Is it real? Yes, and you can have it in any color you want, as long as you want orange.
What’s the point? This limited-edition model from Saleen, the Southern California Mustang specialist that has produced about 10,000 performance cars over the last 20 years, is an outgrowth of a single commission. Parnelli Jones, winner of the 1963 Indianapolis 500 and countless other races and championships, asked Steve Saleen to build a replica of the 1970 Boss 302 Mustang that he drove to a Trans Am championship — and it took off from there.
The company line: “Parnelli Jones was my inspiration to become a racing driver,” Steve Saleen, the company’s president and chief executive, said. “When he asked me to build him a replica of his 1970 Trans Am Mustang, I was thrilled. Then we decided to build 499 more.”
The view from here: It’s revealing that a specialty manufacturer like Saleen has done a much better job with its project than Ford did with its Mustang GT-H, a model based on the 1966 Mustang GT350H Hertz rental car.
What makes it tick? The Parnelli Jones Mustang uses a 4.6-liter Ford single-overhead-cam V-8 engine, enlarged to 302 cubic inches like the 1970 engine, and modified to produce 370 horsepower. Brakes, suspension, wheels and tires are upgraded to handle the extra power.
How much, how soon? Saleen will start building the fleet of 500 cars in October, and they will be available exclusively through the Saleen Ford dealer network, with prices from about $55,000.
How’s it look? Fabulous. Faithful. Authentic. In retro-true Hugger Orange paint only, with black accent stripes that mimic the 1970 car, a rear spoiler and slats covering the rear window, this is one of the best historic recreations we’ve ever seen. The car-number roundels cling to the doors until you peel them off.
