To our loyal customers, fans, and dealers,
Yesterday, we announced to the press that the 2011 Saleen S302 will be the last car produced under the Saleen name. We wanted to follow up with a second communication, a letter directly to you, to provide a bit more clarity into our decision and what you can expect from us in the future.
The first thing you should know is that this does not signal the end of the extreme
performance, expressive styling, exceptional value, exclusivity, and experience (what we lovingly call “The Five E’s”) that have defined Saleen performance vehicles since 1984. The teams responsible for making the vehicles you have come to know and love will continue to pour the same technical know-‐how and passion for performance into vehicles – stunning in both their beauty and power – for a long time coming.
You will continue to see – and hear, because who could live without that sound? –our unique American exotics rolling off the lots of dealerships across the country, on race tracks and tradeshows around the globe, and in the driveways of those proud and fortunate few who actually own one (Or two. Or three). You will continue to see the Saleen flag and Speedlab name, which have become as iconic in their own rights as the handcrafted beauties they adorn.
You will also see continued and uninterrupted service for Saleens already sold, both in the form of the warranties we will continue to honor, and in the form of replacement parts (currently available at speedlab.saleen.com).
What you won’t see is the Saleen name on these or any other vehicles in the future. Over the past several years, we have witnessed a lot of confusion around the Saleen brand, due to a number of financial ups and downs and accompanying changes in ownership. The name itself has become the center of countless conversations and debates, detracting from the cars themselves, and from the culture of performance that they both embody and serve.
Our newest owners, Revstone Industries, are performance purists. What attracted them to Saleen in the first place is the same thing that attracted all of you: the look of a custom paint job, the sound of a 620 hp engine rumbling under the hood, the mixed-‐together smells of real leather and burnt rubber, and the sense of awe that you can only get at a racetrack. Through our conversations with Ford Motor Company and one another, we have come to feel that those things have become overshadowed by questions surrounding the name. So we want to wipe the slate clean, and usher in a new era of American muscle. We are confident that, in time, you will agree that this was the right decision.
Thank you,
The Saleen Performance Vehicles Team