BEHIND THE WHEEL
14A/C & G NEWSPAPERS GROSSE POINTE/MACOMB COUNTY SPECIAL EDITION • JULY 5, 2023
BUILDING
excitement: FANS CELEBRATE THE PONTIAC FIERO’S 40TH ANNIVERSARY
PAST EMPLOYEES INVITED TO SPECIAL REUNION BY MARIA ALLARD allard@candgnews.com
PONTIAC — Forty years ago, the Pontiac Fiero drove off the lot for the first time and found its niche in the sports car community. Although the two-seater car was only in production for five years, from 1983 to 1988, there are still Pontiac Fiero owners nationwide. To acknowledge the 40-year anniversary of the Pontiac Fiero this year, a celebration will be held July 12-16 in Pontiac. Presented by M1 Concourse, the celebration will bring home the last Pontiacs made in Pontiac, including the very last car ever produced there — a 1988 Pontiac Fiero GT. Other cars that will be on-site include PPG Pace Cars, the 2+2 Fiero prototype, other Fiero prototypes and special cars from the GM Heritage Center collection. There will be a collection of Fiero vehicles on display. Members of the Pontiac Motorsports Division, Pontiac Design Studio and Pontiac Engineering are expected to attend. The Pontiac Transportation Museum, also a sponsor of the event, will collect oral history testimonies to document individual stories. The three original 1984 Indy Pace Cars are confirmed to be at the event, marking the first time all three cars have been together since race day nearly 40 years ago. Event organizers have set aside July 15 to hold a special
ABOVE: Fred Bartemeyer, left, and John Callies pose with Bartemeyer’s 1984 Indy PPG Fiero Pace Car. Photo provided by Melinda Kollins
ABOVE: Jennifer Goss, right, has a passion for the Pontiac Fiero because of her dad, Jim Gilbert, left. RIGHT: Jennifer Goss’ parents, Jim and Cyndi Gilbert, were excited when Jim won a Pontiac Fiero in the 1980s. At the time, they lived in Reading, Pennsylvania. Jim died in 2020. Photos provided by Jennifer Goss
See PONTIAC FIERO on page 15A
AY D S E N D E W R E N IN W INSTANT Starting July 3, O
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