1984 Pontiac Fiero

The Pontiac Fiero had a relatively short production lifespan lasting five years, from August of 1983 to 1988, with 370,168 examples built. The styling was by George Milidrag and Hulki Aldikacti who penned a mid-engine sports car with seating for two on a short 93.4-inch wheelbase platform. This was the first two-seater Pontiac since the 1926 to 1938 coupes. The Fiero also holds the distinction of being the first, mass-produced mid-engine sports car by a United States manufacturer. Design elements included a wedge shape, a compact frontal area with a drag coefficient of 0.377, hidden headlamps, full-width rear neutral-density reflex tail lamps, and integrated stereo speakers within the driver and passenger headrests. The body was formed from corrosive-resistant composite 'Enduraflex' panels and rested upon a space frame of high-strength steel. Areas of the car that were prone to dents received reinforced reaction injection molded (RRIM) urethane panels.

The Fiero was conceived as a small, V6 powered sports car, however, General Motor's management felt it might take sales away from the Corvette. Pontiac engineers successfully pitched the idea of a fuel-efficient four-cylinder 'commuter car' that had two seats and exotic mid-engine placement. A running prototype was completed in less than six months and the green light for production soon followed. With fuel economy a priority, it received GM's 2.5-liter four-cylinder Iron Duke engine that was capable of 31 mpg in the city and 50 mph on the highway with the economy-ratio transmission option. The 151 cubic-inch, overhead-valve, four-cylinder engine, shared with the Pontiac 6000, Firebird, and the Phoenix, had a cast-iron block and head, five main bearings, hydraulic valve lifters, and throttle-body fuel injection. It produced 92 horsepower at 4,000 RPM and 132 lb-ft of torque at 2,800 RPM. A four-speed MY-8 manual transmission was standard while the five-speed manual was standard and a three-speed turbo-HydraMatic was optional. The front suspension used coil springs and anti-sway bars while the rear had MacPherson struts with lower control arms. Steering was by a rack-and-pinion system. Front disc and rear drums provided the stopping power.

Trim levels included the base Coupe (known as the 'Fuel Economy Leader') with a 2.42:1 axle ratio and 13-inch tires, the Sport Coupe with a 4.10:1 axle ratio, and the SE with special WS6 performance handling package and a standard rear deck luggage rack. They also had P215/80R13 tires and a padded Formula steering wheel. The coupe had a base price of $8,000 and 7,099 examples were built. The Sport Coupe listed for 49,000 and 62,070 were sold. The SE Coupe sold for $9,600 and was the most popular, with 67,671 sales.

Standard equipment included the P185/80R13 black sidewall SBR tires, a driver's remote mirror, bodyside moldings, a full-length console, map pockets, rub strips, reclining bucket seats, a four-spoke steering wheel, and retractable halogen headlamps. Available colors included Red (M71) and White (M40) colors with Black (M41) and Light Gray Metallic (M14) introduced later.

A limited 'Indy Pace Car' edition had an Indianapolis 500-themed option package on SE-model vehicles and approximately 2,000 examples were sold. It had an aero body cladding and fascias that would be used on the 1985 GT. The Fiero was the first four-cylinder car to pace the Indy 500 since the Stoddard-Dayton of 1914.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jul 2014