Adding insult to injury, early examples exhibited an alarming tendency to catch fire. Pontiac righted many of the Fiero’s wrongs for the 1988 model year but the changes came too late.
Cadillac: Allanté (1987)
In 1987, Cadillac seriously tried to end the Mercedes-Benz SL’s dominance over the luxurious, two-seater roadster segment by releasing its own high-zoot convertible named Allante. Pininfarina made Allante bodies in Turin, Italy, and shipped them to Detroit where Cadillac installed the running gear. Executives likely figured the Italian connection would give the Allante more prestige.
Cadillac charged $54,700 (about $140,0000 in today’s money) for the Allante in 1987, the model’s first model year on the market. That year, the 560 SL cost $55,300.The Cadillac didn’t drive as well as the Mercedes because it had less power (170hp vs 238hp) and it was front-wheel drive. Early models also suffered from problems like a leaky convertible top. Annual sales only crossed the 4000-unit mark in 1993, the nameplate’s last model year on the market.
Lotus: Elan (M100) (1989)
Backed by General Motors, Lotus envisioned the M100-generation Elan as the car that would allow it to increase its presence in the United States. The roadster needed a sizable dose of mass-market appeal, which none of the company’s other models had, so engineers decided to make it front-wheel drive. It was the first, last and only front-wheel drive model in the company’s history.
Lotus enthusiasts gave the Elan a lukewarm reception. Some didn’t like the wedge-shaped styling while others were put off by the switch to front-wheel drive. The cheaper, rear-wheel drive Mazda MX-5 Miata put a spoke in the Elan’s wheel and sales remained upsettingly low, especially considering the substantial amount of money Lotus put into designing it. About 559 examples of the 3855 series-one Elans manufactured from 1989 to 1992 made it to America. The series-two model made in 1994 and 1995 was sold only in the UK.
In an unexpected twist of fate, Lotus sold the rights to the Elan to Kia which made about 1000 units of the roadster. From an image standpoint, it worked better as a Kia than as a Lotus.