1984 Pontiac Fiero Indy PPG Pace Car
fbartemeyer

Meet the Pace Car #3

Read more
Meet the Pace Car #3

This 1984 Pontiac Fiero Indy Pace Car is one of three that were created to pace the 1984 Indianapolis 500. This was the third Pontiac to pace the race in its history and the first four cylinder to pace the race since 1912. To ensure the Fiero was up for the job, each of the three cars was equipped with a 232 hp, 2.7-liter Super Duty 4 engine and 4 speed Muncie transmission. This particular car did not see time on the track during the race; however, it was the primary vehicle used for press access and VIP exhibition rides. The car went on to have a career in the PPG Pace Car Fleet experiencing various cosmetic, performance and safety upgrades until 1988 when the IndyCar race season ended. Through joint cooperation between General Motors Corporation and PPG, the car was retired to the Chicago Science and Industry Museum in 1989. The car was removed from inventory at the museum in 2009 and sold at auction by Bonhams’s Auction House in Brookline Massachussetts.

What it's like to drive

Read more
What it's like to drive

It’s a true race car - and drives as such! Although it has only 4 cylinders, the Super Duty power plant provides 280 HP, 310 FT LBS of torque and is a thrill to drive. Much like a race car, the controls are harsh and somewhat difficult to handle until the car reaches its intended purpose; to go fast.

History and other details

Read more
History and other details

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.

The details

  • 1984

    year

  • Pontiac

    make

  • Fiero Indy PPG Pace Car

    model

Discussion

0 comments