Pontiac's design staff pulled a fast one on their straight-laced
management when designing the Fiero towards the end of the 1970s. The
original concepts showed the car as an economical two-seater commuter
machine, in tune with contemporary world-wide concerns about fuel
economy. However, the idea of building a sporty two-seater was in the
back of the design team's collective mind all the time. And that, with
management blessing, was what eventually appeared in 1983. The original
Fiero was no ball of fire with its four-cylinder engine; enthusiasts had
to wait for the later V6 models for something approaching real
performance. Nor was its layout particularly adventurous, having been
inspired by the Fiat X1/9, while its coupe configuration bowed to
conventional wisdom that open sports cars were dead. However, its
space-frame construction with bolt-on plastic panels did show some new
thinking. BMW was one company which took notice when it drew up its Z1
roadster not long afterwards. As the articles in this book show, the
Fiero had an inauspicious start. Customers tended to feel that they were
doing the on-the-road development which Pontiac should have done before
the car was launched. The company was also slow to respond to demands
for more power and more sporting behaviour, and in the end sales proved
disappointing. So the Fiero was dropped from production after just five
years, at precisely the time when it had finally become the car it
should have been from the start. So car enthusiasts have mixed views
about the Fiero. Reading this book will explain why and will certainly
point some people firmly in the direction of Fiero ownership. One of
them might be you. This is a book of road & comparison tests, new model
intros, owners survey & buying second hand. Models covered: 2M4 SE, SE,
Pfaff Turbo, GT, GT V6, GTU & Formula.
