... . . . all you need to know about Panoz sports car company.
Born: 1989 Nationality: American
The roots of the Panoz sports car company are firmly set in Ireland, going back to the Wexford-based Thompson Motor Company, or TMC, which was developing race cars on a chassis designed by the celebrated Frank Costin. Daniel Panoz, son of Don, the American-Italian founder of the pharmaceutical group Elan, went to work for TMC, and the family subsequently bought the rights to one of the Costin chassis when TMC was liquidated.
With two former TMC engineers, Daniel began work on the first Panoz car under the banner of Panoz Auto Development. For the first four years they built custom one-off Panoz Roadsters for clients, modifying their Costin chassis to take a brawny Ford 5-litre V8 engine.
In 1996 the first series production Panoz cars came from the factory which they had set up in Georgia, in the US. The AIV Roadster was an evolution of the cars they had been producing up to this point, and differed essentially from them through the aluminium frame the company had developed. It proved an instant success.
It also got a new, smaller but more powerful Ford V8 engine, the Cobra Mustang's 4.6-litre, and an independent rear suspension that did seriously good things for the ride and handling. However, US federal regulations ended the production of the AIV Roadster in 1999.
However, the Panoz team had been working on a new car, the Esperante. Aimed directly at convertibles from Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar and Porsche, the Esperante was to be a true luxury sports car, with very classic lines that was a modern take on American sports cars from the 1950s and '60s. It eventually went into production in 2001.
Buyers have a choice of 320 or 370 V8 engines, produced by Ford's SVT unit, and unmodified from their specifications in the Mustang range of sporty cars. But if you really want heavy, there's an option to have a tuning shop boost the V8 to 600bhp.
Panoz cars are exclusive, but they also have a racing pedigree that is astounding for a manufacturer which has been on the road for less than 15 years. That's because Don Panoz became interested in motorsport as well as building cars and pharmaceutical companies. In 1996 he founded Panoz Motor Sports and began work on the Panoz GTR-1 race car, which was derived from the still-embryonic Esperante. The following year it completed the 24-hour Le Mans endurance race, finishing ahead of all but two of the major factory teams.
In 1998 the Panoz Racing Team had nine wins and four championships, including the US Road Racing Championship title. By 1999 the enterprise owned and operated three of North America's top racing venues, and established the Panoz Racing School. The following year Panoz Automotive Development produced the Esperante GTS for use in Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) club events and established the Panoz Racing Series.
The American Le Mans Series, with its title licensed from the organisers of the French classic, holds around 10 North American events annually including seven in the US, two in Canada and one in Mexico City. Teams that regularly compete in ALMS events are strongly considered in the selection of the 48-car field for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Daniel Panoz designed the company's "Swirling Crest" motif, which has red, white and blue reflecting the fact that Panoz is an American company. Red and blue swirls are a version of the Yin-Yang symbol of life balance, and echo Daniel's admiration of the way the Japanese automotive industry developed. The centrepiece is a shamrock depicting the company's Irish roots.
Best Car: The Esperante
Worst Car:
Not yet made.
Weirdest Car: With only three distinct models so far, Panoz hasn't had time to do one. ... - Brian Byrne