Saleen – The All-American Sports Car

Saleen, Inc., commonly known as simply Saleen, is a sports car manufacturer based in the United States. Founded in 1983 as Saleen Performance, Inc. this car company is just a baby in comparison to other vehicle producers around the world. The company was created by famous race car driver, Steve Saleen, in Delaware.

Limited Editions

With Steve Saleen as founder, is it really any wonder that Saleen produces high-performance vehicles in limited editions? These special cars create their own buzz in the marketplace.

The company bears the title of OEM, Original Equipment Manufacturer, and the last of its kind to be bestowed upon a small car manufacturer.

The majority of the company’s limited edition cars are really modified Ford Mustangs. Over 8,000 Mustang models have been changed and produced by Saleen since it was founded. The company doesn’t limit itself though, and has also modified the Ford Focus among other models for its unique line of vehicles.

Models

The first non-modified Saleen car is the S7 which came out in 2000. With four GT championship wins under its belt, this mid-engine car won the hearts of Americans, too. It broke records in the Le Mans race and quickly reached fame that was not expected by the company.

Based on a completely original design, the Saleen S7 marked a significant step forward in the company, self-design. The S7 was replaced by the Saleen S7TT in 2005. This second car is often referred to as the S7 as well.

The current Saleen line-up includes S302 Parnelli Jones Limited Edition, 500 modified 302 Boss cars as well as the Saleen 281 series. This series covers the 281 Scenic Roof, 281 SC, 281 Extreme and the 281 3-valve. In 2006, a non-street legal version of the S7 came out, the Saleen S7R, meant specifically for the track.

In the future, Saleen plans to produce two major models. The first, Mustang GTS, will be a Ford Mustang built using a V6 platform. It will share the style of the Parnelli Jones Limited Edition body, although the colors will vary.

The second planned addition to the family is the Mustang Heritage Edition. This car will also share features of the Parnelli Jones Limited Edition, but with a different selection of body colors. It will also offer the buyer a choice between a 281 CID and a 302 CID engine.

Other Interests

Saleen also has a division dedicated specifically to custom wheels, high performance parts, brakes and exhaust systems. There is a real call for this sort of product in the U.S. where buyers are constantly searching for ways to upgrade their high-end vehicles.

For Saleen, selling parts was simply the next logical step to allow its buyers to further customize the limited edition cars that it produces. The retail store in Irvine, California offers these custom parts, along with the vehicles, for sale. They also offer a catalog of parts that is made available to customers across the U.S. and Canada.

Another plant in Troy, Michigan is where Saleen builds the supercar Ford GT for Ford Motor Company. It also custom builds show cars and prototypes for other companies in this factory. This allows Saleen to have a good feel for what will be coming on the market shortly.

Saleen Fame

This sleek modifier has certainly not gone unnoticed by the media. Appearing in a variety of films and videos, it has made its mark on this century already.

Two Saleen Speedsters, the S281 and the S351 both appear in the movie, Back in Business. The S7 has proved a popular film car, appearing in Bruce Almighty, Redline, and in 50 Cent’s music video for Candy Shop. The same car has appeared in a Gillette Mach3 Razor commercial and is also on the razor packaging.

Jim Carrey is a famous owner of a Saleen S7, as well. Assorted versions of Saleen cars have appeared in other films such as 2 Fast, 2 Furious and Hollywood Homicide. They are also popular cars to be animated for video games like Test Drive and Midnight Club III: DUB Edition.

With all the attention paid to this car manufacturer and its uniquely designed, limited production vehicles, it seems that America has fallen in love with its own kind.