1999 Panoz AIV Roadster

Sold for $38,500 at 2013 Russo & Steele - Scottsdale.
Panoz Auto Development Company produced a limited-production Roadster which they launched in 1992. This was followed by the Panoz AIV Roadster which was introduced in 1997 and utilized a new extruded space-frame structure and many lightweight aluminum parts, including the all-aluminum Ford Mustang SVT Cobra V-8 engine, with dual overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder. With about 70 percent aluminum construction, the Roadster was given the AIV moniker, denoting Aluminum Intensive Vehicle, the first such car built by an American manufacturer.

The AIV Roadster's body panels were bonded to the car's frame with specially developed adhesives. Taking about 350 hours to build, these were never mass-produced vehicles. It had an open cockpit design, a simple folding top, and side curtains for weather protection. Weighing just 2,650 pounds, zero-to-sixty took a mere 4.6 seconds with a top speed in the neighborhood of 140 mph. When new, the Roadster sold for $65,000. Among the legendary honors was Aerosmith's frontman, Steven Tyler.

Produced briefly through 1999 with approximately 10 sold as 2000 models, total AIV Roadster production amounted to just 176 units plus six prototypes.

In 2013, the car was offered for sale at the Russo & Steel auction in Scottsdale, Arizona. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $38,500 inclusive of the buyer's premium.

By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2013

The handmade Panoz AIV Roadster was introduced in 1992 by the Panoz Auto Development Company of Georgia. This was the work of Dan Panoz with the design courtesy of Frank Costin. Under the hood was a Ford power plant that produced over 300 horsepower. Zero-to-sixty was under five seconds for this front-engined, rear-wheel drive sportster. The first cars were produced using aluminum and this was the inception of the name AIV - Aluminum Intensive Vehicle.

Many of the mechanics were from the Ford Motor Car Company. The early versions of the Roadster had a stainless steel space frame chassis with an aluminum body. In 1997 this was changed to an aluminum frame with a steel subframe. Under the hood was now an aluminum Ford 32-DOHC V8. The suspension was independent in both the front and rear.

Production lasted until 1999 with 10 being produced in 2000 as special edition Signature Edition AIV Roadsters. They were given superchargers and special paint colors. When production of the AIV Roadster ended, the Panoz Esperante began.

By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2006