Ever thought about getting a tiny sports car to tootle around in for summer? See yourself as more a fixed-roof person than a convertible lover? Want that to be rear-engined but decidedly against the idea of a Corvair? Pontiac has, or rather had, an idea for you: the Fiero. Craigslist is where you’ll find this 1986 Fiero SE, up for sale in the Minneapolis, MN, area for an asking price of $3,500 or a reasonable offer.

The Fiero was offered from 1984-88, packaged as what is described sometimes as a “rear mid-engine” format. As the seller of this unit says in his ad, “engine is in trunk and trunk is under the hood.” The performance potential of that centered weight would be obvious from a handling point of view. Sounds almost European, but the styling is decidedly Pontiac of the 80s—the wheels mimic those of the Firebirds of the era, as does the general look. The car should have been a winner, and it was heading that way. Lore of the day was that just as Pontiac got the Fiero right, they killed it. This because for the last year of production, Pontiac invested $30 million on suspension improvements as well as upping the engine’s output and tweaking the styling. Then it was gone via corporate hatchet. Other nameplates from GM had similar fates over the years (Corvair, Allante). Perhaps Fiero’s problem was a lack of clear identity—the original idea was for a stylish and inexpensive commuter car that would be good on gas and thus help Pontiac meet fuel efficiency being mandated by the government. Early models proved plagued with reliability problems, though.

This particular car looks like it’s been decently cared for during its single ownership, and it has certainly been enjoyed—the ad lists 190,000 “original” miles. The ad claims some slight blemishes and accounts for the pop-up headlights being permanently opened as a motor having burned out and also says that the driver’s door has to be opened from the inside. All of that points to a car that its manufacturer had no intention of lasting nearly 200K miles, so you can bet that other wear items are similarly ready to let go. The engine, which surely must have been cared for (though you’re going to want to phone for details about how it runs) is the familiar 2.8-liter V6. It puts out modest horsepower. However, the car is light at about 2800 lbs. Zero-sixty times top nine seconds, but as was suggested above, the Fiero was about balanced handling more than straight-line zoom.

There’s not much info in this ad, but look at the photos: At least it’s not rusty, being from Minnesota. Or is it? Those are plastic body panels you’re looking at, so you’ll want to get up underneath this one and inspect structural steel very closely, especially at attaching points. Note that you also know nothing of the interior, with no image offered. And, not to pile on, but the engine compartment’s state probably tells you something about other unseen areas of the car. However, if this Fiero checks out, or if you’re looking for something you can drive and not worry about, you’re getting in at bottom dollar here, and there is a cult following of these handsome little cars that is good for fellowship (some might say commiseration) and parts sourcing.