Fierorama!
Vince Badali was certainly excited about celebrating his 17th wedding anniversary at a hotel in Itasca eight years ago, but something else happened that night that is ingrained in his memory.
"That's when I bought my first Pontiac Fiero," Badali said. "I bought it from a guy in that area through a newspaper ad, and we met at the hotel. It was a basic 1984 XE 4-cylinder and I paid $1,000 for it, but to me it was as exciting as getting a Ferrari."
The St. Charles man's excitement was partially fueled by the fact that he had just become a member of the Northern Illinois Fiero Enthusiasts. He was making new friends who had a love for this two-seater that stormed into the limelight in 1984 by becoming the official Pace Car for the Indy 500 that year.
It had a short run, by auto standards, from 1984 to about 1989, but the Pontiac Fiero was an inexpensive "roadster" that quickly became a favorite for a segment of the buying public -- and 20 years later it enjoys somewhat of a cult following.
Badali and his fellow NIFE members make up a large segment of that "cult" and many of them will be in St. Charles from noon to 5 p.m. today when the club has the 2007 Fierorama at Pottawatomie Park in St. Charles.
NIFE boasts of nearly 350 members, making it the largest Fiero club in the country.
"It is a club that honors the daily-driven car, and that is still the philosophy we go by today," said Badali, who will show his current Fieros -- a black 1988 GT and a red 1988 Formula.
The club had humble beginnings, according to the man who created it and serves as its president today.
"I started the NIFE in October of 1991 when I realized the need to meet other Fiero owners and share their enjoyment," said NIFE president Jim Hallman of Naperville. "We started with 14 members and now have close to 350, with 200 of those living in Illinois, and the others from across the country and around the world."
Club officials are expecting about 100 Fieros to be on display at Pottawatomie Park, marking the second straight year the St. Charles Park District venue is the host site.
Badali worked with park district officials to arrange for the Fierorama to move to St. Charles after a 10-year run in Oakbrook Terrace.
"It rained all day long last year at the first one, and it held back the number of cars, but we are expecting a bigger show this time," Badali said.
Hallman said the Fierorama allows Fiero owners to simply interact and talk about the enjoyment of owning the car. He said there might be some parts vendors on site, but it is not a market for buying or selling the cars.
NIFE secretary Paul Vargyas of Lisle thinks the Fiero has become popular for collectors because it can be customized in so many ways.
"You can put a lot of engines in this car, a V-6 or a V-8, with relative low cost and it is easy to remove the car panels," he added.
Vargyas talks from experience. He has owned "in excess of 100" Fieros since he first got interested in the automobile in 1993.
"I was thinking about buying a Corvette as an investment, but the insurance was very high," Vargyas said. "I then read a Money magazine article that pointed out that a 1988 Pontiac Fiero GT was a car that would be a good investment and had potential for collectors.
"I looked into it some more and got very interested in it," Vargyas said. "It made a lot of sense and was really a great value."
The car was an economical option to the gas-guzzlers of that time. It had a sporty roadster feel to it, making it perfect for the female buyer as a car "for running around in," Vargyas said.
The car ran into hard times, Vargyas said, when it received bad publicity for a series of engine fires.
"That first year, 137,000 Fieros were made, and by today's standards, that's a lot of cars," Vargyas said. "By 1988, it was down to 26,000 cars made."
Hallman, who currently owns an award-winning 1988 Fiero GT, thinks that the car has had staying power because of its revolutionary design.
"Most people can look at the Fiero today and think that it is a new car they can buy at their Pontiac dealer, but the first Fieros are now 25 years old," Hallman said.
Club members show their cars at the Fierorama at no cost, but nonmembers can attend and show their cars for $10. The public is able to view the Fieros at no charge. More information is available at www.fierofocus.com
If you go
What: Northern Illinois Fiero Enthusiasts show
Where: Pottawatomie Park, a half-mile north of Main Street (Route 64) on North Second Avenue, St. Charles
When: noon to 5 p.m. today
Info: fierofocus.com