Third-generation car buff Fred Bartemeyer fell in love with the Fiero before the cars ever rolled off a GM production line in 1984. He now cannot wait to join his fellow car collectors next month for the 40th Anniversary Celebration of the Pontiac Fiero, presented by M1 Concourse.
General Motors produced 370,168 Fieros between 1984 and 1988. The sporty commuter car was the first two-seat mid-engine model produced by a U.S. manufacturer – and GM’s first two-seater since 1938.
Bartemeyer comes from an Iowa car family, and his grandfather ran a towing company. His dad then owned a business catering to antique and classic car collectors, which meant Bartemeyer grew up working on cars and reading everything he could about them.
He’d fallen hard for the gullwing Lamborghini Countach, which in those days retailed for close to $100,000; by the time he graduated high school he’d saved $12,000.
He spent that on the car he’d been reading about since pre-production engineering started nearly a decade earlier: a 1985 Fiero.
“That was all my grass-cutting, snow-shoveling and gift money,” he said. “Little did I realize it would accumulate into a passion that is daily for me.”
Today, the Davenport, Iowa, man is president of the MidWest Fiero Club. He owns 35 classic vehicles, including his grandfather’s original tow truck and 26 Fieros. He owns museum-quality memorabilia, including one of the only three Fiero Indy pace cars. He’s made friends with the original designers and engineers, as well as a wide variety of fellow collectors.
Fiero – depending on how the word is translated from other languages, could mean proud, wild or fierce. But a decision made by what Bartemeyer called “bean counters” to save money on production resulted in the Fiero being associated with engine fires. It’s an unfair reputation, he said, based on incidents in fewer than 3% of models produced between 1984 and 1988.
“They cut costs on one important component,” he said. A connector rod failed, causing a small oil leak close to hot exhaust components which led to fires made worse by the magnesium engine grille (a part replaced in later models).
“Once that chemical reaction starts, you can’t put out the fire,” he said. “That’s why there was such a panic.”
In 1989, the Associated Press reported that 148 complaints and six injuries led to recalls and National Transportation Highway Safety investigations.
By then, GM had stopped making Fieros.
Despite the troubles, Bartemeyer and other collectors are fierce defenders of their favorite auto.
The centerpiece of the five-day 40th anniversary celebration is the Fiero Project Reunion on Saturday, July 15 at the Auburn Hills Centerpoint Marriott, 3600 Centerpoint Parkway in Pontiac.
The M1 Concourse is showcasing Fieros from Wednesday, July 12, through Sunday, July 16.
The celebration is a mix of free and ticketed events, from a Pontiac Transportation Museum tour and cookout to an M1 Concourse Track Day, which features a parade, cars taking laps on the track, a driving seminar and other attractions; a private tour of the Brighton-based Lingenfelter Collection; a distinguished speaker day and a car show.
Among sights will be the 1988 Pontiac Fiero GT, the last Pontiac produced in the city, and the only three Fiero Indy 500 pace cars; the 2+2 Fiero prototype and others, with special cars from the GM Heritage Center collection.
Organizers expect up to 400 curated Fieros from around the world to be present. They’re inviting anyone in the area with a Fiero to cruise in and hope to see lots of fans.
Pontiac Motorsports Division’s Ben Scheiwe and John Callies, who worked on Pontiac design studio and engineering teams, will be part of the distinguished speaker panel, along with others involved in early design and production.
Jennifer Goss, secretary for the Midwest Fiero Clubs Region Antique Automobile Club of America, an umbrella group for 10 Midwestern clubs, helped organize the five-day celebration. She learned about Fieros after her dad, Jim Gilbert, won his first in a contest.
“I had just turned 4 and thought it was the Knight Rider car because it was black,” said Goss, who grew up in Pennsylvania but lives in Virginia now. “I fell in love with that car. It was a special event to go into it, because it was a two-seater and I had a sister and a mom so all four of us couldn’t go.”
Goss, 42, still owns her dad’s car – he died in 2020 – and the one she bought as a college freshman. She grew up working on cars with her dad.
“I love the way the car handles,” she said. “The experience of driving the car is always pleasurable … the car was designed for driving enjoyment.”
It’s that kind of joy she hopes to share with anyone who ever worked on the Fiero — from project engineers to plant workers and parts makers — during the 40th anniversary celebration.
The M1 Concourse and the Pontiac Transportation Museum are sponsoring the celebration. The museum will be collecting oral history accounts from people. Former Fiero employees registered by July 1 will receive a limited-edition event T-shirt and an invitation to the distinguished speaker event on July 13 at The Crofoot, One South Saginaw St. in Pontiac.
Learn more about the 40th Anniversary Celebration of the Pontiac Fiero Presented by M1 Concourse at fiero40th.com.
