You know what Americans love? We love stories. We love legends. We love the idea that we can rise from humble beginnings and become something greater than what we were. I think that’s why we love the Buick Grand National so much. But the reality is different from the perception around it.
While they get their hands on some unusual stuff every now and then, Regular Car Reviews is mostly just that — giving attention to ordinary cars that typically receive none. The Grand National started life as a very, very regular car and rose to greatness in spite of itself.
It was a Buick Regal. A G-Body. It wasn’t an especially good-looking car in its time, and it isn’t today either. Like all 80s General Motors cars, the build quality isn’t even that great. But with the right engine for the right time, the sucker could run, hard.
By the mid-80s the 3.8-liter turbocharged V6 Grand National was one of the fastest cars you could buy, and it was a car we desperately needed in a sad era of performance struggling to recover from persistent malaise.
It looks sinister as hell, and it comes from an era of disenfranchisement, punk rock and The Dark Knight Returns. But you know what? RCR says it’s actually the happiest car in the world. It’s a blast to drive! The Grand National isn’t death, it’s life!
Contact the author at patrick@jalopnik.com.