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PanozPanoz is an automobile manufacturer whose sexy sports cars are exotics in the truest sense of the word. The company's cars are drop-dead gorgeous and come with steep price tags; additionally, given the fact that a relatively small number of Panoz cars are made each year, a Panoz offers more exclusivity than your typical Ferrari or Bentley. Panoz makes only sports cars and its current lineup consists of just one model, the Esperante, available in both roadster and coupe body styles. Introduced in 2001 and relatively unchanged since then, the Esperante is hand-built and made mostly of aluminum.
The Panoz story begins with Eugene Panunzio, a champion boxer who emigrated to the U.S. from Italy in the early 1900s. He shortened his last name to Panoz and settled in West Virginia. In 1960 his son Donald started the Mylan Laboratories pharmaceutical company; nine years later, Donald and his family moved to Ireland where he started another drug company, called Elan Pharmaceuticals. Donald's 26-year-old car-enthusiast son, Daniel, ended up working for the Thompson Motor Company (TMC) in 1988. TMC went out of business that same year and Donald bought the rights to one of its chassis, which was designed by Frank Costin, an engineer who'd made a name for himself building racecar chassis for Maserati and Lotus.
The next year saw the birth of the Panoz Automotive Development Company. A small, renovated salt storage shed located near Atlanta was the site of company headquarters. In 1990, Panoz brought out its first car, a powerful, cycle-fendered roadster called simply the Panoz Roadster. Initially, the Panoz cars were only produced to order, and hence not many were made. By 1996, the Roadster, now called the AIV Roadster, saw full production. The following year Panoz introduced the Esperante racecar, which saw success in USRRC and American Le Mans racing series. By the end of the decade, the Panoz family empire had grown to include racing venues, the American Le Mans series and a racing school.
In 2001, the Esperante became available as a street car and is now the sole model offered by Panoz. On its hood is the company's crest. Created by Daniel Panoz himself, its red, white and blue coloring references the fact that the company is based in the U.S. Its swirls are a nod to the Japanese yin-yang symbol, and at the center is a shamrock, which points to the roots of the first chassis Panoz developed.
The marque is a worthy choice for well-heeled buyers looking for exotic sports cars that offer supreme exclusivity and world-class handling.
In the early 1900's Eugene Panunzio immigrated to the U.S. from Italy and became a champion boxer. Like other immigrants, he shortened his last name and 'Panoz' stuck. The family settled in Morgantown, West Virginia and in 1960 his son, Donald, invested monies from members of the World Champion Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team to start Mylan Laboratories, the first of two pharmaceutical companies that would go public.
By 1969 Donald had moved his wife and family to Athlone, Ireland to start Élan Pharmaceuticals. Élan is most noted for developing the time-release and transdermal delivery technology found in the nicotine patch and heart medications such as Cardizem.
In 1988 Donald's 26-year old son, Daniel, applied for a job with the Thompson Motor Company (TMC), a small Irish car builder. When he found the company was being liquidated he saw an opportunity and instead purchased the rights to one of its chassis designed by Frank Cozworth. Cozworth was well known for building racecar chassis for Maserati, Lotus and Lister.
The following year Panoz started the Panoz Automotive Development Company. Using Cozworth's chassis as a philosophical starting point, Daniel and two former TMC engineers began work in their new workshops; a converted 2,000 square-foot Department of Transportation salt storage shed located about 50 miles northeast of Atlanta, Georgia.
Crest
The Panoz Swirling Crest was designed by Daniel Panoz himself and has become widely recognizable. The red, white and blue coloring reflects the fact that Panoz is an American company. The more prominent red and blue swirls are a tribute to the integration of balance and symmetry represented by the Yin-Yang symbol. 'At the time Japan was treading on sacred ground, challenging the Europeans,' said Panoz. 'I was impressed with the way they took on the establishment by being aggressive but smart.' he added. The centerpiece is a shamrock which carries the company's and the family's Irish roots.
Their Mission
Innovation builds better cars. It is the spirit of innovation that once made the American car great and it is the same spirit that drives us. At Panoz we revere the heritage of the American car but we are not bound by its tradition. We believe there are many who share that spirit waiting to be awakened by an automobile long thought dead.
We will go to any lengths necessary to build a better automobile. Every Panoz automobile is designed, engineered and built with the pride and passion once found in cars brought to life by those who believed driving should be an experience, not simply a means of transportation. That passion burns in the hearts of every member of our dedicated team and will continue to do so as long as there are roads to be driven and races to be won.
As America's premier manufacturer of limited production, high performance automobiles it is our goal at Panoz to become the best small-volume automobile manufacturer in the world and a springboard for new automotive technologies through innovation, dedication and an unwavering love for the automobile.
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