Cars - Buick Regal

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	Cars - Buick Regal

The Buick Regal was a mid-size automobile produced by General Motors' Buick division from 1973 through 2004, during which Buick also used the Century name on mid-size models; the two frequently shared bodies and powertrains.

1973

Buick had been the first GM division to bring a personal luxury car to market with its full-size 1963 Riviera but was otherwise slow to react to the developing mid-size personal luxury market, which Pontiac created with the 1969 Grand Prix. Buick introduced the Regal in 1973, technically as an upmarket variant of the Century, to move them more seriously into the category.

A highly-trimmed, notchback coupe, the first Regal shared its front and rear styling with the Century, but its greenhouse (window area) with the Grand Prix, Chevrolet Monte Carlo, and Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. Like its corporate cousins, it featured the newly fashionable opera windows, which were small fixed rear-side windows surrounded by sheetmetal, instead of the traditional roll-down windows. The model lasted five years with minimal changes before a substantial facelift in 1976, which incorporated the recently legalized square headlights. It was most commonly powered by GM's corporate 350 in³ (5.7L) V8, although some V6-powered units were produced. The Century designation was quietly dropped around 1975.

1978

A downsized Regal appeared for 1978 with a new turbocharged version of Buick's venerable 231 in³ (3.8L) V6, a combination that lasted 9 years and helped give the Regal an unexpected reputation for performance. Despite the model's newfound performance, it was still hampered (from a performance perspective) by a soft suspension, small wheels and tires and the unavailability of a manual transmission, largely because the intermediate personal luxury market was the Regal's intended target, not the sports car segment.

A facelift in 1981 gave the Regal a much more aerodynamic profile, helping make it possible for the car to compete on the NASCAR racing circuit, where it enjoyed several decent seasons. V8s for street use were still available, but had shrunk to 265 in³ (4.3L), and the V6 was rapidly gaining popularity. In 1982, a new Century appeared on a front wheel drive chassis, but the former rear wheel drive Century sedan and wagon were not discontinued. These models were simply rebadged as Regals, and for the first time the name appeared on a full model lineup.

Grand National and GNX

T-Type Regal coupes, aimed at the performance market, appeared at this time, but the real news came in 1982, when the Regal Grand National appeared. Named for the NASCAR Grand National racing series, this car incorporated a much-improved 200 hp (150 kW) version of the turbocharged V6 and cost US$18,000. This powerplant would continue to be refined and strengthened, and in 1986 reached 235 hp (175 kW), then 245 hp (182 kW) for 1987.

1987 also offered a lightweight WE4 (Turbo T) option which is extremely rare today. Only 1,547 of this variant were produced. The only differences between a WE4 and the base Grand National were interior trim package, rims, exterior badging, and aluminum bumper mounts. The rear spoiler was only available as a dealer installed option.

By 1985, the Grand National was acquiring a reputation as modern muscle car, but the days of the G-body were numbered. For the final year, 1987, Buick introduced the GNX at a US$11,000 premium. Produced by McLaren/ASC, Buick boasted 275 hp and a very substantial 360 lbf-ft (488 N·m) of torque. Changes made included a special Garrett ceramic-impeller turbocharger connected by a ceramic-coated pipe to a better intercooler. A special computer chip, low-restriction exhaust, and reprogrammed Turbo Hydramatic 200-4R transmission with a custom torque converter and transmission fluid cooler completed the drivetrain modifications. Exterior styling changes include vents located on each front fender, 16 in black mesh style wheels with VR speed rated tires, and deletion of the hood and fender emblems. The interior changes of the GNX included a serial number on the dash plaque and a revised instrument cluster providing analog Stewart-Warner gages including an analog turbo boost gauge.

The acceleration performance of the GNX outpaced the factory's power claims: 0-60 mph (97 km/h) took just 5.5 s with a 13.4 s/104 mph (167 km/h) quarter-mile. According to contemporary sources, these numbers made the GNX the fastest production sedan ever built. This claim is somewhat controversial—the car had two doors but its interior volume and structure made it a sedan rather than a coupé, and just 547 examples were built. GNX #001 is currently owned by Buick and sometimes makes appearances at car shows around the US. Although many quicker cars have been built, including a number of quicker modern sedans, its performance was truly impressive for the time. A contemporary Porsche 930 hit 60 mph in 5.0 seconds and ran the quarter mile in 13.6, roughly equivalent to the GNX, which cost much less and could out-accelerate the naturally-aspirated 911 of the day. The muscle cars of the 1960s had the power to beat the GNX, but the tires of the time could not transform this into speed. The GNX never made much of a road-track competitor to cars like the 911, but it could certainly hold its own on a drag strip.

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Cars - Buick Regal

1973

1978

Grand National and GNX

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