The Real Reason The Pontiac Fiero Was Discontinued

To understand the death of something, one must first know the conditions into which it was born. In this case, the Pontiac Fiero, GM’s first mid-engine sports car, was a long-developing idea borne of necessity during a time of crisis, coupled with bargain bin parts and a litany of bad decisions.

As the 1970s gave way to the 80s, Pontiac was desperate for a vehicular hit that would put it back on the map while differentiating it from the handful of other automakers within General Motors’ stable. Pontiac’s General Manager at the time, Bill Hoglund, felt that an affordable two-seat sports car would help recapture the performance image the company once had with the legendary — and by-then faded — GTO. Hoglund wanted to aim this sporty two-seater at the road warriors who commuted to work and market it as a gas-sipping, environmentally-friendly car, capable of running errands around town economically… read more >