What's the deal with a kit car?

[PanozLeslie]

I've had more than one person ask me if my Esperante is a kit car...what's up with that? Were they introduced as a kit car?

[99PanozAIV]

kit cars

Nah, I think it's just if they can't figure out what it is, then what else could it be? When I take my roadster to cruises, I have a large (13x19) sheet of paper with info on it about the car. It's headlined with:

"It's not a Prowler,
It's not an import,
It's not a kit car."

That's because that is basically the extent of what everyone thinks it must be. I finally got tired of answering the same questions over and over. Hand built, limited production factory automobile is not on the multiple choice list.

[Rarity]

Get used to it. I have a new License Plate for you get rid of Fluxing and replace it with
Talking? you will be doing quite a bit of that if you slow down or stop.

[PanozLeslie]

That's a good one!

My personalized plate for the Panoz just got approved, "KIDSGNE".

[Roland]

Plates

There must not be many Panoz in Michigan as I had no trouble getting personalized plates as follows...

For my GTLM - PANOZ
For my AIV - PANOZRD

I still get the "What kind of car is that?" and when I tell them they just ask again. LOL It might be easier to just say, "It's a kit car."

Roland

[99panoz]

There must not be many Panoz in Michigan as I had no trouble getting personalized plates as follows...

For my GTLM - PANOZ
For my AIV - PANOZRD

I still get the "What kind of car is that?" and when I tell them they just ask again. LOL It might be easier to just say, "It's a kit car."

Roland

Might be "easier" to say but I can assure you that those are considered fighting words at the Panoz factory. Understandably so, considering all the time, effort, passion, money, thoughts and resources that they have poured into the design, engineering and construction of all of their cars not to even mention the entire laborious process of certifying a car to the strict US standards (NHTSA, EPA, DOT) just so the car couldn't or wouldn't be classified as a "kit car". Radiating that mentality certainly won't do much to promote the brand nor the resell value of its products. How many "Kit-car" companies have competed and won at Le Mans?

[PanozLeslie]

My plates...

[LeManns67]

Might be "easier" to say but I can assure you that those are considered fighting words at the Panoz factory. Understandably so, considering all the time, effort, passion, money, thoughts and resources that they have poured into the design, engineering and construction of all of their cars not to even mention the entire laborious process of certifying a car to the strict US standards (NHTSA, EPA, DOT) just so the car couldn't or wouldn't be classified as a "kit car". Radiating that mentality certainly won't do much to promote the brand nor the resell value of its products. How many "Kit-car" companies have competed and won at Le Mans?

Nicely said. US MFG DOT Approved. LeMans & Sebring winning GT vs the iconic rivals such as Porsche and Ferrari.

[LeManns67]

My plates...

They Look Good together. I would like to add another classic to my garage to go with the Panoz.

[2006GTLM]

"Panoz" plate was available in Wisconsin

Having "Panoz" on the license plate helps the rubber neckers and guys squinting and pulling up real close trying to read the name of the car on the small logo on the back end of the car.

[PanozLeslie]

I didn't know Panoz came in yellow...

[2006GTLM]

Yellow Panoz

Panoz used a flat yellow in the middle years on a few cars, but for 2006 they seemed to use some very vivid colors. The yellow on my car is PPG "Yellow Orion Pearl" which was used by Lamborghini on the Gallardo. The paint gets as many comments as the car. It shows shades of green in the sunlight. I know of one 2006 GT that was also painted in this color