Sell a complete, numbered car
Early Saleens were serialised complete Mustangs sold through Ford dealers, rather than owner-fitted body kits.
Forthcoming lots
On the block · Monterey Car Week 2026
1 forthcoming lot · Monterey 2026
Manufacturers / Saleen
Saleen
USA · est. 1983
From serialised Mustangs to the mid-engined S7.
- On the block
- 1 lots
- Top value
- —
- Period
- 1983–
The house
From serialised Mustangs to the mid-engined S7.
Steve Saleen, a Formula Atlantic and Trans-Am racer, formed Saleen Autosport in 1983. Its first production run comprised three Fox-body Mustangs in 1984; Saleens were sold as serialised complete cars through Ford dealers. Saleen entered race-prepared Mustangs in SCCA endurance competition, winning the 24 Hours of Mosport in 1986; its three-car team then took the driver, team, manufacturer and tyre championships in the 1987 SCCA Escort Endurance Championship.
The 1989 Saleen Mustang SSC was a 292-hp limited model marking the Mustang's twenty-fifth year. ConceptCarz records 161 examples produced. In 1996 Saleen offered the 4.6-litre S281 alongside the 351-cid S351, but the sources reviewed do not establish the latter's claimed EPA certification or block provenance.
Saleen unveiled the mid-engined S7 at the Monterey Historic Races on 19 August 2000. Its carbon-fibre body sat over a 4130 steel spaceframe with honeycomb-composite reinforcement; Phil Frank designed the body and RML contributed chassis and suspension work. The naturally aspirated 7.0-litre pushrod V8 produced 550 hp, while the later Twin Turbo made 750 hp. Customer S7-R teams won four drivers' championships in 2001, and Larbre Compétition won the LMGT1 class at Le Mans in 2010.
Ford contracted Saleen, Inc. for Ford GT engineering work and for paint and assembly work at its Troy, Michigan facility. Steve Saleen resigned in 2007, formed SMS Supercars in 2008, and announced that he had regained control of the Saleen brand in 2012 after the earlier Saleen, Inc. had ended vehicle production and sold assets in 2009.
The marque is now a revival rather than the original company. The current Saleen Automotive, Inc. is a Delaware parent formed in 2021, following a merger with its 2011 Nevada predecessor; its SEC filing says Saleen vehicles are tested and assembled in Corona, California and that its Signature Series generates revenue from Ford-based platforms. JSAT, the separate China venture, existed by September 2016 and had collapsed by 2020.
- Origin
- 1983
- Steve Saleen formed Saleen Autosport after racing in Formula Atlantic and Trans-Am.
- First production run
- Three cars, 1984
- Three Fox-body Saleen Mustangs began the production history; Saleens were sold as serialised complete cars through Ford dealers.
- SSC
- 161 cars, 292 hp
- The 1989 Mustang SSC was the twenty-fifth-anniversary special; the figure is for SSCs produced, not all Saleens.
- The S7
- 19 August 2000
- Unveiled at the Monterey Historic Races: mid-engined, carbon-bodied, initially 550 hp and later 750 hp in Twin Turbo form.
- Le Mans
- LMGT1 class, 2010
- Larbre Compétition's Saleen S7-R won the class, not the overall 24 Hours of Le Mans race.
- Current company
- Delaware parent, 2021
- The present Saleen Automotive, Inc. formed in 2021 and merged with a Nevada predecessor incorporated in 2011; operations are in Corona, California.
Selected milestones
A bloodline, not a list.
1983–84
Saleen Autosport and the first cars
Steve Saleen formed Saleen Autosport in 1983; the three-car Fox-body Mustang production run followed in 1984.
1986–87
SCCA endurance success
Saleen won the 24 Hours of Mosport in 1986. Its three-car team took driver, team, manufacturer and tyre honours in the 1987 Escort Endurance Championship.
1989
SSC limited series
The Mustang SSC was introduced with 292 hp; 161 examples are recorded as produced.
2000
S7 unveiled
The S7 debuted at the Monterey Historic Races on 19 August. RML assisted with chassis and suspension work, and Phil Frank designed the body.
2003–09
Ford GT work and the first company's end
Saleen, Inc. performed Ford GT engineering, paint and assembly work in Troy. Steve Saleen resigned in 2007; the company ended vehicle production and sold assets in 2009.
2012–21
Brand recovery and successor company
Steve Saleen announced regained brand control in 2012. The present Delaware Saleen Automotive, Inc. was formed in 2021, with the 2011 Nevada company as its predecessor.
What defines Saleen
Use racing as development, not equivalence
Saleen raced prepared Mustang variants. The S7 and S7-R shared a close technical relationship, but race and road cars were not identical specifications or universally assembled in one location.
Credit the specific contributors
The S7 body is attributed to Phil Frank; RML assisted with the chassis, suspension and prototype work. Its published 7.0-litre outputs were 550 hp naturally aspirated and 750 hp in Twin Turbo form.