in 1989. Its next owner, to their credit, kept it entirely original and unmodified, but it still sat idle for the next 20 years, beginning in 1992. When itemerged from hibernationin a climate-controlled garage, the GNX was determined to be in overall good shape.
Fortunately, it still received a proper mechanical service and extensive cosmetic reconditioning that returned it to its original 1987 appearance. Its turbocharged 3.8-liter V6,good for 300 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque, was very impressive for its time, though it was linked to a mere four-speed automatic. With just 10,790 miles currently on its clock, this '87 Buick Grand National GNX is about as original as you'll ever get, and considering its low build number and status as the first of its kind sold publically, this is one of those extremely rare finds that collectors fight over. Photos courtesy of Barrett-Jackson.
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