1998 Panoz AIV Roadster

The Panoz AIV Roadster is an all-american lightweight roadster with European roots. The Panoz family purchased the rights to a defunct sportscar manufacturer in the late 1980s, and after much retooling and essentially a start-from-scratch redesign, the Panoz Roadster was born. The first iteration was stainless steel and utilized a 5.0L Ford V8 and did not come with any top, radio, heater, or air conditioning. In 1996, the AIV, which stands for Aluminum Intensive Vehicle, was born. It used largely the same styling as the first-gen roadster, but the car was now 70% aluminum, weighing in at only 2500 pounds, and a new 4.6L 32-valve aluminum V8 from the Mustang Cobra was shoehorned in, bumping the power up to 305bhp. Additionally, they created a surprisingly easy-to-install top with side curtain windows, plus luxury amenities like a radio, heat, and air conditioning. They were hand assembled in Braselton, Georgia, and to this day remain as one of the most unique American cars ever produced. A total of 176 AIV Roadsters were sold to the public during the 3.5-year production run. Unlike most limited production hand-built sports cars, these are actually incredibly reliable, simple to maintain, and are very pleasant to drive. Parts are easy to source given that it is mostly Ford components. Many critics of the Plymouth Prowler say that this is what the Prowler should have been.

This particular Roadster is finished in Red/Tan, and as with all 1998s, has the Roush 5-spoke wheels. All books, two keys, Panoz car cover, and Panoz leather storage case for the top components are all included with the sale. The top and top components are all in excellent shape and fit properly. It is original paint and has a clean Carfax and no stories. We just mounted brand new tires and had the fluids changed and A/C serviced in addition to a thorough checkover and servicing of all needed items in preparation for sale. According to our database, the red examples make up about 23% of overall production, but it is unknown the split between black and tan interior.

Our example is in fantastic condition, fully serviced, with all accessories and a fresh detail. It is ready for the new owner to enjoy.

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