GMP 1:18 1986 Buick Regal T Type, White

This rare model is part of a collection from an estate sale

The Buick Regal is an upscale mid-sized car that was first introduced by Buick for the 1973 model year. The model was originally positioned as a personal luxury car, and typically offered in both coupe and sedan forms until 1997, when the Regal became sedan-only due to the decline of the personal luxury coupe market. For certain model years between 1973 and 2004, the Regal shared bodies and powertrains with the similar Buick Century, although the Regal was positioned as a more upmarket vehicle.

The T-Type is a series of Buick automobiles that were popular during the 1980s. This marketing approach for Buick products was a revival of a similar approach used in the 1960s (and later revived in the 1990s) with the Buick GS designation.

Thes T-Type cars were built as performance-oriented models, the most famous of which was the Buick GNX (based on the Regal platform). During the time that the T-Type cars were in production, turbochargers were becoming very popular in the aftermarket performance industry, and in Detroit, they were adopted for use on production vehicles, the most notable of which was the Regal.

The first model to receive the T-Type badge was the 1981 Buick Riviera. Within a few years, other models from the Buick lineup would follow suit. The Grand National (also referred to as "GN"), an adaptation of the Regal T-Type and introduced in 1982, became an instant success; it inspired the company to extend its T-Type line to its other mid-size offering, the Century (though without the turbocharged engine). The compact Skyhawk and Skylark also received the T-Type treatment in 1983, and in 1986 the Somerset did as well.

The T-Type series reached its peak in 1987. By that time, even the full-size LeSabre and Electra were available as T-Type models, but without the turbocharger. The Lesabre T-Type coupe design was a different approach, pieced together from design highlights of the rare 1986 Lesabre Grand National (116 built), and although odd-looking, was a more cohesive touring car package. Also that year, the GNX made automotive history as "the fastest American car in 1987" (a distinction it held through 1989, which was the Regal's second year as a front-wheel drive car). The GNX recorded a 0-60 time of 4.7 seconds, and its "fast car" reputation led many people to dub it "Corvette killer." In addition, its turbocharged V6 made it an attractive alternative to its similar-bodied V8-powered siblings, such as the Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS and Oldsmobile 442 (neither of which had the turbocharger available to them).