The automotive auction market continues to provide ample evidence that beauty is really in the eye of the beholder.
A 1993 GMC Typhoon, a model that went out of production over three decades ago, just sold for $226,000 on Bring a Trailer. Only the winning bidder knows why they spent so much on a forgotten SUV, but the measly 688 miles on the odometer might have something to do with it.
Unless you’re a truck or General Motors enthusiast, chances are you don’t remember the Typhoon. Introduced in 1993, it was a pumped-up version of the first-generation Jimmy that shared a powertrain and a lot of other mechanical bits with the Syclone truck, itself a more powerful version of the Sonoma. At that point in the 1990s, SUVs were not yet the all-conquering force they are today and the Typhoon was one of the first American-made performance models in the class. It was only built for two years, with just 4,697 examples rolling off the line during that time.
1993 GMC Typhoon
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The mid-size SUV was more sculpted than the standard Jimmy—cladding runs along the lower half of the vehicle—but it has a boxy, clean-lined style by 2025 standards. This example is finished in Apple Red and has a gold Typhoon decal on the doors and trunk lid. Open up the vehicle’s two doors and you’ll that its front seats and rear bench are covered in Charcoal Gray leather. The cabin lacks the bells and whistles of today’s SUVs, but it does come equipped with air conditioning, cruise control, and power windows.
Under the hood, you’ll find the same turbocharged and intercooled 4.3-liter V-6 that powered the Syclone. The mill, which is mated to a four-speed manual, makes 280 hp and 350 ft lbs of torque. Those numbers may not sound all that surprising today, but they were a lot for a mid-size SUV in the early 1990s. Thanks to all that power, the Typhoon could sprint from zero to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds and reach a top speed of 124 mph. This example has barely been driven since leaving the factory, so it’s probably still capable of hitting both figures after a good tune-up.
Inside the Typhoon
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The Typhoon started at $29,530 when it hit the market in 1992. That means that whoever put in the winning bid for this example paid nearly eight times that much. It’s hard to find proof, but there’s a good chance that this is the most expensive Typhoon of all time. At the very least, it’s the most expensive sold on Bring a Trailer, breaking the previous mark, which was set in 2022, by more than $50,000.
Click here for more photos of the $226,000 GMC Typhoon.
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