The Pontiac Fiero was introduced for the 1984 model year and while this may not have been the first Fiero commercial – this spot was created for 1984, so it was one of the first. I bring that up because by today’s standards, this commercial is fairly odd. I guess that when you consider the odd times that were the 1980s in the USA and the fact that GM wanted to emphasize the fact that the Pontiac Fiero was a very different American sports car, this commercial kind of makes sense.
It starts off with a woman literally jumping up to the driver’s door of the Pontiac Fiero, all sneaky like, as though she might be stealing the car. When you factor in the dramatic music in the background, it certainly seems like this woman might be a spy or a ninja or something – swiping someone’s Fiero in a Gone in 60 Seconds-type heist.
Then she drives the Pontiac Fiero around and looks sexy doing so.
It is an odd commercial, but it is a perfectly 80s spot for the Pontiac Fiero.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
