1987 Buick GNX has been driven less distance than some babies have crawled

Automotive grails are expected to cost unfathomable amounts of cash, but this 8.5-mile (EIGHT!) 1987

Buick

GNX could reach monetary digits not seen before. With six days still left on the

Bring a Trailer auction

, the GNX is already up to $80,500.

The Grand National, particularly the GNX, is one of those cars that has skyrocketed in value in the past 10 years. It’s been earning payouts that put it in a rare class of

General Motors

vehicles typically occupied by classic Corvettes and

Camaros

. At the

Barrett-Jackson

Palm Beach auction in 2015, a 362-mile example sold for a brain-scrambling

$165,000

, likely the most ever paid for a GNX. Last year, the first GNX ever released to the public (VIN No. 1 and 2 were kept by the company) had 8,200 miles and sold for $126,500. The most expensive GNX ever sold on Bring a Trailer had 28,000 miles and ended at

$60,000

in summer 2018.

To repeat, after 12 bids, this example is already $20K past that, with nearly an entire week to go.

To the shock and dismay of many, this ultra-rare performance icon has been driven less than the distance of a half marathon. Its odometer reading makes it possibly the most pristine GNX on the planet. After it was originally sold in Mena, Arkansas, it simply sat on display in a Texas

dealership

for decades.

The seller purchased the car in 2002 and supposedly kept it in a climate-controlled environment. Plastic wrapping over the seats and door panels further the immaculate cleanliness. According to the listing, the only parts that have been replaced are the battery and a relay switch, both of which come with the sale.

In a comment on the auction, the owner shared the reason he has decided to

sell the car

:

GNX stands for Grand National Experimental and represents a collaboration with

McLaren

Performance Technologies/ASC. The base Grand National turbocharged 3.8-liter V6 was upgraded with a Garrett T3 turbocharger, a larger intercooler, and a performance exhaust for a claimed output of about 300 horsepower. It is paired with a four-speed automatic transmission with an enhanced oil cooler. McLaren also upgraded the suspension and the interior, which includes a plaque stating it is VIN No. 480 of the 547 produced that year.

The auction is even more interesting due to the fact that it is selling on

Bring a Trailer

, rather than one of the popular high-end auctioneers such as Barrett-Jackson or RM Sotheby’s. This gives fans and enthusiasts everywhere the chance to watch the auction live, comment, and even bid if they’d like. We’ll update you with the final sale when it ends.