Meet the man who sold Kendrick Lamar his Buick GNX

Kendrick Lamar threw Buick’s limited-run GNX into the spotlight last month when he released his newest album, titled after the car.

WillSmith

Dec 18, 2024 - 20:49

4778

Meet the man who sold Kendrick Lamar his Buick GNX

Since Kendrick Lamar dropped his newest album last month, fans have eagerly dived into analyzing the California rapper’s newest body of work. But little information has surfaced about the now-famous Buick GNX that adorns the cover art.

With just 547 ever built, the GNX stands as one the rarest, coolest muscle cars to emerge from the 1980s — a status firmly reinforced by Lamar’s embrace of the car across cover art, music videos and lyrics in his newest album.

Lamar purchased his GNX sometime back in March of this year, but the car was never posted for sale online, making its history difficult to pin down. Despite the mystery, we managed to track down the man who sold Kendrick Lamar what has quickly become the most popular Buick GNX on the planet.

Kendrick Lamar and the GNX go way back

In a 2012 interview with Complex, Lamar shared that his father drove him home from the hospital in a Buick Regal, a cheaper, pedestrian-spec version of the GNX. The connection runs deeper: Lamar was born in 1987, the same year Buick unveiled the GNX variant of its Regal.

“When I was born, I came home from the hospital in an '87 Buick Regal while my pops was bumping Big Daddy Kane,” Lamar said.

The GNX is all about authenticity

Earlier this year, Lamar shared a post on Instagram showcasing his newly acquired GNX—likely the same one we would later see in album artwork and music videos. The rare post from Lamar came just days before the release of the song “Like That,” which sparked a fiery beef between Lamar and Canadian rapper, Drake.

View the original article to see embedded media.

Across the five diss tracks that Lamar released, he repeatedly criticized Drake as being an inauthentic part of hip-hop culture. This idea of authenticity was a focus for Lamar in his post talking about the GNX, in which he wrote “But in the moment of confusion, the best thing you can do is find a GNX. Make you realize the only thing that matters in life is that original paper work. That TL2 code. 1 of 547.”

The TL2 code that Lamar references is the in-house code that General Motors used to designate Grand Nationals on the assembly line that were destined to receive GNX-spec modifications. In other words, it’s proof that the car is an authentic GNX from the factory.

The man who sold Kendrick Lamar his GNX

Although Kendrick Lamar’s GNX was never posted on an auction site, it showed up in a few inconspicuous Instagram posts in mid-2023 listing it for sale.

View the original article to see embedded media.

The man behind the posts was a little-known user on Instagram — and possibly the biggest Buick Grand National seller in the country. Known online as “jerryworldwidegns,” Gerardo Chora has made a name for himself online as an ultra-niche car salesman, tracking down, buying, and reselling Buick Grand Nationals and GNXs.

What we know about Kendrick Lamar’s GNX

In a post from last July, Chora walks around the GNX that would eventually be bought by Kendrick Lamar going over the car’s condition and history. We confirmed this is the car bought by Lamar based on the matching production number on the dashboard: 191.

View the original article to see embedded media.

The #191 GNX had just 9,351 miles at the time it was posted for sale, still sitting on the original Gatorback tires from 1987. Before it made the trip to California, the car was registered in Magoffin County, Kentucky with the vanity plate “GNX.” The bluegrass state is notable in the world of Buick enthusiasts for the Buick GS Nationals, an annual event held in Bowling Green, Kentucky that brings out classic Buick muscle cars for drag racing and auto shows.

An official sale price for the car was never disclosed, but Chora advertised it for $189,000. Over the last five years, GNXs have sold for an average of $177,205, according to data compiled by Classic.com.

View the original article to see embedded media.

According to Chora’s post, the #191 GNX was being listed for sale for the first time since it was originally bought in 1987—a rare opportunity to own not only a low-production, low-mileage GNX but a single-owner one at that.

Final thoughts

A lot can be said about the significance of Kendrick Lamar’s GNX. The GNX, a car that represents the pinnacle of Buick’s muscle car legacy, has now become a symbol of authenticity and nostalgia through Lamar’s music and personal journey. From its roots in the 1980s to its current place in hip-hop lore, the GNX continues to captivate enthusiasts and casual fans alike.

As for Gerardo Chora, his knack for uncovering treasures like the GNX proves that even in niche corners of the automotive world, there’s room for big stories. Whether you’re a fan of Lamar, the GNX, or both, this unique intersection of music and automotive history serves as a powerful reminder that a car can embody so much more than the parts that make it up.