a proud member club of

The Mid Atlantic Fiero Owners Association was founded December 11, 1994. Sixteen Fiero owners met at the headquarters of International Research Motorsports (IRM) in Rockville, MD to form this new club. These sixteen owners, who came from around Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia, became the charter members of this new club. Throughout the past five years since, membership has grown to over 200 members.

The first issue of the club newsletter, called the Mid Atlantic Pride, was mailed to members in February. The name comes from the fact that Fiero means "proud" in Italian. This first issue contained articles about the Muncie five-speed transmission used in Fieros, how to properly jack up and support a Fiero, and a little about one of the Fieros owned by president Bob Schlag. The latter article kicked off a series of articles about the Fieros of members.

The first event MAFOA was involved in was the 1995 Mid Atlantic Fiero Weekend in Rockville, MD. This event, hosted by Fiero Owners Association, a national Fiero club based in Texas, was held in May. MAFOA members handled most of the local contacts. That year we also hosted a Salvage Yard Excursion in July, and the First Annual Fiero Battle of Gettysburg in October. A few members attended the Carlisle Import Kit/Replicar Nationals that year. After that show, we discussed making this an official club event for the next year.

The Mid Atlantic Pride continued to run articles about technical information, members’ cars, and future and past events. Articles were being written by different members, which continues to make this a great newsletter.

By the first issue of 1996, we were starting to share members’ e-mail addresses. We also announced that we would be attending the Carlisle Import-Kit/Replicar Nationals in May. 22 Fieros gathered there, and from that we got to thinking about making this a more structured gathering. More on that later.

In September, we again assisted FOA with the FOA National Fiero Weekend in Bowie, MD. This show was originally planned for Waldorf, MD, but the hall where we planned to have our car show and banquet burned down, causing us to make big, last minute changes. In October we hosted the Second Annual Fiero Battle of Gettysburg.

In the February 1997 issue we announced the launch of the official MAFOA website. The first Ponchos comic strip appeared in this issue, which has become a regular feature, penned by Earl Sessions, MAFOA member and director. We continued with members writing articles about interior renovations, technical information, and coverage of shows and other events. In May, we hosted Fieros At Carlisle 97. This show was held as part of the Carlisle Import-Kit/Replicar Nationals. Fifty-three Fieros were there, as part of the official show. We had popular vote selections for trophies, and we had a great time, despite the cold weather. In September we hosted the Third Annual Fiero Battle of Gettysburg. The October issue was mailed with a color cover sporting several pictures from the Gettysburg show. In the summer of 1997, we announced the formation of the MAFOA Board of Directors. The board was established to help guide the club, and to represent the membership.

Our fourth year kicked off with a continuation of various writers on various topics. In the June issue, we again tried to run a photo, with much better results than the previous attempt. Denny told us about subwoofers and speedometers, and Hal told us about his journey to his new home in Kansas City, MO. Over 80 Fieros attended Fieros At Carlisle 98, and this time it was WET! That summer we were invited to a navigational rally hosted by PACE Miata club. We had fun driving through the Perry County countryside, counting colored markers posted along the roads. We also had a good time at the Fourth Annual Fiero Battle of Gettysburg. By the end of the year, MAFOA had over 190 active members.

That brings us to 1999, and our fifth year. Mid Atlantic Pride contained articles about wheels, brakes, Fiero Families, and other topics of interest. Fieros At Carlisle 99 attracted over 100 Fieros, and the weather was great! We hosted another rally with the PACE Miata club. This time, the route took us around Roundtop Mountain. The Fall Show, which had been held in Gettysburg the previous four years, was held in Frederick, MD. Active membership went over 200 for the first time.

For 2000, MAFOA has joined efforts with New England Fiero Association (NEFA), a new Fiero club based in the New England area. These clubs are sharing a newsletter, now called Fiero Pride. There is also a joint website used by these clubs. Check it out at www.fieropride.com. Fieros At Carlisle again attracted over 100 Fieros, in spite of threatening weather. The morning started out with heavy rains, but the sun fought back, and lessened the rain. We ended up only having scattered showers. MAFOA once again took the First Place trophy for Club Participation. We also hosted the first Fiero Dutch Classic, a fun show held at Zinn's Recreation Park in Denver, PA. We had a nice day, and over 30 Fieros. There was a morning show, followed by a road rally.

In 2001, we continue with our partnership with NEFA. Fieros at Carlisle was again attended by over 100 Fieros, and we greeted by nice weather. It turned out to be the best event we've had there. We also had a group of MAFOA members attend the Carlisle All-GM Nationals in June. It was hot, and there were about a zillion Camaros there! We had another great time at Fiero Dutch Classic in August. We're now thinking about next year.

Be sure to check out the Calendar page for events.