1992 PANOZ ROADSTER
CHASSIS #001
Panoz Roadster # 001 was built as a factory test car in 1989 and was set up with the original Costin rear suspension design. Most testing was done at the race track and thus the car had been fitted with a Fuel Cell, Fire system, roll cage and 6 point harnesses. By 1992 the Costin rear end was abandoned for the sake of the less expensive and easier to source solid rear axle. To this end only one car with the alloy body, S/S chassis and Costin rear end was ever produced and was sold and titled as chassis #001 as a 1992 model when the company finally started production.
There was one early fiberglass bodied test mule that was a runner and is owned by Ray Buepre but this is not a finished car in any way and was never titled.
WHITE/BLACK INTERIOR
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EARLY PRE PRODUCTION ROADSTER-RACE CAR
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LESS THAN 5,000 MILES
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1ST PANOZ PRODUCED USING ALLOY BODY & STAINLESS STEEL CHASSIS, PANOZ CHASSIS #001!
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VDO GAUGES
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FORD 302 H.O ENGINE WITH FUEL INJECTION
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5 SPEED TRANSMISSION,
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4 WHEEL DISC BRAKES
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ROLL BAR, FUEL CELL, AND FIRE SYSTEM FOR TESTING ON THE RACETRACK
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COMPETITION SEAT BELTS
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STREET OR TRACK
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RARE and COLLECTIBLE!
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THIS CAR WOULD MAKE AN IMPORTANT AND VALUABLE ADDITION TO ANY COLLECTION. THIS IS THE FIRST CAR PRODUCED FROM AN AMERICAN SPORTS CAR COMPANY, WHO WENT ON TO WIN THEIR CLASS AT LE MANS IN 2006!
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NEW CHASSIS PICS!!!
$59,900
The original Panoz Roadster was based on the chassis of the TMC Costin. Only 26 of these cars were built in Ireland before the factory closed. Dan Panoz bought the rights to this chassis and had American designer Freeman Thomas help him style a new body for the car around a stainless steel version of this chassis and Ford Mustang GT running gear. Thomas was quoted as saying Dan wanted something that was neither “too vintage” nor “too 90’s”. He asked what a hot-rodder would do with a Morgan! The design Thomas developed was a cross between an early European sports car, an American hot rod and a track racing car . There were only 44 of these stainless steel framed cars made during 1992-1995. All were basically “built-to-order” cars.
Styling Analysis
The Panoz Roadster was designed by Freeman Thomas (currently a designer for Ford) with direction by Dan Panoz. The resulting roadster has been called a cross between an English style sports car from the 40’s and 50’s and an American hot rod in the vein of a track roadster. Various comments by the designers in publications of the time shed light on what they were attempting to accomplish.
Freeman Thomas: “Panoz wanted a look that was neither ‘too vintage’ nor ‘too 90’s’. We wanted to stay away from fads because, for example, things that looked good in 1973 looked stupid in 1976, and we can’t change our model every two years.”
Danny Panoz asked Thomas what a hot-rodder might do with a Morgan, but added that the car had to be able to go over a speed bump.
Danny said “You can take (the Panoz Roadster) to a hot rod meet and it’s a hot rod, or you can take it to an English car meet and they’ll assure you that it’s English.”
In the 40’s and 50’s, English sports cars and American racers and hot rods had some similar features.
Torpedo (cigar or bullet) shaped body
Hood scoop
Grill opening without grill
Nudge bar bumpers
Cycle fenders
Free-standing headlights
Huge rear wheel haunches (Cobra rear look)
English pup-tent top
Plastic side curtain windows
Center dash panel
Wind wings
Center gas cap in back of cockpit
The Shelby Cobra was clearly a major influence, especially from the rear. The torpedo bodied European cars were the major influence in body shape. The Panoz Roadster also had the look of the American track racers and the hotrod Track T. In the styling photo gallery below, you can see some of the features mentioned above.
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MORE DETAILS & PHOTOS COMING SOON
