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The Cracker Stacker Years
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Long before the auctions, concours fields, Ferrari judging, podcasts, and book launches, there was a younger version of me working for Nabisco in the foothills of northeast Georgia.
Back then, I was what we lovingly called a “cracker stacker.” I’m on the right. My Little Brother, via the Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization, is being his iconic self.
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My days were spent driving around Winder and Lawrenceville loading shelves with Oreos and Ritz Crackers at grocery stores while trying to convince store managers to let me build giant displays in high traffic areas before the weekend rush. At the time, it felt like a pretty ordinary job. Looking back now, it taught me far more than I realized.
It also happened to place me near something that felt almost mythical to a young car enthusiast just beginning his automotive obsession… the Panoz factory.
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America’s Boutique Supercar Builder
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For those unfamiliar, Panoz is one of the notable American boutique sports car manufacturers founded by Don Panoz, the pharmaceutical entrepreneur best known for creating the transdermal nicotine patch.
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Rather than simply building another copycat sports car, Panoz carved out its own identity with lightweight aluminum construction, front engine V8 power, and a distinctly big-5.0-Ford driving experience.
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The company’s first major production car, the Panoz AIV Roadster, debuted in the mid 1990s and stood for “Aluminum Intensive Vehicle.” It combined old school roadster proportions with modern engineering and became one of the first production cars built around an aluminum space frame chassis.
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New to this newsletter?
Don’t miss out—subscribe over there—->
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My Failed Attempt to Win a Panoz
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At one point, a local Kroger store was actually raffling off a Panoz AIV Roadster.
To a young car obsessed cracker stacker, this was basically Willy Wonka’s golden ticket.
I filled out what had to be well over 100 entry forms trying to win that car. Looking back, I probably spent more time filling out raffle slips than I did properly rotating Oreo inventory.
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If I am being honest, when I first saw the AIV Roadster in person, I thought it was a little ungainly looking. The proportions were unusual, the styling was quirky, and it felt more functional than beautiful. But there was also something undeniably cool about it because it was so unapologetically different.
Unfortunately, despite my passionate and highly scientific “more entries equals more winning” strategy, the car ended up going to someone who was not even a car person.
Even worse, they kept it parked outside in their driveway.
I remember driving by at one point and genuinely feeling like the powers that be had betrayed me…personally.
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To me, that was when everything really came together for Panoz.
The design became cleaner, more elegant, and more cohesive while still retaining the hand built personality and American character that made the brand unique. The Esperante looked like a car that belonged on the world stage, and suddenly Panoz no longer felt like an interesting experiment.
It felt legitimate. And please notice, this is a picture of one of the initial design prototypes…probably made of clay. The giveaway? The black windows hide a non-existent interior and the extra scoop on the nose that never made it to production.
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One weekend, I visited the factory with the local Mustang club, and I still remember the feeling walking through those doors.
The smell of aluminum, machinery, and fabrication work hanging in the air.
Chassis mid assembly.
Hand built sports cars sitting just feet away.
It felt raw, mechanical, and deeply authentic.
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An AIV roadster with a prototype clay hardtop being fitted.
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The Race Car in the Corner
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What I did not realize at the time was that tucked away in the back of the shop was a prototype race car that would eventually help launch Panoz into one of the most fascinating racing programs in modern American motorsports.
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This was before the victories.
Before the screaming front-mid-engine race cars became legends at Le Mans.
Before Panoz established itself as a serious name in international motorsport.
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At the time, it was just this strange, low-slung machine sitting quietly in the corner of a small Georgia factory.
Looking back now, that may be the coolest part of the memory. I unknowingly witnessed the beginning of something special before the rest of the automotive world fully caught on.
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For a kid spending weekdays stacking Oreos at grocery stores, it may as well have been Maranello.
What struck me most was that these incredible machines were being built right there in Georgia near roads I drove every day. Suddenly, the collector car world no longer felt distant or reserved for somebody else.
It felt real. It felt attainable. And it felt like I was a part of it.
Looking back now, that visit was probably one of the sparks that set everything else in motion.
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The local Mustang club. The factory tour. The realization that passionate people built entire lives around cars. The cookies and crackers.
That same enthusiasm eventually led me to auction floors, concours judging fields, The Collector Car Podcast, and now the release of The Enthusiast’s Guide to Collector Cars.
Funny enough, none of it felt important at the time. It just felt like a really cool Saturday surrounded by cars.
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One More Story for Another Day
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And somewhere in that same era, I also visited another ambitious American startup and took photos of their futuristic supercars sitting inside a tiny factory just outside of Green Cove Springs, Florida… Vector.
But that story deserves its own newsletter…on another day.
#WhyCarsMatter #Panoz #Esperante #AIVRoadster #LeMans #Vector #MustangClub #CollectorCars #CarCulture #OreosAndExotics #TheCollectorCarPodcast #EnthusiastsGuide #CarStories
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Please notice the cardboard template for the dash being created for the first Vector.
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The Enthusiast’s Guide is a Hit!
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At Thursday’s Classic Motoring Society meeting at Ferrari’s Little Italy and Bakery, *The Enthusiast’s Guide to Collector Cars* was a huge hit! Whether it was for themselves, a spouse who has shown a politely “developing” interest in cars, or a young new enthusiast eager to learn more about the hobby, attendees jumped at the chance to grab a copy.
If you haven’t picked up yours yet, now’s the perfect time:
Enthusiast’s Guide to Collector Cars
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More events. More stories. More time on the ground. If you see me, come say hello.
And if you want more behind the scenes access to this world, you know where to find me. New episodes every Thursday. Join me at these future event:
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May 16, 2026 – MOTA Car Club, Cincinnati, OH
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June 6, 2026 – Philadelphia Concours d’Elegance
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June 13, 2026 – Cincinnati Concours Hangar Party
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June 14, 2026 – Cincinnati Concours d’Elegance
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June 20, 2026 – Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum, Auburn, IN
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June 28, 2026 – Ferrari Annual Meet, Monticello, NY
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NEW July 11, 2026 – Autobooks-Aerobooks, Burbank, CA (11-3)
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NEW July 17, 2026 – Keeneland Concours Hanger Bash, Lexington, KY
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NEW July 18, 2026 – Keeneland Concours d’Elegance
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Sept 26, 2026 – The Nethercutt Collection, Slymar, CA
More dates will be added soon as the tour continues to grow.
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Need Help With Your Collector Car?
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If you’re considering selling a collector car and would like guidance, I’m always happy to help. I regularly work with a variety of auction platforms, both live and online, and can help determine which venue is the best fit for your particular car.
Whether it’s a blue chip car suited for a major live auction or a modern enthusiast car that may perform better in an online format, just reply to this email and I’ll personally walk you through the options, timing, and next steps.
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New Podcast Episodes Every Thursday
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Then catch up on some of my previous blogs:
As always, thanks for listening, watching, liking and sharing fun automotive content. I will talk to all of you this Thursday on The Collector Car Podcast!
Greg Stanley
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