22. Pontiac Fiero
The story of the Fiero is one of the greatest “what if” tales of the American car industry. This compact sports car caused a big sensation when they introduced it in the early ’80s. Everybody expected another GTO from Pontiac. But instead they got a small sports car that was more like something the Italians would build.
It was a bold move for Pontiac to introduce a compact, rear-wheel drive car with the engine behind the driver and pair it with a five-speed manual transaxle gearbox. By the standards of the day, this was the most advanced American production model. Car customers were hyped by the appearance of the Fiero with its cool, modern design.
Thanks to its advanced technology, the initial response was great. For example, in 1983 Pontiac sold over 130,000 of them. Unfortunately, Pontiac didn’t develop the Fiero, so the early models were badly put together. Also, the engine power was not that great and the interior was cramped. GM responded by upgrading the car, so by the end of the ‘80s, the Fiero was a solid sports car. Finally, it got 150 HP from its 2.8-liter V6 engine and improvements all around.