As part of our 20th anniversary retrospective, we're showcasing some of our favorites of the past two decades. You'll be able to vote on your favorite later. Here's the 1st installment.
Speakerworks in Orange County rocked the autosound world with their 1986 Buick Grand National. Winning so many competitions, Pat Holdaway was even turned away from some contests. The Holdaway family built the Buick to compete but also retain utility.
Alpine took care of the source and amplifiers, while Speakerworks own U.S.D. brand filled in for speaker duty. Like any good competition vehicle, system layout took priority and attention to detail, from finishing to wiring was paramount.
Typical of builds from this area, everything was hidden. When you look at the Buick's trunk, you don't see the 15-inch subwoofers or the four humongous Alpine amps. Instead you see plain gray carpet. Talk about packing a hidden punch.
After its time with Holdaway, the Buick switched ownership to Richard Clark, who continued to tinker with the vehicle, and of course, win competitions.