America is known for many things, but chief among them is a love of cars. When you marry this love with our nation’s zeal for innovation and creativity, you get interesting, engaging, fun, and sometimes even groundbreaking eccentricities. The good ones are featured in movies or have books written about them. Some even become legends. The others, for all their ingenuity and good intention, become footnotes in history. Allow me to introduce the Corporate Concepts Limited Pontiac Mera — the Pontiac Fiero V6 re-bodied, to scale, like a Ferrari 308. Only 238 were ever produced and were sold through Pontiac dealers built on new car chassis and delivered completed. These were not, in a sense, kit cars but rather conversions, benefitting from full warranty coverage from General Motors. The Mera available here on eBay is number 29 and comes from the 1987 production run when just 85 cars were built. Currently, the bidding on this interesting piece of American automotive history sits at $14,700 with just about one day to go.
Prospective buyers are investing in what is, essentially, a 1987 Pontiac Fiero SE V6. In and of itself, it’s not a particularly interesting car, although an argument can be made that Pontiac more generally, and Fieros more specifically, deserved a greater proportion of love and respect from car enthusiasts. For all its faults, the Fiero constituted America’s first flirtation with a mass-produced, mid-engined car. The lack of love means you don’t really see as many Fieros anymore, especially considering total production numbered around 380,000 units and plastic body panels don’t rust. Where did they all go?
It’s hard to argue that the Fiero is made considerably sexier with the faux-Ferrari body. What premium that might command is anyone’s guess, however. The seller provides little description of the car’s history, except in so far as it relates to its unique conversion. Number of owners? Who knows. Mileage currently sits around 77,6xx and the seller claims the car is driven regularly. Aside from an upgrade to the stereo (a “CD player/radio” so it’s probably an older installation), the car remains essentially stock and untouched.
Believe it or not, there is a Pontiac Mera registry and history website run by an enthusiast. Among lots of background and documentation, you’ll find info on the two distinct things that ended the Mera’s life prematurely. Critically, the supply of V6 Fieros dried up when GM announced that Pontiac would no longer produce the space-framed, two-seater mid-engined car. That meant the 1988 production run of 153 Meras would be all that year.
I suspect the more critical event in the fledgling company’s history was that Ferrari filed a lawsuit against Corporate Concepts for trademark infringement, arguing that the shape of the 308 was proprietary. The companies settled out of court, but the lawsuit put a large connecting rod through the block of Corporate Concepts engine. As the Italians might say: “Basta! Finito!”
Ferrari had right to be mad. Come on guys, the Fiero itself was a very good looking car, why try to turn it into something that it is not. Why pretend? Like paying through the nose to get married at a fancy country club when afterwards you still end up back in the trailer park. Why pretend you are something you are not. Be proud of who you are.
I agree. It’s one thing to copy other people’s work as long as the quality of the product is as good or better than the original. I think it also depends on the trailer/RV park. Even there, there are rules for behaviour.
A wanna be will always be exactly that, never first class, never original, always trying to be something other than oneself.. To blatantly copy a Ferrari is like those ghastly guys running around pretending to be Elvis.
I’m in Nevada, it’s a legitimate industry here.
Personally would appreciate a one off kit or the original fiero more than this, would feel like I bought a Rolex from the inside of an overcoat display.
I like yellow.
The shape of the car? What about those badges everywhere? That not get the attention of the folks in Italy?
The Mera did get the attention of Enzo.
His lawyers sued Pontiac, and GM had to cease and desist production.
I wonder how the size of the interior of this one matches the original Fiero format? Back when they first came out there was a car show that the local Pontiac dealer had one on display. I really liked the looks of the body and went to check it out. I’m tall and though it took a little wiggling, I found I was stuck in the car. No matter the amount of twisting and turning, I wasn’t able to get out of the car. With help from the salesman there, I finally was able to extricate myself from the car and scratched that from my list of potential cars I was interested in.
In this case the body is beautiful but getting stuck will always shy me away from any Fiero.
I’m 6’3″ and have had an 86 and 88 Fiero. Even drove one cross country. Never had a problem getting in or out of my Fieros.
The first thing I thought was Ferrari should have sued…then I finished the article.
The fiero is a good looking car? Just sit in one. Not good looking. (I got sick of spell check correcting me)
I worked for a Pontiac dealer when the Fiero came out and drove it from Wichita to Kansas City and thought it was a really poor handling car. I will take the MG, Healy or Triumph any day.
Typical of General Motors, rush a car to production, then let the buying public figure out what’s wrong with the car. (Corvair, Vega, Citation, Chevette, diesel, et al) When you start with a Chevette front suspension, and a Celebrity front wheel drive drivetrain moved back 5(?) feet, whuddya expect. My ex-wife had a ’88 GT with about 90,000 miles, was still a fun little car, last (fingers crossed) speeding ticket I got was in it.
New suspension for the 1988 model, I’ll match it’s handling against any of the oil leaking Brits you mention.
It says ended with no bids, i guess they sold it off of FeeBay.
I drove numerous Fiero’s during my dealership stints and found them to be ok, but I really liked the Indy car. I saw two SBC conversations, one blown the other tunnelrammed about twenty years ago. The owners said as long as you rolled from a stop you were ok, punch it and all kinds of bad things happened.
The ad claims one sold for $90,000! That cannot be right, can it?
I doubt it, for that amount you could buy the real deal.
“……sold for $90,000! That cannot be right, can it?
Could be, if they were Hong Hong dollars :-) :-)
Interesting, in a sort of sad way, my comment about this knock-off has been censored.
MEH, Im just not into cars that are kit car like without the real experience….not dissing Fieros at all, but I couldn’t get in that car every day with the outside looks and the inside blah.
not dissing Fieros at all, I am a big Ferrari fan, especially Boxers, and used to lust after the Corson fiero kit, but as I got older I realized I would be cheating myself with the oh so not Ferrari flat 12 drivetrain and interior.
these days the only kit car like vehicles the I have interest in are 356/550 Porsche and Cobras, as these can be really really good and fun.
also I always had a soft spot for those Hummer H1 bodies on c/k Chevy truck frames too, just because of the looks, lol
I’m torn between being a purest and paying $20k for a tune up. Although I’m not impressed with the blocky modular dash and gauges I still think the Fiero GT is one of the most beautiful cars on the road today. I own two and my only complaint is GM electronics. I’ve replaced or repaired just about everything that has an electrical wire running into it. That reputation used to belong almost exclusively to Lucas.
I have an 85 Pontiac Fiero with the Mera body. Corporate concepts made 300 bodies for general motors. They took the molds off of a real 308 GTB so they are exact. 247 of them were marketed by general motors and supposedly the rest of the bodies were crushed. Somehow mine got through. I’ve completely redone the interior but it does not look Ferrari, unless you are a real Ferrari aficionado it will fool you. It even has real Ferrari Wheels.