Most Pontiac Fieros have spent the past four decades being driven hard, modified into kit-car fantasies, or simply worn down by everyday use. This one took a very different path. With only 5,684 miles on its odometer since it left the factory, this 1987 Pontiac Fiero SE has survived in remarkably preserved, time-capsule condition, and it's now heading to auction with Mecum.
Finished in silver over a gray interior, this notchback SE pairs the desirable 2.8-liter V6 with a five-speed manual gearbox, which is widely regarded as the drivetrain combination to have. It remains unrestored and highly original throughout, making it a fascinating snapshot of what GM's mid-engine experiment looked like when it was brand new.
America's First Mass-Produced Mid-Engine Car
The Fiero holds a genuine place in history as the first mass-produced, rear-mid-engine car built by an American automaker. Yet it was never sold to GM's leadership as a sports car. Pontiac engineers, eyeing the fuel crises of the 1970s, pitched it internally as a thrifty two-seat commuter, the so-called P-car, that happened to carry its engine behind the cabin. It was a clever bit of corporate misdirection designed to avoid threatening the Corvette.
Developed on a famously tight budget of roughly $400 million, the Fiero forced its engineers into constant compromise. Plans for an aluminum V6 were abandoned almost immediately, leaving the launch cars with the wheezy 2.5-liter Iron Duke four-cylinder and suspension components pulled straight from the GM parts bin. What set the car apart was its structure: a rigid steel spaceframe wearing bolt-on composite body panels, with the engine mounted transversely behind the cabin.
From Sales Smash to Cautionary Tale
When the Fiero arrived for 1984, buyers couldn't get enough of it. It paced the Indianapolis 500, earned a spot on Car and Driver's Ten Best list, and sold nearly 137,000 units in its first year alone. Pontiac added a 140 bhp 2.8-liter V6 for 1985, introduced the now-iconic fastback GT body in 1986, and finally fitted the fully reworked suspension the car always deserved in 1988.
Unfortunately, the early cars' reputation never fully recovered from a wave of engine fires traced largely to the 1984 four-cylinder. A combination of low oil capacity, weak connecting rods, and a cramped engine bay proved dangerous, and GM's sluggish response, with a full recall of 1984 models not arriving until late 1987, did lasting harm. Mounting losses on base cars and a canceled replacement platform finally led GM to end the program after 1988, with 370,168 Fieros built across five model years.
The SE: A Sweet Spot in the Lineup
The SE sat in the middle of the Fiero range, slotting above the base car with upgraded interior trim, improved instrumentation, and extra standard equipment, while retaining the original notchback roofline rather than the GT's fastback profile. Optioned with the V6 and the five-speed manual, as this example is, the SE offered a noticeably livelier and more engaging driving experience than the four-cylinder cars that made up the bulk of production.
The Car Shown Here
This particular 1987 Fiero SE has covered just 5,684 miles from new and remains in unrestored, highly original condition. Finished in silver over gray and equipped with the sought-after 2.8-liter V6 and five-speed manual, it represents one of the cleanest, lowest-mileage examples likely to surface anywhere, a chance to own a piece of GM's boldest 1980s engineering essentially as it left the showroom floor.
The Fiero SE is set to cross the block with Mecum later in September.
