Today, the Buick Regal Grand National (GN) and GNX hold a significant place in automotive history, but these high-performance variants didn't simply appear out of nowhere. In the early 1980s, Buick was working to promote the Regal through racing events, spreading awareness of the model through appearances on and around the track. This would eventually lead to the introduction of the Grand National in 1982, named after the NASCAR Winston Cup Grand National Series. But before this happened, General Motors tested the waters with the limited-edition 1981 Regal Pace Car.
