Page 106 - Experience_Magazine_Winter2022_Barrett-Jackson

GM’s Buick division had a greater opened for business in 1909. Louis
influence on the American Chevrolet himself was at the wheel
performance car segment than before turning the controls over to
most people might remember. The his backup pilot Bob Burman to
fact is, Buick had more than their finish the 250-mile race.
share of engineers committed to When Buick wanted to showcase
the development of highly efficient its competitive nature in the 1980s
smaller displacement engines. Their with a special performance car that
historic all-aluminum 215 cubic- maintained the division’s upscale
inch V8 remains an icon of the image, the power plant just had to
industry. Buick’s early work with V6 be their magical 3.8-liter pushrod,
engines set the stage for the entire turbocharged and intercooled V6
industry and culminated with the engine. The soon-to-be-famous
modern V6 engines that dominate Grand National’s signature black
the new car scene to this very day.
paint gave it a distinctly sinister
From 1983 to 1992, Buick’s V6 aura that many considered cool
turbocharged 3.4-liter engines and appealing. One person who
powered a variety of purpose-built found it irresistible was Buick
Indy race cars such as Lola, Menard dealership owner Bob Colvin, who
and March. Gary Bettenhausen campaigned early on to be allowed
drove his Lola to a record-setting to buy the very last one off the
232 mph qualifying speed. At assembly line. He even called GM’s
one point, a third of the entire CEO Roger Smith to try to make it The last Grand National ever built
field was running the impressive happen before the car’s production rolled off the line at GM’s assembly
turbocharged Buick V6. One of run was discontinued. plant in Pontiac, Michigan, on
them eventually saw 250 mph in When Colvin got the nod, he December 9, 1987. Ironically,
testing before the plug was pulled immediately had a 23-foot by 13- that very assembly plant would
on such untethered speed at Indy. foot addition to his house built for also cease to exist after producing
Still, Buick made it known to the his prize in the form of a personal millions of cars dating back to
world that you could call them “Sir” climate-controlled “bedroom.” The 1927. This final encore was met
when the subject came to going fast plan all along was to preserve this with joy and sorrow as every
and faster. After all, Buick had won fabulous collectible for himself production worker in the plant
its first Indy race back in the day and for every other Buick Grand was asked to sign his or her name
when the then-original dirt track
National lover in the world. onto the particular part they each

LOT #1347 - 1987 BUICK GRAND NATIONAL "THE LAST GRAND NATIONAL" – NO RESERVE
GENERATION’S END

THE FINAL BUICK GRAND NATIONAL

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