What is a Turbo Regal Limited and why is this site here?
We're not going to spend a lot of time discussing the history of this
incredible car here. There are several good resources on the
Internet already. If you found your way here, you probably already
know all you need to know to realize the impact of the Turbo Regals on
the performance car market of the 1980's. Development continued
through the late 1970's into the 1980's on a car capable of "Going Fast
With Class". As far as going fast, the epitome of Buick's mandate
are the intercooled 1986 and 1987 models. Combining price,
performance, economy and luxury in a mid-size package, these cars in the
ever popular Grand National trim were widely acknowledged to be the
fastest North American production cars of the 1987 model year. Oh
the humiliation for General Motors' Corvette division!
A total of 35,488 intercooled Regals were produced in 1986 and 1987,
largely comprised of the extended production run of the beloved 1987
Grand National as the public clamored for one last opportunity to own
the car the magazines were raving about before GM took the Regal into
front wheel drive oblivion. Within those 35,488 cars built were
1,035 very special Regals. Taking the class in "Going Fast with
Class" one step further than any of Buick's other iterations for the
intercooled Regals, the 1987 production run included just over 1,000
Regal Limiteds. It's worth pointing out here that aside from the
GNX, these Limiteds are the rarest of the turbocharged Regals.
And, unlike the GNX, Grand National, or WE4 Regals, these few Limiteds
are further rarified by their long list of optional appointments.
You won't find an option code on the RPO sticker of the Limiteds that
makes them all look the same. Want a car that looks like your
Grandmother drives it but crushes Mustangs at will? There's a
Limited for you. Want a W02 Regal as sinister as anything else out
on the street, but with a bench seat and column shift? There's a
Limited for you as well. Because as well as being amongst the
rarest of the Turbo Regals, Limiteds are further individualized by the
fact that virtually no two are the same. Many, many of these cars
are assembly line one offs. Several Limited owners participate in
the online community for these cars for years and never see another car
quite like theirs. While the general public still covets the Grand
National, within the Turbo Regal community the Limiteds are considered
to be some of the most desirable cars.
So why this site? There are a few reasons. There are
several community members passionate about these cars with nowhere to
discuss them. Some specific parts, mostly interior parts, are
becoming increasingly difficult to source. Prospective buyers are
forced to research several different sources to try to gather
information on Limiteds which appeal to them. And then there are
the endless questions such as "How many Limiteds had leather interiors?"
or "How many Limiteds are left on the road?" Will this site ever
provide a definitive answer to any of the questions? Not likely.
But we hope it will provide a valuable resource for those interested in
preserving one of the 1,035, increase the public's knowledge of these
fantastic automobiles, and provide yet another source of pride for
owners. Enjoy!
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