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 a gorgeous shade of Maroon metallic with black interior. The color is a deep, dark burgundy and almost looks purple depending on the light. According to our database, out of the 176 AIV Roadsters, only four were finished in this color and all of them were 1998s. There was another one listed as Maroon produced in 1999, but it is a very different shade with more of a copper/orange tint. 

Owner's manual, two keys, fabric top, 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. The car came out of long term storage, so we inspected the car fully and performed our usual service and refreshing. We mounted new Hankook Ventus V12 Evo2 tires, repaired the odometer, changed oil/filter, brake fluid flush, charged A/C system, replaced radiator and associated hoses, new idler pulley and serpentine belt, and new stainless brake lines. In addition, we removed the awful black "elephant ears" stone guards on the rear fenders and installed Xpel paint protection flim, which gives these cars a much cleaner and more modern look. 

This is an incredibly rare and timeless car, and it is ready to be enjoyed by its new owner.