Panoz Diecast Model Cars

A Passion for Power

Over the last 20 years, the name Panoz has become as familiar to racing fans as is the checkered flag. It was an upstart company based on passion for racing and respect for the maverick spirit that fuels the sport.

The journey to America started in 1900 when Eugene Panunzio immigrated from Italy. Here, he became a champion boxer whose name was shortened to Panoz. His son, Donald, took another route and founded a very successful pharmaceutical company in Ireland, which is where Panoz sporting cars really began.

Donald's son, Daniel, discovered that an Irish car builder was planning to shut down and, with a love for cars in his heart, took the opportunity to purchase one of the company's chassis that had been built by a man als ...more

A Passion for Power

Over the last 20 years, the name Panoz has become as familiar to racing fans as is the checkered flag. It was an upstart company based on passion for racing and respect for the maverick spirit that fuels the sport.

The journey to America started in 1900 when Eugene Panunzio immigrated from Italy. Here, he became a champion boxer whose name was shortened to Panoz. His son, Donald, took another route and founded a very successful pharmaceutical company in Ireland, which is where Panoz sporting cars really began.

Donald's son, Daniel, discovered that an Irish car builder was planning to shut down and, with a love for cars in his heart, took the opportunity to purchase one of the company's chassis that had been built by a man also responsible for building chassis for big names like Maserati and Lotus. Daniel also grabbed two of the Irish company's top engineers and headed for the U.S.

In a converted Department of Transportation salt storage shed near Atlanta, Georgia they began to build the Panoz dream. The limited edition, high performance cars hit the race tracks of America and captured the hearts of racing aficionados. A few of the hottest models include the Esperante GTR-1; the LMP-1 Roadster-S and the Esperan. Panoz also produced the Roadster/AIV, Esperante and Abruzzi as road cars. Most of these hot models are available in detail for die cast car collectors.

But the Panoz passion was not to be contained and it spread to become a racing dynasty with race tracks and racing schools that allow aspiring drivers a chance to learn the sport in a low cost environment. In 1999, Daniel Panoz launched the American Le Mans Series that hosts 12 races around the U.S. The company also partners with major worldwide racing entities and events. ...less