The First-Ever Saleen Mustang (Ford Authority)
By the time the ‘80s rolled around, Steve Saleen sought to take his experience on the race track in a whole new direction. He founded Saleen Autosport in 1983 and applied his go-fast know-how to build track-worthy street machines. Inspired by the Mustang racer he drove in the SCCA Trans-Am Series in 1982, Saleen began working on what would become the first-ever Saleen Mustang in 1983.
The vehicle featured here is that very car, and it currently resides at the Saleen exhibit at LeMay – America’s Car Museum in Tacoma, Washington. Ford Authority visited the exhibit last year and we’re now shedding light on this unique Ford Mustang, in conjunction with exclusive photos.
As is often the case with this kind of thing, the first-ever Saleen Mustang began as a humble sketch on Saleen’s kitchen table in Santa Rosa, California. As the story goes, Steve’s sister donated her personal 1984 Fox-body hatchback to the cause, to which Steve added a number of track-inspired performance parts and styling elements.
While the 5.0L V8 engine under the hood was left as is (Saleen kept it stock for emissions purposes), the rest of the vehicle was upgraded for high-speed apex hunting. The chassis was stiffened and the suspension received an extensive rebuild with new Racecraft components. The first-ever Saleen Mustang also rocked new aero features, giving it a unique, purpose-built appearance, while also setting the stage for future Saleen products.
(photo credit: Ford Authority)
