Pontiac Fiero

The Fiero was conceived as a small, two-seat sports car with all new suspension and a V6 engine. While General Motors's management were opposed to investing in a second two-seater sports car that might compete with the Corvette, young Pontiac engineers in 1978 were able to sell the Fiero concept to the corporation as a fuel-efficient four-cylinder "commuter car" that just happened to have two seats, rather than a muscle car. When the engineers brought back a running prototype in less than six months, it was given the green light for production. They perceived the oil crisis as a market opportunity for a fuel-efficient sporty commuter car. The Fiero was redesigned to use a fuel efficient version of GM's four-cylinder Iron Duke engine capable of in the city and on the highway with the economy-ratio transmission option. The fuel economy was considered as impressive for a 2.5 L engine of the period, but the three-speed automatic reduced highway mileage to only . With respect to fuel economy, the Fiero appealed to a market niche distinct from the Corvette's. Pontiac assigned oversight of the Fiero project to Hulki Aldikacti, a Turkish born executive with over twenty years of experience. The word Fiero means "very proud", "fierce", "bold", "haughty" "cruel", "severe" in Italian, and "wild", "fierce", or "ferocious" in Spanish. Alternative names considered for the car were Sprint (which had previously been used on a GMC and would later end up being used for a Chevrolet instead), P3000, Pegasus, Fiamma, Sunfire (a name which would later be applied to another Pontiac), and Firebird XP. Aldikacti's unorthodox design methods and personal manner made him unpopular to most of GM's bureaucracy. He was told by counterparts at other GM divisions three times that the Fiero project had been cancelled by corporate management. However, the project was kept alive by high-ranked defenders, chiefly William Hoglund, who took over Pontiac in 1980, when the brand's popularity was heavily diluted and its cars could be described as outdated. In 1983 Hoglund told his top three dozen staffers that Pontiac would rebuild itself with cars that were exciting and different — terms that described Aldikacti's "commuter car". In order to meet Hoglund's marketing teams goal of 100,000 cars a year, Hoglund negotiated a deal to reopen a plant once shut down in the heart of Pontiac, Michigan. He and his staff wanted to prove that cooperation between management and labor could be solved without the use of robots on the assembly line, which GM's top executives wanted. Likewise, Hoglund allowed the hourly paid workers to choose the two-seater's name — hence the name "Fiero." A mid-engine layout was chosen to reduce both aerodynamic drag and vehicle weight; to improve fuel efficiency, and to offer handling, traction, and braking benefits. The performance potential of the mid-engine layout was not realized when the Fiero debuted. As cost-saving measures, the tires, brakes, and suspension components were carried over from other GM platforms such as the X and T platforms. As a result, the handling abilities of the Fiero were merely on par with other contemporary sporty coupes. The Fiero received positive reviews for its handling (Motor Trend 1984), as well as negative reviews for not meeting expectations of higher performance from its mid-engine configuration. Despite the criticism, the Fiero sold well and although Pontiac operated three shifts at the factory during 1984, they could not keep up with initial demand. The sharing of suspension and other components with other GM cars meant the rear suspension and powertrain was virtually identical to that of the Phoenix; the Fiero even included rear tie rod ends attached to a "steering knuckle", although these were hard-mounted to the engine cradle and only used for maintaining the rear tire alignment. As the oil crisis eased by 1985, demand developed for more engine power and better performance. Pontiac responded by introducing the GT model which included upgraded suspension tuning, wider tires, and a V6 engine having more than the base four-cylinder. In 1988, changes included a completely redesigned suspension (and parts of the space frame) along with two-piece brake calipers and upgraded brake rotors — the latter which had been conceived with the initial design. The available I4 and V6 engines benefited from evolutionary improvements, but the planned availability of turbochargers and newer DOHC engines did not happen before production stopped. In spite of the design finally realizing its potential, sales had declined and GM ended production. ==Production years==

1984 The Fiero began production in August 1983. In an effort to sell the car as economically sensible, GM equipped and sold the Fiero as a commuter car; although the marketing build-up leading to initial release indicated anything but a regular commuter. The car also proved uncomfortable for some drivers because of the lack of power steering. Also, for marketing purposes, the 1984 base model was featured in a 1983 episode of the television show Hardcastle & McCormick. The 1984 model line included a limited "Indy Pace Car" edition, consisting of an Indianapolis 500-themed option package on SE-model vehicles (a package that was specially reissued in 1985). Approximately 2,000 of these vehicles were sold. The Indy had aero body cladding and new front and rear fascias that would be used on the 1985 GT. Only the four-cylinder engine was available, though a few prototypes were fitted with a unique periscope-style inlet sprouting from the engine compartment and curving up and over the roof. This "periscope" style inlet was used on the three actual Indy Pace Cars used at the 1984 Indianapolis 500. This inlet scoop fed the Super Duty engine which was only exclusive to the actual Pace Cars. The Super Duty engine was rated at at 6,500 rpm and of torque at 5,500 rpm. Pontiac's general manager Bill Hoglund nominated John Callies to drive the actual pace car at Indy. Callies was the factory's lead engineer on both the pace car and IMSA programs. The Fiero became the first 4-cylinder car to pace the 500 since a Stoddard-Dayton paced the 1914 race. 1988 The 1988 Fiero brought a new suspension design, thought by many to have a striking resemblance to those designed by Lotus (in whom GM had held a 91-percent stake since October 1986). The suspension was never a Lotus design, though – it was the suspension the Pontiac engineers had designed in the beginning, along with what they learned from the racing program; however, some ideas may have come from Lotus. Up front were revised control arms and knuckles that reduced steering effort and improved the scrub radius. At the rear, a tri-link suspension with all new knuckles was installed. This new suspension came with staggered wheel sizes on WS6 suspension equipped models, with by wide wheels up front and by wide wheels in the rear for improved handling balance and to offset the slightly increased front track that resulted from the improvements. Topping off the package were the new vented disc brakes at all four corners, which addressed braking complaints of road testers. A variable effort electro-hydraulic power steering unit, the same design later found on the GM EV1, was also to be a late addition. This option never made it to production – one reason cited is that models with the prototype power steering were noted as being too loud. The four-cylinder engine received an in-pan oil filter element and balance shaft. A "Formula" option was added, which offered many of the GT features with the standard coupe body, including the speedometer, WS6 Suspension (which includes offset crosslace wheels) and the rear spoiler. 1988 marked the end of production for the Fiero. Improvements to suspension, brakes, steering, and improvements to both the four-cylinder and V6 engines took the car to a level far beyond the 1984 model that had received much criticism. The 1988 model was the only year a yellow exterior color was available as a factory option. On August 16, 1988, Pontiac assembled the last Fiero in Pontiac, Michigan. The last Fiero built was presented to a GM assembler, and was kept pristine with just over 500 miles on the odometer. It was sold in December 2020 for $90,000.00. 1989/1990 (prototype) A prototype of the never-produced 1989/1990 Fiero was displayed at the 20th Anniversary show in July 2003, at Fierorama 2005, at the Michigan show in 2006 and most recently at the 25th Anniversary Show in Pontiac, Michigan, in 2008. GM Heritage Center continues storing the 1989/1990 Fiero. Many of the 1989/1990 Fiero prototypes had been demolished in a scrap yard in Australia. Much of its design influence is apparent in the Fourth Generation Firebird. New engines were proposed for the 1989/1990 model year, from the then new DOHC "Quad 4" four-cylinder as a base engine to replace the 2.5 L "Iron Duke" to a new 200+ hp DOHC V-6 for the GT models. Even a 231 CID (3.8 L) Buick Turbo V6 powered Fiero is rumored to have been seen at a test track. The single 1989/1990 Fiero GT prototype had an early version of the upcoming DOHC V-6 that would be put into production in the Grand Prix and Lumina Z34 in the early 1990s. This engine developed more than . GM cited slumping and unprofitable sales of the Fiero as the reason for its demise following its 5th model year. ==Technical features==

Engines The Fiero was available with the LR8 I4, and L44 V6. SD4 The SD4 (Super Duty 4-cylinder) was the last in a line of high-performance Pontiac engines. A SD4 engine powered the 1984 Indy Fiero Pace Car to over during the race. The SD4 was never available in a production vehicle, however Pontiac's Performance Parts counter had all the SD4 parts available and one could garner a version and a version. All 2000 Indy Fiero replicas came with the Iron Duke engine. Transmissions Automatic All automatic-equipped Fieros were equipped with the three-speed Turbo-Hydramatic 125 with torque converter lockup (RPO MD9). Automatic transmission final drive ratios: The Fiero's body panels are purely cosmetic (and aerodynamic) and carry no structural load. The Fiero was the second safest vehicle sold in America from 1984 to 1988, beaten only by the Volvo 740DL station wagon. The official crash test scores were as follows: • Head Injury Criterion – 356.5/308.6 • Chest Deceleration (G) – 30.9/29.9 • Femur Load (LB) – Left 840/800 Right 800/740 The Fiero's technologically advanced spaceframe technology went on to be incorporated in the Saturn S-Series cars and the 1990-96 GM U platform minivans. ==Problems and issues==

Safety issues escalated rapidly by the summer of 1987, when the fire count for 1984 models reached a rate of 20 fires per month. Fieros were catching fire at the rate of one for every 508 cars sold, surpassing all other mass-market automobile cars. Pontiac engineers knew about the problems early on: one wrote an urgent memo dated October 6, 1983, to report that two Fieros had suddenly caught fire during test drives. This was only 3 months after the production of the Fiero began. It was first thought to be caused by antifreeze leaking out of poorly installed hoses, when in reality it was defective connecting rods. After one meeting with the Saginaw foundry manager, he wrote that "60 percent to 90 percent of the rods produced do not exhibit defects." This means at least every 1 out of 10 rods produced were defective and possibly 4 out of 10 were also defective. The Associated Press quoted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as saying it had "...received 148 complaints regarding Pontiac Fieros catching fire including reports of six injuries. Low levels of engine oil may cause a connecting rod to break, allowing oil to escape and come into contact with engine parts. The oil would catch fire when it contacted the exhaust manifold or hot exhaust components." David Hudgens, a GM spokesman in Detroit said "if you ran out of oil, and then that coupled with some aggressive driving, perhaps, and maybe not changing the oil very often, you end up with a broken rod, and that's where the connecting rod came in; it is still the owner's responsibility to check the oil." The Pontiac division said in a 1988 press release that "GM tests have shown that running these 1984 cars with low engine oil level can cause connecting rod failure which may lead to an engine compartment fire. Pontiac is aware of 260 fires attributable to the condition, along with ten reported minor injuries." ==In popular culture==

based on a FieroThe Fiero is a popular base car for replicas of supercars such as Ferraris and Lamborghinis, as well as for various other kit cars, due to being one of the least expensive mid-engine cars available on the market (see Fiero Mera section). Legacy When the Fiero's 1984 model was introduced, it played a major role in building the "excitement" image that the Pontiac Division Motor Company wanted to establish in its car buyers. This car pioneered new concepts such as the participation of autoworkers in production methods as well as new materials provide a showcase as the first production car in the world to use a space/frame chassis with a separate body shell composed of SMC Sheet Molded Composite. According to Design News, Pontiac engineers pointed out that the Fiero experience helped the company to develop the sporty look of the Grand Am and Sunbird, as well as "road car" features in the once-traditional Bonneville and Grand Prix. Such Fiero advances as the composite skin lived on in new GM products like the Saturn. Scale models Several diecast model manufacturers have replicated the Fiero in various scales. Hot Wheels released a 1984 Fiero 2M4 under many paint schemes. Matchbox and Majorette also released Fiero models during the car's heyday. Monogram has released and re-released a 1985 Fiero GT model (the re-release is currently available). In recent years, a large 1:18 die-cast model of a 1985 GT was available in red and silver colors. In 2007 the Motor Max toy company began making small die-cast Fiero GT toys under the "American Graffiti" and "Fresh Cherries" lines. Select Wal-Mart locations sold a special "Since '68" Fiero made by Hot Wheels, which uses the original 1984 mold with a new paint job. The Kenner toy line M.A.S.K. had a black Fiero GT that converted into a glider craft and three wheeled chopper, called "Fireforce." Tonka's toy line Gobots included a character, "Sparky", who converted into a 1984 Fiero 2M4 (called a "P-car" on the packaging). Also worth mention is the Transformers character Punch/Counterpunch, a spy who converts into a vehicle looking similar to a 1985 Fiero GT, but modified to avoid trademark issues. Other plastic-kit display models were released by MPC-ERTL in 1:25 scale. One was a 1984 2M4 kit 10883, the other was 1987 (essentially identical to 1986) GT kit 6401. ==References==