Revstone ending Saleen vehicle production

[campbellfordlm]

Production of Saleen Mustang to end this summer

Published: Monday, March 07, 2011

By JOSEPH SZCZESNY
For Journal Register Newspapers

Revstone Industries plans to drop production of the Saleen Performance Vehicles based on the Ford Mustang and focus on becoming a second-stage manufacturer of aftermarket performance parts.

Bob LaCourciere, president of Revstone Aftermarket, said the move will allow the company — which currently produces Saleen Performance Vehicles and Saleen Speedlab parts — “to leverage” its size and customer relationships to provide a wider range of high performance offerings to consumers.

“The teams responsible for engineering and development of Saleen bring a level of engineering prowess and passion that is second to none,” LaCourcie said

“We want to apply that same talent and dedication to second-stage manufacturing,” he said.

As part of this strategic shift, the 2011 Saleen S302, which is built at Saleen’s site in Troy, will be the last car produced under the Saleen name. The S302 vehicles are currently in production but production will be completed by the third quarter of this year, LaCourcie said.

“We feel it is time to retire the legend and to usher in a new era of performance,” LaCourciere said. “We will continue to honor our warranties on Saleen vehicles and Saleen parts will be available through Speedlab.”

Saleen Performance Vehicles has gone through at least four different reorganizations since it was sold by founder Steve Saleen in 2007.

Last autumn, Jack “Doc” Watson, creator of Hurst Performance Research vehicles, agreed to team up with Revstone Global Performance Vehicles to integrate the Saleen Performance Vehicles enterprise within GPV.

“At the same time the GPV team will ensure no Mustang is left behind as they continue to create Speedlab performance components for Mustangs of all types,” Watson said at the time.

Revstone Global Performance Vehicles is a research, development and full-service Tier 1 supplier to automotive OEMs and government agencies.

It was created through the merger and acquisition in recent years of specialty vehicle market organizations focused on the research, design, engineering and manufacturing of efficient and high-performance products.

Revstone Industries, LLC, GPV’s parent company, serves a wide range of military, car makers, top level suppliers and retail clients in the automotive and heavy trucking industries.

Based in Lexington, Ky., with revenues of $1 billion, Revstone also maintains a regional headquarters in Oakland County and has manufacturing centers in Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico, Germany and China.

http://www.theoaklandpress.com/artic...e745645229.txt

[Jim D.]

Thank you for posting that -- Revstone sent out this press release earlier today...

TROY, Mich., March 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Revstone announced today that it will refocus its strategy in performance vehicles to become a second stage manufacturer and a distributor of aftermarket performance parts. The move will allow the company – which currently produces Saleen Performance Vehicles and Saleen Speedlab parts – to leverage its size and customer relationships to provide a wider range of high performance offerings to consumers.

"The teams responsible for engineering and development of Saleen bring a level of engineering prowess and passion that is second to none," said Bob LaCourciere, President of Revstone Aftermarket. "We want to apply that same talent and dedication to second stage manufacturing."

As part of this strategic shift, the company has announced that the 2011 Saleen S302 (shown at the 2010 SEMA show) will be the last car produced under the Saleen name. The S302 vehicles are currently in production; all production will be completed by the third quarter of this year.

"We feel it is time to retire the legend, and to usher in a new era of performance," continued LaCourciere. "We will continue to honor our warranties on Saleen vehicles, and Saleen parts will be available through Speedlab."

The company plans to hold a webinar in the second quarter of 2011 to answer any questions and provide more insight into its plans for the transition.

About Revstone

Revstone is a recognized name in transportation, with over $1 billion in projected revenue. Headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky, with regional offices in Michigan, New York, and China, Revstone maintains a global reach and provides services related to the design, engineering, manufacture, and marketing of products for the automotive and commercial trucking industries. Revstone operates manufacturing facilities in more than 60 locations throughout North and Central America with plans to expand further within Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

This news release contains forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Revstone management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future consolidated results, financial situation, development or performance of the company, and the estimates given here. The company assumes no liability to update such forward-looking statements or to adapt to future events or developments.

SOURCE Revstone

[Jim D.]

As part of this strategic shift, the company has announced that the 2011 Saleen S302 (shown at the 2010 SEMA show) will be the last car produced under the Saleen name...

"We feel it is time to retire the legend, and to usher in a new era of performance," continued LaCourciere....

As I think about those statements, it could be said that Steve Saleen has been building true Saleen vehicles all along under his SMS Supercars brand, and I'm sure he certainly has every intent to continue to build them.

So, actually, the legend is not retired -- it continues with Steve Saleen's SMS Supercars.


.

[WickedS281SC]

Wow, I wonder if Steve can buy his name back? To me SMS, just dosent have the same ring as Saleen. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

[Jim D.]

Originally Posted by WickedS281SC

Wow, I wonder if Steve can buy his name back? To me SMS, just dosent have the same ring as Saleen. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

I don't think it's really a case of Steve "buying" his name back. As I recall, Steve always contended that his name was always his, and not Saleen Inc.'s to sell to MJ Acquisitions.

[WickedS281SC]

Well it seems that the way the statement is wrote , they will not be using the name. If Thats the case, what is the chance SMS would flip his new company back to the Saleen name ?

[Jim D.]

Originally Posted by WickedS281SC

Well it seems that the way the statement is wrote , they will not be using the name. If Thats the case, what is the chance SMS would flip his new company back to the Saleen name ?

I would bet you'll see Steve use the Saleen name more, while keeping SMS Supercars as well.

Be patient, there's a fair amount of things going on, legal-wise, that still need to play out in the courts.

[Meikol02]

That is something that is, although not entirely surprising, still kind of a bummer.

They are still taking care of Warranty items, and I am interested to see what this means for the guys in Troy. I would expect the Speedlab guys won't see any changes, but there are a lot of good people still making cars.

[WickedS281SC]

Yeah I will keep my fingers on the Saleen Naming rights !! I dont want our cars to fall into a void like the Pontaic Firebird did - ugh !!

[olecoot]

Originally Posted by Meikol02

That is something that is, although not entirely surprising, still kind of a bummer.

They are still taking care of Warranty items, and I am interested to see what this means for the guys in Troy. I would expect the Speedlab guys won't see any changes, but there are a lot of good people still making cars.

Didn't we just have this discussion at the show?

[WickedS281SC]

Originally Posted by olecoot

Didn't we just have this discussion at the show?

LOL - we did

[hennie]

I never thought that "saleen" would survive without Steve saleen.
When Steve and a lot of his staff left the company the 'heart" was out of the company, and although Steve Saleen might not have been the best business man, he always builds cars with his heart and creating a certain atmosphere around it, and that's what it's all about with myths like Saleen and Shelby
This is something you'll see often when the founders leave a company, in my opinion it was just a matter of time.

Hennie

[06281E]

I agree with hennie, once Steve Saleen was no longer a part of Saleen what is happening now was always inevitable.

From what i have seen so far with the new Steve Saleen brand is just some cars with body kits, some suspension mods, and superchargers. I could easily buy A car and modify it myself obviously not the same as they do but you get the point. Saleen has always been associated with racing, performance, style, and exclusivity. The new brand just seems like it has a long way to get to where Saleen ended IMO.. I guess the only upside to all this is maybe our cars will go up in Value seeing as how there will never be a true Saleen vehicle built again as it looks.

[Char259]

Maybe this will help will the value of these cars. It would be nice if down the road, they started increasing in worth

[MustangDanimal]

Stay tuned. This is just the first of more pr's coming out. My hope is that something really BIG is in the works, and this is just the first move of many coming.

[alkaline]

I can't say I didn't see it coming

[ctann]

... very interesting stuff...

[JT42CWRM]

What's Saleen without Steve?

I hope to see the return of the well known Chevrons from the early 90ies to 08 and with more colour choices too.

[campbellfordlm]

Even though I am an SMS dealer I never stopped using the Saleen name. I didn't think the "other" Saleen was in any position to push the issue. The name "Saleen" just has more name recognition and the normal buyer just gets confused trying to explain Saleen/SMS anyway. Plus I have 10 years of shirts/jackets/stationary that would be a pain to change! I figured this day would come. I hope it makes it easier for Steve to re-brand himself in the market place. His cars are awesome as usual.

[Brody]

You don't "retire a legend" as they say, the legend will live on, probably longer than the company wanting to "retire" it. Long Live Saleen!

[RON R]

Hmmm so it seems that the "Saleen" name and trademark will belong to SMS? And that Revstone will just be a distributor of performance parts, but not a specialty builder of performance cars?

That's fine as long as Steve his company SMS are around to build factory toys. :) In the next few years I will be shopping for a new performance car and SMS is on top of the list :)

[Unclemilti]

Yeah..not surprising to me at all.

I think the idea was good, MJA taking over Saleen- but the big negative they had was the economy, and the fact they hadn't been a true car production company before.

Hopefully, this helps the value of these cars..they truly are gorgeous pieces of work and one of my fav Mustang designs.

[David Rivard]

Attached to this post you will find the original press release and a letter to our customers, dealers and fans. I hope this helps to clear up any confusion or questions you may have regarding yesterdays press release.

[ricksaleen]

Well the true colors came through in the end. I am not surprised in the slightest. The Saleen name is of no use to anyone else but Steve Saleen. They go hand in hand ever since the hospital etched in on his birth certificate. The ENTIRE Mustang community understood this, except MJA.

What good is retiring the name when they should just do the right thing and sell it back to Steve for a dollar or walk away from the arguments because they are pointless now with this news! To say that Revstone will still use it going forth at parties, and on flags, etc. is simply childish and unrealistic. It has no meaning to them anymore and to the fans, it doesn't either, as the true fans never associated the name with MJA/Revstone anyway. Take the Racecraft and Speedlab names as those are the only ones you really wanted anyway and move on with the parts business.

It is sad to see the name tossed around like this BUT lets face facts, this whole name calling, litigation induced situation has hurt ALL us Saleen fans. It was good for no one; not you, not me, not MJA, not SMS.

If there is to be life after death here, it is going to take a lot of work and reconnection by Steve with the true fanatics. It is also going to take a lot more than red butterflies and gimics to truly win back the base.

In the end, the SMS company name can continue as long as everything on the Mustangs is labeled Saleen Mustang. Call it the Saleen Mustang by SMS or something similar. The Saleen name does not belong on the non-Ford products because there is no history there. Keep the Camero, Challenger, Charger and Smart cars (or whatever else Steve is intrigued by), just labeled as SMS. The Saleen Mustang has a fan base that is built upon blood, sweat and tears of over 25 years. It has tangible value to only Steve Saleen now, not MJA or Revstone.

I wish Steve the best as he moves forward in this new arena. Revstone, they will produce parts under whatever name they want so they will be fine. Personally, I am happy they "retired" it. They were not doing it justice. We all saw that.

In the end, the only one I really feel for is Mark Lamaskin as Performance Autosport worked very hard with Saleen PV to help them actually produce parts of real value and purpose. I hope this news does not affect Performance Autosport negatively in any way. That would be very wrong, if it did.

Now that were are only down to one true vehicle manufacturer, the next step will be to get down to one true National club, which it should just be the SOEC. But that is just IMHO.

[SCMcQueen]

Originally Posted by campbellfordlm

Even though I am an SMS dealer I never stopped using the Saleen name. I didn't think the "other" Saleen was in any position to push the issue. The name "Saleen" just has more name recognition and the normal buyer just gets confused trying to explain Saleen/SMS anyway. Plus I have 10 years of shirts/jackets/stationary that would be a pain to change! I figured this day would come. I hope it makes it easier for Steve to re-brand himself in the market place. His cars are awesome as usual.

When is Steve planning his trip out to Campell? I need to get it on my calendar!

[Jess Albright]

Originally Posted by ricksaleen

In the end, the only one I really feel for is Mark Lamaskin as Performance Autosport worked very hard with Saleen PV to help them actually produce parts of real value and purpose. I hope this news does not affect Performance Autosport negatively in any way. That would be very wrong, if it did.

This is the only part I feel inclined to even reply to because if you know me you will know that Mark is not only a business associate but a GREAT friend of mine and this will have no negative effect on anything we have done together in the past and will only strengthen anything we are working on in the future.

Thank you
Jess

[Champion Autosport]

Mark LaMaskin is a asset to the Saleen hobby/community, and always has, and always will be, I am 100% behind Mark and his efforts with the race team. I have always been a fan of the cars, not a person. Not saying saying negative about Steve or SPV. I only wish the best for all parties in the future, whatever that maybe.

[Dave]

Originally Posted by campbellfordlm

Saleen Performance Vehicles has gone through at least four different reorganizations since it was sold by founder Steve Saleen in 2007.

Correction for the original article Doug posted:

In 2003, Tony Johnson & Steve Saleen bring Hancock Park Associates into Saleen Performance (Saleen Inc) as a major investor.

During 2007, HPA purchases the creative / executive assets of American Specialty Car (ASC). HPA then merges Saleen with ASC, placing ASC executives to oversee Saleen Automobiles.

In late 2008 HPA begins to court interest with their assets of Saleen Inc.

Early 2009 MJ Acquisitions purchase an itemized list of Saleen Inc assets from HPA.

During mid-2010 MJ Acquisitions sell/give(?) automotive assets to Revstone Industries, LLC.

Originally Posted by Jim D.

Be patient, there's a fair amount of things going on, legal-wise, that still need to play out in the courts.

^^^What he said.

[Werecow]

Does this mean Steve will get his name back?

[tglockner]

The bottom line is you can't buy Steve Saleens heritage or legacy!

[WickedS281SC]

Originally Posted by ricksaleen

Well the true colors came through in the end. I am not surprised in the slightest. The Saleen name is of no use to anyone else but Steve Saleen. They go hand in hand ever since the hospital etched in on his birth certificate. The ENTIRE Mustang community understood this, except MJA.

What good is retiring the name when they should just do the right thing and sell it back to Steve for a dollar or walk away from the arguments because they are pointless now with this news! To say that Revstone will still use it going forth at parties, and on flags, etc. is simply childish and unrealistic. It has no meaning to them anymore and to the fans, it doesn't either, as the true fans never associated the name with MJA/Revstone anyway. Take the Racecraft and Speedlab names as those are the only ones you really wanted anyway and move on with the parts business.

It is sad to see the name tossed around like this BUT lets face facts, this whole name calling, litigation induced situation has hurt ALL us Saleen fans. It was good for no one; not you, not me, not MJA, not SMS.

If there is to be life after death here, it is going to take a lot of work and reconnection by Steve with the true fanatics. It is also going to take a lot more than red butterflies and gimics to truly win back the base.

In the end, the SMS company name can continue as long as everything on the Mustangs is labeled Saleen Mustang. Call it the Saleen Mustang by SMS or something similar. The Saleen name does not belong on the non-Ford products because there is no history there. Keep the Camero, Challenger, Charger and Smart cars (or whatever else Steve is intrigued by), just labeled as SMS. The Saleen Mustang has a fan base that is built upon blood, sweat and tears of over 25 years. It has tangible value to only Steve Saleen now, not MJA or Revstone.

I wish Steve the best as he moves forward in this new arena. Revstone, they will produce parts under whatever name they want so they will be fine. Personally, I am happy they "retired" it. They were not doing it justice. We all saw that.

In the end, the only one I really feel for is Mark Lamaskin as Performance Autosport worked very hard with Saleen PV to help them actually produce parts of real value and purpose. I hope this news does not affect Performance Autosport negatively in any way. That would be very wrong, if it did.

Now that were are only down to one true vehicle manufacturer, the next step will be to get down to one true National club, which it should just be the SOEC. But that is just IMHO.

Could not agree more

[Yaterstang]

Bummer, hopefully someone brings the name back to life but in the meanwhile I'm not selling my Saleen for as long as I can.

[SimiSaleen]

The "Real Saleen Has Stood Up" Go SMS!

[JusticePete]

Originally Posted by JT42CWRM

What's Saleen without Steve?

An excellent well designed and well built automobile. It everything a Saleen should be.

[rayraytdog]

I'm assuming everybody has seen this. It can be found on several other websites also. Looks like this years 2011 S302 is the last run of Saleens. They are going to continue selling aftermarket parts, but no more cars.

~~~~

Jalopnik — Mar 8, 2011 4:45 PM

Saleen to end Mustang production

Mike Spinelli — Saleen to end Mustang productionThe era of tuner Mustangs that began when racer Steve Saleen set up shop in the 1980s ended today, when the owner of Saleen Performance Vehicles announced it will end production of vehicles to focus on aftermarket parts.

Producer of Saleen vehicles and parent company of the Saleen Speedlab parts division, Revstone, said today the company's final car will be the 2011 Saleen S302. Production will wrap by the third quarter of this year.

Steve Saleen resigned from the company that bears his name in 2007, to start SMS Supercars, a manufacturer of tuned Mustangs, Dodge Challengers and other vehicles. Under the guidance of Saleen (suh-LEEN, not SAY-leen), the company became the second most recognizable Mustang tuner, next to those once tagged by Carrol Shelby, with whom Saleen was inducted into the Mustang Hall of Fame in 1996. One such car was the 1989 Saleen SSC, which started as a V8-powered Mustang LX hatchback, and ended as a cut-rate Porsche 930 fighter.

http://jalopnik.com/#!5779840/saleen...ang-production.

[JusticePete]

Originally Posted by rayraytdog

Steve Saleen resigned from the company that bears his name in 2007, to start SMS Supercars, a manufacturer of tuned Mustangs, Dodge Challengers and other vehicles.

That is sloppy reporting.

Steve Saleen to Import Chinese Cars

by Paul Crowe on June 8, 2007 in Car Business (http://horsepowersports.com/category/car-business/)

Steve Saleen just recently retired from the company he founded, Saleen, Inc. Famous for highly modified and F150s, the Saleen S7 supercar and also responsible for production of much of the Ford GT, his company has been a powerhouse of performance. Now, just days later, he has announced plans to import cars from China, becoming the CEO of ZX Automobile Company of North America. The first imports will be a (http://horsepowersports.com/steve-sa...-chinese-cars/)and an SUV, bringing them first into Mexico and then eventually into the U.S.

ZXNA expects to have 150 within a year to invest $300,000 each in ZXNA. They already have 30 dealers, Saleen says. The company hopes to have an assembly plant in Baja, Mexico, where it will build vehicles for the United States. Plans call for importing 30,000 vehicles a year by 2009. China has been aggressively trying to import cars and trucks into the U.S. with limited success to this point. Teaming up with Steve Saleen gives them a lot of connections and know-how and may be just what they need to break into this market. It's quite a shift for Saleen and though surprising, it may be a reflection of changing automotive markets. Is it a good idea? Stay tuned.

http://horsepowersports.com/steve-sa...-chinese-cars/

[rayraytdog]

Didn't realize there was already a thread disscussing this, apologies. I agree with the post below, It would be nice to see him use his name again on HIS cars. I like the SMS Challengers and Camaros he is showing, but its always been about the Mustangs. Would hate to see the SMS Mustang get pushed to the side by the SMS Challenger.

[Jim D.]

Originally Posted by JusticePete

That is sloppy reporting.

Steve Saleen to Import Chinese Cars

by Paul Crowe on June 8, 2007 in Car Business (http://horsepowersports.com/category/car-business/)

Steve Saleen just recently retired from the company he founded, Saleen, Inc. Famous for highly modified and F150s, the Saleen S7 supercar and also responsible for production of much of the Ford GT, his company has been a powerhouse of performance. Now, just days later, he has announced plans to import cars from China, becoming the CEO of ZX Automobile Company of North America. The first imports will be a (http://horsepowersports.com/steve-sa...-chinese-cars/)and an SUV, bringing them first into Mexico and then eventually into the U.S.

ZXNA expects to have 150 within a year to invest $300,000 each in ZXNA. They already have 30 dealers, Saleen says. The company hopes to have an assembly plant in Baja, Mexico, where it will build vehicles for the United States. Plans call for importing 30,000 vehicles a year by 2009. China has been aggressively trying to import cars and trucks into the U.S. with limited success to this point. Teaming up with Steve Saleen gives them a lot of connections and know-how and may be just what they need to break into this market. It's quite a shift for Saleen and though surprising, it may be a reflection of changing automotive markets. Is it a good idea? Stay tuned.

http://horsepowersports.com/steve-sa...-chinese-cars/

I am leaning towards this getting a little off-topic, but I'll gladly address what I think is really your point, even though I'm not sure why you feel the need to point out potential "sloppy reporting" anyway.

Since I was pretty close to what was going on at the time, I do know the company's official stance was that Steve retired and would still be involved.

In reality Steve resigned and eventually announced that fact, and that Phil Frank, Billy Tally, John Sproule -- key people in the engineering and design team -- followed Steve at the same time.

So if you were a journalist and did a "breaking story" and couldn't get hold of Steve for the real story, the news was that Steve retired because that's what the company was telling people. If you wrote a story after the dust settled and Steve after returned from China, it was a little different.

While he did get involved with the Chinese car project as effectively an engineering and certification team for a specific program, he also laid the ground work for SMS Supercars and the American Muscle theme, even though he didn't announce SMS right away.


Unfortunately your efforts and that of your company are a bit of a casualty in this most recent scenario, as the prestige of being associated with the Saleen brand is likely to fade away a bit due to the recent turn of events, so if they upset you it is certainly understandable.

[ricksaleen]

Anyone who has been in business in the land of non-competes, non-solicits and "severance packages" with former named principles in acquisitions and asset sales will fully understand that they are all worded as "retired" to the public despite what the reality of the situation really is.

I mean everyone I think, knows my situation with my past company that I sold and was acquired. Does anyone really believe I retired at the ripe ole age of 37. Ha! Ha! I think not! You are all smarter than that!!!!!!

Having been through it, I really feel for Steve. It really tests you as a business man and a human being.

[kenny_k82]

I was looking on MF and had seen a guy saying that there will be no Saleen mustangs after 2011. If this were to happen what do you think will happen to the value of our cars?

~~~~

Saleen Performance Vehicles to end vehicle production in 2011

Submitted by Patrick Rall on Wed, 03/09/2011 - 11:42

It has been a rocky few years for Saleen Performance Vehicles (SPV), although the company has pushed through legal battles with former lead-man Steve Saleen to continue to offer new vehicles but today, SPVs parent company Revstone Industries has announced that 2011 will be the last year for the line of Saleen high performance Mustangs.

Revstone Industries has stated that the issues between Saleen Performance Vehicles and the new company of Steve Saleen, SMS Supercars, have caused too much confusion and controversy since the messy break-up between the two. For those unfamiliar with the whole saga, company founder Steve Saleen decided to break away from the Saleen brand and, not surprisingly, he expected to take his name with him. Well, the people at the original company didn’t want that to happen and a court battle ensued – surprisingly ending with Steve Saleen NOT winning the right to take his name with him so Saleen Performance Vehicles soldiered on without him and Mr. Saleen went on to start SMS Supercars.

Through all of this, Saleen Performance Vehicles and their performance part division Saleen Speedlab have pushed forward along with the evolution of the Ford Mustang, while SMS Supercars expanded the focus of their product line to include not just the Mustang, but also the Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger. Even though Saleen “won” the court battle with Mr. Saleen, SMS Supercars has become a regular attendee of major auto shows including Detroit and LA, with massive displays featuring all of their vehicles while Saleen Performance Vehicles has faded out of the limelight.

In light of the issues, Revstone Industries has made it official that 2011 will be the final year for the Saleen Performance Vehicles lineup, although the Saleen Speedlab will continue making high performance parts. Revstone intends to continue building high performance Mustangs in the future but there has been no indication as to what name will be used to market these vehicles. Comments included in the announcement of Saleen Performance Vehicles coming to an end does mention that they plan to “usher in a new era in American Muscle”, so perhaps Revstone plans to take SMS Supercars head to head with more than one vehicle offering... but it could be some time before we know what the future holds for SPV.

The Saleen company may have won the legal battle but it looks like Steve Saleen may have won the war.

http://www.torquenews.com/106/saleen...roduction-2011

[JusticePete]

I fully understand the passion for all things Saleen here on the SOEC forum and respect everyone's opinions. There are no virgins in the Saleen saga. There is plenty of credit to go around for the excellent cars that carry the name Saleen.

Saleen retiring to found SMS is not accurate. Mr. Saleen to China vehicles to SMS is reality. It doesn't make Mr. Saleen a good guy or bad guy. It doesn't make SMS better or worse. It is simply an accurate account of the timeline.

When we went down the road of developing a complete suspension system for Speed Lab and SPV our goal was to build the best handling car period. We did not limit ourselves to the best Saleen or the best Mustang. We have the SPV / Speed Lab Mustang turning laps faster than the pro touring cars and some very fine performance automobiles. When you are involved in any engineering work of any kind you learn very quickly to lose your ego and base you decisions on data. It is either better or worse based on data logging.

The current SPV Saleen Mustang is a great car based on data logging and how it compares to top shelf performance cars and race cars. The numbers speak for themselves. You can not like the style. You can not like the company. You can be a Steve Saleen fan. If you don't respect the results of the SPV built Saleen you are not an automotive enthusiast.



Faster than a Z06 and as fast as a CTS-V race car. The SPV Saleen is a daily driver on street tires. My wife takes the kids to school in it. We drove it to the track and we drove it home. That is impressive. How can you not tip your hat to SPV and Speed Lab for building a car of this quality?

We work with Richard Petty and build suspension components for his company. We'll be doing an event with a Petty Challenger. Working with the King is cool. At the end of the day we make our decisions based on data and not his legendary status. Mr Petty wouldn't want it any other way. The King and I both want the same things -- results on track that drive sales.

We respect the accomplishments of people, even when we don't like them. We can pat one person on the back with no need to kick another.

[ctann]

Originally Posted by kenny_k82

If this were to happen what do you think will happen to the value of our cars?

To be honest, I don't think that Saleen cars are going to command huge premiums for a long time. It took many years for the original GT500s to really take off in price, and they really have no competition. Saleens have to compete with the factory Shelbys, Roushes, and dozens of other "tuner" car companies. I really don't think this announcement will make much of a difference at all.

20-30 years down the road, it may be another story. I think there are few enough Saleens, and that they differentiate themselves well enough from the other competitors, that I think they will be in demand. I still don't think that the SPV announcement will really effect the values even that far ahead though...

Chris.

[ricksaleen]

Pete;

There is no doubt you have the car dialed in at track. To better one of my other great passions in my car collecting, the Dodge Vipers, is a great feat. Saleens have always been about a balancing act between performance, styling and value. Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder so it is inescapably personal. My opinion is just that my opinion. Everyone has their viewpoints on what a Saleen really means and should be. It has always been more about all three.

Steve's business practices have not always been respectible over the years. To the owners it was okay, to the suppliers it was not, but he always managed to pull it through for the owners and that was okay in my book. Either way, without Steve, none of this conversation would be taking place and that is just the way the cookie crumbles. It is like Carroll and Shelby. It really means nothing without Carroll, despite his issues over the years. A Shelby is not a Shelby without Carroll's approval and input. A Saleen is not a Saleen without Steve's approval and input. Again, just my opinion and not taking away from all the other people working in this field and the accomplishments they are making. Some ofthese accomplishments are very commendable. Your track times are impressive.

[Dave]

Originally Posted by ctann

I still don't think that the SPV announcement will really effect the values even that far ahead though...

I agree with Chris. The Revstone announcement does not change anything. Value wise, history wise, family wise. It simply means GPV will not place the SALEEN name on their vehicles and performance parts.

It appears Revstone might plan to use the Saleen flying "S" (flag) logo with Speedlab. If so, there is still an identifiable "Saleen" marker connected to their company and equipment.

With the above stated... the former owner of the Saleen Inc assets (MJA) and the original Saleen Inc (HPA) are still in court. So, nothing has changed.

Enjoy your vehicles, starting preparing them for the 2011 spring/summer driving, racing & show season while recalling why you wanted a Saleen vehicle to begin with.

[saleen777]

Originally Posted by Brody

You don't "retire a legend" as they say, the legend will live on, probably longer than the company wanting to "retire" it. Long Live Saleen!

You took the words right out of my mouth!!!

[Jim D.]

Originally Posted by JusticePete

Saleen retiring to found SMS is not accurate. Mr. Saleen to China vehicles to SMS is reality. It doesn't make Mr. Saleen a good guy or bad guy. It doesn't make SMS better or worse. It is simply an accurate account of the timeline.

Bottom line, it doesn't matter and isn't worth bringing up. Nobody's looking at a timeline.

But if it helps you, think of that story as poetic license.

If you were involved in the hobby at the time, you would have read or heard that his plans were to build Mustangs and Camaros and Challengers.

Yes, he worked on Chinese cars for a while, but that was a temporary detour -- a sideroad on his destination to SMS Supercars.


Let's get this thread back on topic, please.

[JusticePete]

I understand your perspective and respect it We have altered the setup a bit and we'll have it back on track this summer. We'll post the results here on SOEC.

Originally Posted by ricksaleen

Pete;

There is no doubt you have the car dialed in at track. To better one of my other great passions in my car collecting, the Dodge Vipers, is a great feat. Saleens have always been about a balancing act between performance, styling and value. Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder so it is inescapably personal. My opinion is just that my opinion. Everyone has their viewpoints on what a Saleen really means and should be. It has always been more about all three.

Steve's business practices have not always been respectible over the years. To the owners it was okay, to the suppliers it was not, but he always managed to pull it through for the owners and that was okay in my book. Either way, without Steve, none of this conversation would be taking place and that is just the way the cookie crumbles. It is like Carroll and Shelby. It really means nothing without Carroll, despite his issues over the years. A Shelby is not a Shelby without Carroll's approval and input. A Saleen is not a Saleen without Steve's approval and input. Again, just my opinion and not taking away from all the other people working in this field and the accomplishments they are making. Some ofthese accomplishments are very commendable. Your track times are impressive.

[Dave]

Originally Posted by Jim D.

If you were involved in the hobby at the time, you would have read or heard that his plans were to build Mustangs and Camaros and Challengers.

The public "Saleen Camaro" talk dates back to around the time the famed 2007 S302 PJ went into production.

While the original Dan Gurney Edition was proposed to be a Saleen produced 'Cuda.

Much the same goes for what came to be the Saleen S5S Raptor styling vehicle. A proposed product that was in design before the ASC/Saleen merger.

If building a great product were the only criteria... people would be talking about Kenny Brown Outlaw Mustangs and Steedas all day long. Though... at the end of the day... maybe seven-and-a-halve people are.

Anyone can build a tuner car. The trick is marketing the product and building a legacy.

[Unclemilti]

Originally Posted by ctann

To be honest, I don't think that Saleen cars are going to command huge premiums for a long time. It took many years for the original GT500s to really take off in price, and they really have no competition. Saleens have to compete with the factory Shelbys, Roushes, and dozens of other "tuner" car companies. I really don't think this announcement will make much of a difference at all.

20-30 years down the road, it may be another story. I think there are few enough Saleens, and that they differentiate themselves well enough from the other competitors, that I think they will be in demand. I still don't think that the SPV announcement will really effect the values even that far ahead though...

Chris.

I disagree.

I don't expect "huge" increases of value, but anytime you halt production of a limited production car, it at the minimum stabilizes pricing, and in time should allow guys who have ultra low mileage/stored cars to get a premium price for their "original" Saleen.

The good thing that Saleen did, was to get themselves recognized and recorded with NADA. This, more than anything, makes buying a used Saleen much easier and also makes values obtainable to guys looking at the car for the first time. The other tuner Mustangs, like Roush and Steeda are at a disadvantage there.

The SPV vehicles? Don't see much of anything happening with those cars- the ones on eBay haven't sold, and I don't expect those cars to command a premium since they aren't true "Saleen" cars as the enthusiasts know it.

I have watched the market pretty closely the last 2 years and although pricing is down (as is the case with any car right now) the 05-08 Saleens are still selling for the most part. With the SPV announcement, I look for the market to see an uptick in pricing soon.

[laboss1]

Sounds good to me because i know of a very very rare low mile extreme going up for sale soon