Some Ford Motor Co. dealers may begin selling a limited-production hot rod next year that could give some competition to Chrysler Corp.'s Plymouth Prowler.
The Panoz AIV roadster is an all-aluminum convertible built by Panoz Automotive Development Co. of Brazelton, Ga. AIV stands for Aluminum Intensive Vehicle.The $56,750 car likely will compete with the flashy Prowler, billed as the first production hot rod by a Big Three automaker.
"Our idea is to start with a small number of dealers," said Danny Panoz, who developed the car. "There is an area of auto manufacturing that hasn't been touched in this country, and that's small-volume manufacturing."
Though the car is made with some Ford parts, Ford spokesman Dan Bedore said that the automaker is not directly involved in its distribution or marketing.
"We don't encourage such things, but the dealers are independent business people, and it's their decision to make," Bedore said.
Panoz is one of a few limited-production automakers based in the United States. The company was started by the Panoz family, which owns a resort and winery north of Atlanta.
Unlike the Prowler, which will be offered only in purple at first, the Panoz will come in a variety of colors.
Panoz hopes to sign up at least 12 Ford dealers to sell and service about 200 of the roadsters next year. That compares with the 3,000 Prowlers that Chrysler plans to make next year in Detroit. Panoz plans to advertise its car in auto enthusiast magazines.
The Panoz uses Ford's new V-8 engine and brakes from the Mustang Cobra. The rear suspension was borrowed from the Thunderbird coupe.
It's more expensive than the $35,000 Prowler and 10 inches shorter. Both rear-wheel-drive vehicles have aluminum engines, body panels and frames.
The Panoz weighs 2,000 pounds, and with its 4.6-liter, four-cam, 32-valve, 305 hp V-8, the roadster goes from 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds.