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Saleen, Incorporated, commonly known as Saleen, is an American manufacturer of high performance sports cars and high performance automotive parts based in Irvine, California. Saleen is a Delaware corporation owned by Hancock Park Associates. Saleen manufactures limited edition, high-performance vehicles. Saleen is an automotive Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and the last American small car manufacturer bearing OEM status. Unlike aftermarket "tuner" companies, Saleen is subject to the same federal regulations governing design and testing of their automotive products as larger vehicle manufacturers such as Ford, General Motors, or Toyota. Most of Saleen's vehicles are highly modified versions of existing mass produced sports cars such as the Ford Mustang. Saleen has produced over 8,000 modified Mustangs since its inception. It also produces modified versions of a number of other Ford models. Saleen's flagship car is the Saleen S7, introduced in 2000. The S7 is a mid-engine, high-performance supercar that was initially priced at just under US$400,000. The S7 won four different GT championships in 2001 and has broken records at the prestigious 24-Hour Le Mans race. The S7 is Saleen's first production car not based on an existing design. The parts and gear department of the company markets car parts and accessories such as custom wheels, exhaust systems, brakes and other high performance parts. Saleen operates a retail store at the Irvine Spectrum in Irvine, California to sell these car parts and accessories directly to customers and to offer vehicle sales without a need for a sales-lot. Saleen operates an assembly plant (Saleen Special Vehicles) in Troy, Michigan where it conducted assembly and painting for the Ford GT supercar for Ford Motor Company and currently offers prototyping and show-car building services to other automotive OEMs. As of mid-2005, Saleen discontinued manufacture of the "Nitrous-ready" N2O S121 Saleen Focus. The 550hp (429 kW) naturally-aspirated mid-engine Saleen S7 was discontinued after the 2004 model year with the introduction of the Saleen S7TT although both editions are commonly referred to as the Saleen S7. History Early Years The company was founded in 1983 originally as Saleen Autosport by Steve Saleen, a former Formula Atlantic race car driver. In 1984, Saleen Autosport became Saleen Performance, Incorporated. Saleen built 3 cars that year as the first production run - a white hatchback, a copper glow hatchback, and a black hatchback. Each year up thru the eighties, Saleen was able to produce a new record volume of cars. In late 1990, Saleen contracted with Car & Concepts in St. Louis to produce the Saleen Mustang. As the recession of the early 90's hit, so did it a take a toll on production. Cars & Concepts continue production through the 1991 model year when they closed their facility due to their own financial woes. Production was returned in-house to Saleen Performance, Incorporated in 1992. By then, the production of cars had been reduced to 12 for the 1992 model year. Steve Saleen teamed up with comedian Tim Allen in 1993 who helped to promote the Saleen Mustang and received new financial backing through Hidden Creek Industries. Beginning in 1995, Saleen-Allen Racing facilitated the start of preparations for the deveopment of a ground-up vehicle project by implementing a 7.0L V8 engine in their track-cars which eventually gave rise to the powerplant utilized in the S7. In 1997, Saleen competes at the 24 Hours of le Mans, ending a 30-year Mustang hiatus from the event. With a new financial backing and all-new body style in '94, production numbers began growing again. Corporate Maturity In the late 1990s, the company was renamed Saleen, Incorporated. Hancock Park Associates provided an infusion of financial support to allow Saleen to grow. Beginning at the end of 2004, major shifts occurred in the corporate structure of Saleen, moving away from a race-team style heirarchy toward a structure commensurate with an automotive OEM. At the end of July 2006, Saleen opened a retail store at the Irvine Spectrum in Irvine, California. In early 2007, Daniel Reiner was appointed Chairman and CEO of Saleen. On May 14, 2007, Steve Saleen and Billy Tally resigned from Saleen after nearly 24 and approximately 9 years with the company, respectively. At the time of his resignation, Steve Saleen was serving in the position of Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors while Billy Tally was the Chief Officer of Technology. John Spruill, having last served as domestic programs manager, resigned from Saleen in early June 2007 after a nine year tenure with the company. Upcoming Models Current range Saleen S7R 2006 Saleen S281 3-Valve The current (2007) model range consists of: Saleen H281 - Introduced for the 2007.5 model year, a limited-production (100-unit) version of the Mustang sharing some bodywork features with the Parnelli Jones Limited Edition but available in different colors and equipped with a 281 CID engine configured similarly to the S281 3-Valve. Key cosmetic differences from the Parnelli Jones Limited Edition include a smaller front air dam, lack of a hood scoop, the addition of fender badges and a matte-black hood center. Saleen S7R (2005-) - a non-street legal racing-only version of the S7, intended for races such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans sharing the updated body styling of the S7TT Saleen S281 3-valve - a 335hp 5th Generation Ford Mustang with improved aerodynamics through the substitution of a front fascia, rocker panels, rear fascia, and spoiler. Saleen S281 SC - a 465hp supercharged version of the S281 Saleen S281 Extreme - a 550hp modified 5th Generation Mustang including a Saleen-built V8 engine replacing the Ford Engine. A front splitter and rear diffuser further improve vehicle aerodynamics. Saleen S281 Scenic Roof - available in 3-valve, SC, and Extreme editions, this Mustang has a glass full-roof panel Saleen S331 - a 325hp performance sport truck based upon the Ford F-150 FX2 Saleen S331SC - a supercharged, 450hp performance sport truck based upon the Ford F-150 FX2 Saleen S302 Parnelli Jones Limited Edition - A special edition run of 500 Mustang-based vehicles sporting styling reminiscent of the 302 Boss for which the first customer vehicle deliveries occurred on 9 November 2006 Past Models 1986 Saleen Mustang T-Top #86-046. Owner: Tim Ewell Newport Beach, CA Saleen SR - A 1990s Mustang GT modified with Saleen performance parts and a body kit. Saleen SSC - A limited edition 1989 only Mustang, the first Saleen with engine and drivetrain modifications. All 161 cars were white hatchbacks with 16" white DP5 wheels, yellow and grey chevron stripes, and all but one were rear seat delete. Saleen SC - A limited edition Saleen Foxbody Mustang produced in 1990, 1991, and 1993. 13 Hatchbacks made in 1990; 10 hatchbacks made in 1991; and 3 hatchbacks 2 convertibles in 1993 with Vortech Supercharger. Saleen SA-5 - A 1988 anniversary prototype. An all black hatchback with black DP5 wheels. Only one car was prototyped as Saleen was not yet ready to produce that year. The Saleen SSC model in 1989 was based on this prototype though the color scheme was changed to white/yellow. Saleen SA-10 - A limited edition 1993 Mustang to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Saleen with 10 cars, but only 9 were built. The cars sported a black and yellow paint scheme, 3-piece stern wheels, and leather Recaro seats. All the SA-10 Mustangs were not built the same as each owner had a long list of performance engine options to choose from. Saleen SA-15 - A Saleen Mustang that commemorated the 15th Anniversary of Saleen in 1998. The SA-15 is a yellow convertible with black decals. The reverse paint scheme of the 10th anniversay car, the SA-10. Under the hood of the SA-15 sports a 4.6L with a supercharger and on the feet wore the Stern five star rims in yellow. Saleen S351 Extreme - Saleen S351R - Based upon a Mustang SVT Cobra utilizing a supercharged 5.8 Liter Ford Windsor V8 Saleen S281 - Based upon a Mustang GT base with suspension upgrades and stock 4.6L SOHC V8(281 ci), debuted in 1996 and became flagship model for Saleen with the largest production of all Saleen Vehicles. Saleen S281 Scenic Roof, first edition - available in 3-valve, SC, and Extreme editions, this Mustang has a hand-installed glass full-roof panel and was offered for the 2006 model year with limited production into February 2007 Saleen XP8 - A performance SUV based upon the Ford Explorer with an eight cylinder engine Saleen XP6 - A performance SUV based upon the Ford Explorer with a six cylinder engine Saleen Ranger - A performance truck based upon the Ford Ranger and originally developed for racing during the 1980s N2O S121 Saleen Focus - a Ford Focus that was pre-wired for use with a Saleen-designed nitrous oxide system. If the system appeared to have been activated, the Ford warranty would be instantly voided. This was the last Saleen product line that was federally recognized as an aftermarket-manufactured vehicle. Saleen S7 (2000-2004) - This naturally-aspirated version of the S7 was manufactured until the introduction of the S7 Twin Turbo for the 2005 model year Saleen S7TT (2005-2006) - A 750hp twin Turbo version of the S7, mid-engine supercar with aftermarket options for packages that offer 850 or 1000hp Saleen S7R (2000-2004) - the original edition of a racing-only version of the S7, designed for races such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans Canceled Programs As with all automotive OEMs, Saleen, Incorporated has sustained a number of program cancellations. Mustang GTS - A Saleen-built Ford Mustang based upon the V6 platform and sharing styling elements with the S302 Parnelli Jones Limited Edition. This project was canceled by Saleen Executive Management for undisclosed reasons. Other Products Series I Supercharger - Series II Supercharger - Series VI Supercharger - Series IV Supercharger - the first forced-induction system developed entirely in-house by Saleen, this supercharger system is available in versions for both the 2005- Ford Mustang and the 2004-2008 Ford F-150 5.4L truck. 2005- Mustang HID headlamps - OEM, DOT approved bi-xenon headlamps offered by Saleen that fit current-generation Mustangs. As of early 2007, these are the only OEM-grade, street-legal HID headlamps available for the Ford Mustang Literary and media references A Saleen S281 Speedster and S351 Speedster each appear in the film Back In Business A silver Saleen S7 was driven by Jim Carrey (as Bruce Nolan) in the film Bruce Almighty. Jim Carrey owns an S7. A Saleen S7 appears in the 50 Cent music video Candy Shop. A silver Saleen S281 Speedster was Josh Hartnett's ride in the film Hollywood Homicide A red V6 mustang configured to appear as a Saleen S281 Supercharged was featured in the film 2 Fast 2 Furious A Saleen S281 in police trim appears in the live-action Transformers film with the motto 'To Punish And Enslave' emblazoned on it. This vehicle is the alternate mode of the Decepticon Barricade. A Saleen-modified Pontiac GTO equipped to appear similar to the Chevrolet Camaro concept car has also been spotted on the Transformers movie set. This is the alternate mode of Autobot Bumblebee.[citation needed] The S7TT is one of the cars featured in the console game Test Drive Unlimited for Xbox 360. A lizstick red Saleen S7 was used to promote the Gilette Mach3 Turbo razorblade in 2004; it also appears on the packaging. A Beryllium S7 TT was purchased by the producer of the movie Redline for use in filming. A Saleen S7 and a Saleen SR are drivable cars in the console game Midnight Club III: DUB Edition. The Saleen SR is considered one of the best cars in the game because of it's drifting capabilities. A Saleen S281E, S7, and S7TT are drivable cars in the console game Project Gotham Racing 3. A white Saleen S281 appears in the movie Varsity Blues Trivia The Saleen paint color lizstick red is named for Steve's wife, Elizabeth. The Saleen XP6 was an "unintentional" product model; V6 Ford Explorer base vehicles were ordered accidentally and could not be returned to Ford, resulting in a financially-driven decision to convert and sell the vehicles. At the 2007 New York International Auto Show, Chip Foose unveiled a Ford-endorsed limited edition F150, powered by a Saleen-designed powertrain. The Saleen-designed 450HP supercharger kit in the F-150-based S331 is offered by Ford as a ship-through Ford-endorsed performance option on Harley Davidson Edition F150s. As of the 2007 model year, Saleen has not recertified the S7TT for EPA emissions, suggesting that manufacture of the street-legal version has terminated. In 1984, Steve Saleen's secretary miscounted the vehicles produced that year, omitting the number 6 as a result of confusing it with 9. Since 1984, Saleen has had the tradition of not issuing the #6 bumper number on any of its vehicles.
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9 Makes In Database 2006 Saleen Ford Mustang S281 Speedster 2006 Saleen Ford Mustang S281 Scenic Roof 2006 Saleen Ford Mustang 302 Parnelli Jones 2005 Saleen S7 Twin Turbo 2005 Saleen Ford Mustang S281 Supercharged 2005 Saleen Ford Mustang S281 Extreme 2005 Saleen Ford Mustang S281 3 Valve 2005 Saleen Ford Focus S121 N2O 2002 Saleen S7 |
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