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 PowerFlashTM 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”x9” front and 19”x10” 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 275x40x19 front, and 285x40x19 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 has 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.
