http://pontiacsonline.com/TOM%20GOAD.htmAll the way back to John DeLorean's days, Pontiac had tried several times to add a two-seat sports car in its model line-up only to be turned off my GM's corporate management. Back, while I was still in my elaborate office in the new Product Planning area, Hulki Aldikacti made a very crude mockup in our display area. It was manly for seating purposes, of a rear engined sports car. This concept would eventually become the Pontiac Fiero.
Now working for CPC Engineering, he formed a team in Entech Engineering's building near the GM Tech Center. They were designing an all new rear engined, two seat "economy" car using the front suspension of the little T-Car (Pontiac T1000) and the front suspension and power train from the front wheel drive A-Car (Pontiac 6000), moved to the rear. All of this was married into one-piece space frame covered with plastic body panels. The corporation approved this concept as a high fuel mileage car that could be built in the now vacant Pontiac Fisher Body plant. Hulki's team invented a special large fixture that could machine pads on the welded together space frame to allow ease of accurately attaching all the prepainted body panels. The only painting done in this plant was painting the space frame chassis black. The first pilot cars were built in 1983 and I was on one of their test trips. The car was fun to drive, but when you were on some back asphalt roads, the front end and back end of the car seemed to be totally out of sync. This was ok for an economy car, but it not feel like a good handling sports car.
Pontiac's 1987 auto show car was the Pursuit Concept Vehicle designed by the Pontiac Design Studio. It was an extremely aerodynamic design with fully enclosed wheels, very low almost like a flying saucer. Joe Dunn had the car built in an outside shop. It was drivable, utilizing unique four wheel steering with movable hinged skirting on each wheel opening to providing tire clearance in turning mode. A very advanced concept, but not very practical.
Bob Fox loved the Fiero's concept and felt it would be ideal car to make into a convertible. Many tries were made with all kinds of ways to stow the top and open the back end for access to the engine, but they were all too flimsy for production and had terrible body structure. By 1988, under John Seaton's leadership (John had been Pontiac's Chassis Staff Engineer until the CPC reorganization in 1984) an all new suspension system was developed for the 1987 Fiero. Unfortunately, he insisted on an electric motor driven power steering system, developed by Saginaw Steering Gear. It had to be fixed (it was too noisy). Thus the new chassis did not start production until the fall of 1987 as an 1988 model. The power steering option was never approved for release. This new chassis made an excellent handling car and I loved it. I ordered one as my Company Car in the fall of 1987. It was a red Fiero GT with gold aluminum wheels and saddle leather interior.
After I finished driving it, it was parked in the back of our company car lot behind the Administration Building. That summer, I noticed it still sitting there. I asked the CPC people, who handled our company car fleet, about the Fiero and they said "I thought you wanted to buy it." I decided then to buy it and add to my collection of GM cars. I always enjoyed driving it. But when I bought a 2006 Pontiac GTO, I gave the Fiero to my son, Ted, to make room for it my garage.
With this new chassis, Bob Fox and an outside firm develop a convertible with extra welded on structure under the space frame and a unique convertible top that folded down behind the bucket seats.
It was truly an inventive design and was fun to drive. Unfortunately at the peak of its development, General Motors canceled the program and the last cars were built in March of 1988. To me, this was a tragic loss of a very unique product that fit Pontiac's image perfectly. The car has a huge following with many Fiero clubs. There were almost 300 Fiero's at their National Convention in Pontiac in 2007.
[This message has been edited by Gokart Mozart (edited 12-11-2011).]
