Since 1996, Saleen has held an annual open house and car show at its headquarters in Corona, California, to celebrate the community and culture of automotive enthusiasts. This year, the event was held on Saturday, September 14th. In addition to its barbecue and autograph sessions with company founder and CEO, Steve Saleen, the annual event played host to an array of American high-performance vehicles. 

Among them were early examples of Saleen-tuned Fox-body Mustangs, modern high-performance versions of the Ford F-150, Explorer, and Focus, and his attempts at a mid-engine supercar. 

2019 Saleen Mustang S302 | Photography by Nicole Ellan James

His latest creation, a 2019 Saleen Mustang S302, comes in three versions: a naturally-aspirated 475-horsepower White Label, supercharged 740-hp Yellow Label, and the 800-hp Black Label edition. 

How did Saleen get 800 horsepower out of Ford’s 5.0-liter V8? 

The S302 Black Label features a 2.6-liter screw-type supercharger and intercooler system with a 103 mm throttle body atop the engine. Other modifications include 47-lb fuel injectors for increased flow, a cold air intake, retuned ECU, and “Saleen-tuned exhaust system.”

According to the company, the 5.0-liter is otherwise stock and the modifications performed will not void the Ford warranty. 

2019 Saleen Sportruck

The show also featured a 2019 Saleen Sportruck. 

Based on the Ford F-150, Saleen offers the Sportruck with either a 2.7-liter or 3.5-liter turbocharged Ecoboost, naturally-aspirated 5.0-liter, or a supercharged 5.0-liter V8.

Inside the Saleen Signature production facilities.

According to the company, each Saleen Sportruck comes standard with Racecraft suspension, and features a Saleen serialized front bumper number in addition to Saleen VIN stampings.

Spectators in attendance were allowed to tour the “Saleen Signature” model production facilities that build the S302 and Sportrucks. 

Inside the “Saleen Original” production line.

Additionally, the “Saleen Original” production line, responsible for producing the mid-engined Saleen 1, was also open to the public.  

The Saleen 1 is composed of an aluminum tub and a carbon-fiber body. It weighs 2,685 pounds with the front-to-rear weight bias balanced at 42F/58R. 

Power comes from a 2.5-liter turbocharged engine designed by Saleen. According to build specs, the engine is capable of producing 450 horsepower and is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission. 

A bright red Saleen 1 was viewable at the center of the show in a dedicated parking area reserved for Saleen models. 

The event was free to attend and open to all makes and models of classic cars and collector vehicles, plus modern high-performance automobiles and supercars. 

Car show award categories included 25 Saleen classes, in addition to Saleen Club awards for the longest distance driven, longest distance traveled, and best non-judged. 

Other award categories included those for Chevrolet, Camaro, Dodge, and Challenger. Owners could enter the “Special Display Only” category if they did not want their vehicle judged.