My brother found a magazine called Collectible Automobile at a antique store and picked up this copy for me. Never heard of this rag so maybe the story has some new items. They are still in business.
To see them full size try this. Click the image below. Then click the image once it expands. click it again and it should open in Photobucket. There is a magnifying glass in the bottom right corner. Click it and again on the next window. You should see a full size page then. Sorry for all the clicks.
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[This message has been edited by Dodgerunner (edited 11-20-2013).]
Thank for scanning and sharing the article! Very nice! As Photo Bucket can make it a challenge to save images, I grabbed all of them in full resolution and put them in a .rar and uploaded it.
IMPORTANT!
Uncheck the box "Use our download manager and get recommended downloads" If you do not, it will make you install a download app to download the file. That app will install an unwanted toolbar for your browser. So when you click download and the file you are asked to save ends in .exe, cancel and uncheck the box, and try again.
Thanks Dodgerunner! Good read, I had to laugh though, the author asks "do you think they feared lawsuits possible lawsuits? They were having a lot of fires then." I think there have been more fires with the Tesla than the 1984 Fiero ever had! Some myths never die. Never the less, always interesting to read about people whom did the behind the scene work.
John Schinella the lead on design on the Fiero released these photo's to the Fiero Show at the Silverdome in Pontiac. He was mad that GM pulled the 1990 from the show as there was still bad blood with GM and the UAW over the car. John Middlebrook pulled the car at the last min.
John came to the dinner that night and did a slide presentation on the car with all these photo's. It was the first time they were shown to the public. John said we deserved to see them and showed them even against GM's liking.
A little later this story was published quietly for the public. I suspect John leaked this to the media as GM really was not wanting to even acknowledge the car in any way. Also they did not want it seen along with the new 4th gen TA as there is a lot of similarity.
John is really someone we all should really get to a national meet. He is one of the few lead people who were with the Fiero program from the start to the end. He also was one of those who really fought for the car to try to save it. He is also the reason the styling showed up in the 4th gen F body as he said it was too good to throw away.
I am not sure but back issues were still available and you could order them direct. Might not hurt to check and see if they still have any left.
Thank for scanning and sharing the article! Very nice! As Photo Bucket can make it a challenge to save images, I grabbed all of them in full resolution and put them in a .rar and uploaded it.
IMPORTANT!
Uncheck the box "Use our download manager and get recommended downloads" If you do not, it will make you install a download app to download the file. That app will install an unwanted toolbar for your browser. So when you click download and the file you are asked to save ends in .exe, cancel and uncheck the box, and try again.
Thanks I just copied it all out and saved it to the computer then printed it out in magazine style and stapled it all together just to save it for the next time Hal crashes.
Steve
------------------ Technology is great when it works, and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't
Edit: Which turned out to be the editor of the author's book...
quote
Richard Nesbitt entered the Art Center College of Design in 1967. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in industrial design and graduated with honors in May of 1970.
In 1971 he was hired by the Ford Motor Company and started to work at the Ford Design Center in Dearborn, Michigan.
During his career at Ford he worked on many projects: from the Mustang II, to a number of vans and trucks including the Carousel (a project cancelled due to the 1973 energy crisis) – developed when he was at the Light Truck and Tractor design studio.
He later moved to the Dallas area, where he has worked as a vehicle and industrial design consultant for a wide variety of clients.
Richard is the author of the book “50 Years Of American Automobile Design : 1930-1980” published by Crescent Books in 1985-1986.
I got to walk across the courtyard where the first photo was taken during the Product and Technology Event in 2009. We we going from the Design Center to the Design Dome. As we walked outside I thought to myself, this is where all those concept car pics were taken.
I just noticed on the 1st page where they put the driving lights.
Do not read too much into that as this is not even a car but a big old chunk of clay at this point.
Now on page 5 the wheels that are on the red car in studio are wheels that Pontiac were testing. these were 16" wheels and they were made of a composite plastic. There are still a handful of them around. I knew a Goodyear engineer that had a set they were testing and GM let him keep them. This was in 1985 and he had them on his 1985 GT.
They went to the 15 inch as the 16" just cost more and added no real performance advantage. This was per the Goodyear engineer.
Also for those who do not know the Black car is the same red car we have today. They just painted it.
