Pontiac Fiero Wide Body- 1984 PPG Pace Car
This one ended up in the garage of an enthusiast, who also owns other Fiero PPG Pace Cars.
History
The fiero.nl forums have a great write up on the history of this particular car…
Racing has been a part of Fiero history since almost the conception of the Fiero. A huge part of the first model year 1984 was the Indy Pace Car replica edition. Of course, having a replica means that there was a specially prepared Fiero Indy Pace Car that could stand up to the task of leading the Indy 500. The man tasked to put together a Fiero that would meet the specifications for pacing the prestigious race was Lead Engineering Manager of Pontiac Motorsports, John Callies. Callies developed a 2.7L Super Duty 4 cylinder capable of putting out 232 horsepower propelling the car to a record-breaking 144mph four-lap average. 3 cars were prepared for pace car duties in the event that anything one of the cars developed an issue. Callies himself drove the pace car for the 1984 Indianapolis 500 won by Penske Team Driver Rick Mears. After the race Fiero Pace Car #2 was inducted into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, Fiero Pace Car #1 was returned back to GM and is now part of the Heritage Center Collection, and Fiero Pace Car #3 was contracted to join the PPG Indy Car World Series Pace Car Fleet. It is reported that winning driver Rick Mears wanted to take home one of the actual Fiero Pace Cars, but unfortunately all were spoken for and he was awarded one of the replicas.
The Fiero Indy Pace Car #3 started pace car duties with PPG in June 1984 in essentially the same form as it participated in the Indy 500 with various graphics changes and a few extra safety upgrades. At the end of the 1985 Indycar race season, Fiero Pace Car #3 had a major makeover with the addition of a DGP Aero Widebody, custom experimental paint, and engine upgrades that brought the engine horsepower up to 280 HP. Fiero Pace Car #3 remained active with the PPG Pace Car Fleet until mid-season 1987, pacing several Indycar races in the United States and Canada when the car was retired. The car remained in the PPG storage warehouse until 1989 when PPG and GM donated the car to the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago to become a permanent display with in the Race Car Room at the museum. The car was put on display in a climate controlled glass enclosure that contained a lighted sign with some misleading information that described the history of the car inaccurately. In 2007, access was granted into the glass enclosure to document the car. It was this research trip that verified that the car was in fact the lost Indy Pace Car #3. In 2009, the museum decided to sell off a fairly large lot of their inventory at auction due to budget shortfalls caused by the reduction of state funding. The Fiero Pace Car was sent to Brookline, MA to be auctioned off in a non-running and very dirty state of condition. Midwest Fiero Clubs President Fred Bartemeyer Jr obtained a bidder number with the aid of two other Fiero Enthusiasts to be able to purchase the car and continues to preserve the large amount of history that accompanies the car.
Specifications
Current Status
This one-off Fiero Pace Car was sold for $57,300 at a 2009 auction.
In its original form, as one of the Official Pace Cars.
Now rebadged as a PPG Pace Car.
Transformed onto the wide body PPG Pace Car.
