Tags: Saleen tuning Ford Mustang Coupe autoshow 2006 New York International Auto Show
Design Celebrates Racing Legend, Parnelli Jones, and Delivers 370 SAE hp
Specialty automobile manufacturer, Saleen, expands its product lineup and celebrates legendary racecar driver, Parnelli Jones, by announcing the Saleen / Parnelli Jones Limited Edition Mustang.
Steve Saleen, President & CEO of Saleen, said, "Parnelli Jones is an American racing icon. In the fifties, sixties, and seventies Parnelli won just about every race that he appeared in, including the Indy 500. 1970 was the year that the SCCA Trans Am Series boasted the most competitive field ever, and Parnelli Jones and his Boss 302 Mustang competed against the likes of Mark Donahue and Dan Gurney, and there he captured the championship. Our relationship began in 1987 when Parnelli raced for me on the Saleen team, and helped us win our first SCCA Manufacturer's Championship at Sebring, Florida. I can't think of any other individual that brings with him the unique connection between championship winning Mustangs and Saleen."
Parnelli Jones commented, "It's a true honor to have a special edition Saleen wearing my name. This impressive car takes me back in time -- it makes me want to take it for a run around the track. I'm sure that this car will be an adrenaline-pumping experience for anyone who has the chance to own or drive one. I think that this car is going to evoke nostalgia not only for Steve Saleen and myself, but for everyone that lays their eyes on it."
Advanced & Authentic
In 1970, spectators wore bell bottom pants and mood rings and watched Parnelli in his Grabber Orange Boss 302 Mustang with black striped hood, cross the finish line to take numerous checkered flags and overall championship.
Today's Saleen / Parnelli Jones Limited Edition Mustang reflects the same authentic vintage attitude but comes complete with a new Saleen 302 cid V-8, 3-valve engine. This engine produces a whopping 370 SAE hp at 6000 RPM, and with 370 ft-lb of torque at 4000 RPM. The high compression engine transforms a normal drive into an exciting thrill ride. Awakening the senses, the new Saleen engine is equipped with a high compression, high revving valve train, utilizing forged pistons, rods, and crankshaft and a lightweight, aluminum flywheel. Top-performance calibrations are thanks to Saleen's PowerFlash(TM) technology.
Also included in this Limited Edition are new Saleen 302 valve covers. Completing the authenticity and providing additional high performance capabilities is the new exhaust system that provides a low-resonating sound that is a legacy of Saleen.
Classic & Contemporary
"We designed this commemorative vehicle to capture the raw, aggressive feel that Parnelli raced with, and created a racing revolution," continued Steve Saleen.
The new Saleen / Parnelli Jones Limited Edition comes in one color, Grabber Orange. Period correct details include a black striped "shaker" hood, race-style hood pins, black trunk deck, and 302 side stripes.
Completing the overall effect, the new Limited Edition comes with Saleen performance styling including front fascia with racing-style air dam, side skirts, rear fascia, rear 1970 replica wing, trunk insert license plate panel with chrome trim, rear window quarter panels, and a racing-style billet gas cap. Demonstrating further the authenticity of this retro-beauty, Parnelli's racing number, 15, removable and reusable static cling race decals, and the Ford blue oval are displayed -- just like the one that appeared on Parnelli's 1970 Boss 302 Mustang.
Signature decals of both Steve Saleen and Parnelli Jones show above the door roof rails, and an all-new Saleen Parnelli Jones logo appears throughout the exterior and interior. Borrowed from the seventies are the restyled rear window louvered sport slats, which is an essential part of the overall styling.
Saleen Racecraft Suspension
Keeping with both Steve Saleen's and Parnelli's race ancestry, the Limited Edition is designed utilizing Saleen's own precision suspension. However this all new, yet classic Watts-Link suspension is derived from racing and performance applications, and offers the purest in race-type handling. The superior springs, shocks and swaybars provide even greater performance capabilities enabling the tires to remain firmly on the road even in extreme cornering.
Rounding off the Limited Edition are the Minilite-style 19" x 9" front and 19" x 10" rear racing wheels which prominently display the Saleen / Parnelli Jones Limited Edition center cap, which reflects the cool racing heritage from which they were bred. The car is outfitted with high-performance Pirelli 275 x 40 x 19 front, and 285 x 40 x 19 rear tires, and offers race-car-like stopping with Saleen 14" brakes.
Racetrack Revisited
Strap yourself inside the Saleen / Parnelli Jones Limited Edition and you're back in time! A time when driving meant extreme passion for the car, the race -- and all about the win! Experience the beautifully coordinated orange and black racing-style seats which envelop the driver and the passenger. Grip the steering wheel, grab the special Limited Edition gear shift knob, view the integrated twin gauge pod that reflects oil pressure and temperature, and vintage instrumentation panel with its black background and white characters, and you're there! Turn the key, blip the throttle, take her for a couple of laps around the track, or around the block, and you can easily imagine you're at Laguna Seca driving with a racing legend -- and the checkered flag is yours!
Feel the Spirit
"Parnelli Jones is an extraordinary example of a legend maker. Even after nearly four decades, his abilities and visions for the sport have very few equals. I anticipate that Parnelli's racing spirit will come alive in every Saleen / Parnelli Jones Limited Edition that we manufacture. Capping on our motto, 'Power in the Hands of a Few,' we will produce a limited number -- up to only 500 -- in honor of Parnelli winning the Indy 500 in 1963," said Steve Saleen.
Inspired from Parnelli's original 1970 Boss 302 Mustang, the 'Saleen / Parnelli Jones Limited Edition' lives and breathes all things inherently Parnelli -- and all things Saleen!
Availability and Pricing
Certified Saleen Ford dealers throughout the United States are now taking orders for the Saleen / Parnelli Jones Limited Edition that will be distributed this Fall as a 2007 model. MSRP is estimated to be in the mid-to- high $50,000 for this limited production vehicle. Taxes, designation charges, and other fees may apply. For complete information about the Saleen / Parnelli Limited Edition: www.saleen.com/S302.htm
