saleen

A brief history about saleen: Every car that carries the Saleen name commands attention. Whether it’s their aggressive design, raw performance, or track dominance, Saleen vehicles have always stood apart. The company’s singular focus has been speed — not just straight-line speed, but the kind that wins races and stirs emotions. Since its founding in 1983, Saleen has embodied the fusion of American muscle with motorsport engineering.

The brand was created by Steve Saleen, a professional race driver who understood performance from behind the wheel. Just one year after founding the company, he introduced the first Saleen Mustang in 1984, a heavily modified version of Ford’s iconic pony car. It featured upgraded aerodynamics, refined suspension, enhanced handling, and a race-inspired interior. Saleen didn’t just build fast cars — he proved their worth on the track. In 1986, a Saleen Mustang won the 24 Hours of Mosport, and in 1988, Saleen cars achieved an impressive 1-2-3 finish in the same endurance race, solidifying the brand’s reputation in motorsport.

That same year, Saleen expanded beyond sports cars with the Saleen Sport Truck, bringing the brand’s performance philosophy to the pickup segment. By the early 1990s, success both on and off the track led to the creation of Saleen Performance Parts, a dedicated division supplying high-performance components — including exhaust systems, wheels, brakes, and suspension upgrades — to customers and other tuners.

Saleen’s close relationship with Ford became the cornerstone of its business. The company was designated as an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), meaning it could produce and sell vehicles under its own name while using Ford chassis and drivetrains as foundations. The Mustang remained the heart of the operation, with thousands of units transformed into high-performance machines that retained factory reliability but delivered track-ready power and handling.

In 2000, Saleen reached a new milestone with the launch of the Saleen S7, a true supercar developed entirely in-house. The S7 combined a lightweight carbon-fiber body with a mid-mounted, naturally aspirated V8 that produced over 550 horsepower, later evolving into a twin-turbocharged variant exceeding 750 hp. It was America’s first modern supercar, capable of competing with Ferraris and Lamborghinis, and it became a symbol of Saleen’s engineering prowess.

Beyond the S7, Saleen continued producing special models such as the S281 Mustang, the Saleen SR, and the N2O Focus, a performance-tuned compact car that showcased the company’s range. Saleen’s engineering expertise also earned it a key role in Ford’s 2003 GT program, where it was responsible for assembling the supercar at its facility in Troy, Michigan.

Over the years, Saleen has remained a fixture in the world of performance tuning and limited-edition vehicles. Its lineup has included anniversary editions, the S331 Extreme truck, and concept cars like the S5S Raptor, reflecting the company’s relentless pursuit of speed and design innovation. From the racetrack to the open road, Saleen’s legacy continues as a celebration of American performance engineering — bold, loud, and uncompromising in its quest for power.