There are fast vehicles, but there’s only one GMC Syclone. The mini truck with a turbocharged heart of unrelenting fury came from GMC and Production Automotive Services, a skunkworks initiative that netted the car enthusiast one of best Q-ships of all time. Aside from modified off-road vehicles with souped up small-blocks of the era, the Syclone’s combination of four-corner motivation with 350 pound-feet of torque was unheard of in the 1990s. Less than 3000 units were made, but the limited production hasn’t dulled this GMC’s appeal over time. One sold online this week for $37,985.
It’s natural to mention this truck with its famous introduction in the September 1991 issue of Car and Driver magazine. That’s been discussed on every corner of the internet, so instead let’s suggest that article did a great job introducing the humble pickup truck into a new corner of the car-buying market. And doing so helped further proof that one day trucks will outsell cars on our planet.
With trucks forever altering our automotive landscape, it comes as no surprise that a perfect 1991 Syclone with delivery mileage has sold for $113,000. Ironically that isn’t far from the Ferrari 348 used by Car and Driver as a benchmark. We expect Ferraris to appreciate to that extent, but getting a GMC pickup to rocket into that space is astounding.
But the Syclone sold this week isn’t quite that special. It has a more approachable 25,000 miles on its odometer, with a handful of period-correct modifications. The body has imperfections that indicate a life well driven, and the aftermarket cowl induction hood is one of the cooler ways to throw originality out the window. This is one reason why it sold for a hair under 38 grand on Hagerty Marketplace, but more changes are inside this iconic regular cab pickup.
Well, there are only three changes. And they should be lumped into a single unit. The A-pillar trim is modified with a triple gauge pod for aftermarket temperature, turbocharger boost, and fuel pressure gauges. Aside from the embroidered aftermarket floor mats (far superior to the rubber ones you see from the factory), the rest of this Syclone’s interior presents like a low-mileage original.
The same is true under the skin, as this Syclone has a period correct Borla exhaust, an adjustable fuel pressure regulator, aftermarket fans on the intercooler, and a second rear sway bar. The latter will likely stiffen up the handling, reduce understeer, and ensure what’s left of the original Firestone Firehawks can go up in smoke with just a few drifts around the corner.
New tires should be considered mandatory for anyone considering this truck as a daily driver, but there might be a convincing case for leaving the tires alone: If there ever was a vehicle worthy of an OEM hood and a full body respray, this Syclone is it.
Let’s start by looking at how closely a #3 (“good”) condition Syclone from Hagerty’s Valuation Tools matches the sale price of this truck. The relatively low mileage and un-abused condition suggests this Syclone has more headroom for appreciation. While a factory exhaust system might be hard to acquire, turning the other bits back to stock might not be a challenge. And the headroom in the market suggests this might be a worthy restoration candidate.
Or perhaps not. Perhaps this GMC Syclone should be driven, and those modifications should be cherished. In some ways this truck is perfect as-is, because it will still blow the doors off of modern traffic, and a little more road rash won’t hurts its appeal. I suspect its two previous owners would applaud the decision.
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