Effective December 1, 2014, QEK Global Solutions, Inc. is now Penske Vehicle Services, Inc. The Penske name has significant brand-value and is held in high regard in the automotive space. It is our belief that the business will benefit greatly by being closely and directly associated with the Penske brand.
We invite you to tour the new website (www.penskevehicleservices.com).
By: HANNAH LUTZ on November 26, 2014
Original Article: AUTOMOTIVE NEWS
Tony Johnson, co-founder of Hidden Creek Industries, a private company that acquired, sold and backed some of the auto industry’s biggest suppliers and boutique car builders, died Nov. 16. He was 74.
Hidden Creek Industries, based in Minneapolis, became a powerhouse in the automotive supply business by acquiring Dura Automotive Systems, Tower Automotive, J.L. French Automotive Castings, Commercial Vehicle Group and Automotive Performance Industries.
John Coletti, the Ford product design engineer who led the team that built the 1994 Mustang, met Johnson in the mid-1990s when he acquired Saleen Performance. Johnson was looking to buy a Saleen Mustang, Coletti said. He met Steve Saleen to find out that he had sold his business because of financial troubles.
“Tony not only bought a car that day, he also bought company and put Steve back on track,” Coletti said.
In 2000, Johnson backed Saleen in producing a limited-volume, high-performance supercar called the Saleen S7.
“I remember taking Tony aside and telling him, ‘Have you gone off your rocker … do you have any idea how big of a money pit a sports car can be?’” Coletti said. “And Tony simply smiled and said he was trying to have a little fun.”
Sankey Anton “Tony” Johnson was born on May 14, 1940, in Bremerton, Wash., and grew up in Keyport, Wash. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington and received an MBA from Stanford University.
Johnson started his career at Cummins Engine Co. in Columbus, Ind., where he worked for 18 years. He was hired as an engineer with the diesel engine maker but quickly moved to sales and marketing, according to a 2001 profile published in Minnesota Business Magazine.
In 1981, he moved to Minnesota, where he took on positions such as CEO of Onan Corp., a power generation equipment supplier, and president and COO at machinery company Pentair.
In 1989 Johnson co-founded Hidden Creek.
“I didn’t work for other people very well,” Johnson told Minnesota Business Magazine.
He wanted the company to have a clear industry focus, he told the magazine.
“We were going to be insiders on that industry,” he said. “We were going to know all the dynamics of the industry.”
Hidden Creek chose to target the auto industry, which some thought was unwise when industry U.S. sales dived in the early 1990s. “I’ve been around the industry for 35 years,” Johnson told Minnesota Business Magazine. “When it goes up, everybody thinks it’s going to go up forever, and when it turns around and goes down, everybody loses faith.”
Hidden Creek was acquired by Thayer Capital Partners in August 2005 and is now known as HCI Equity Partners.
Johnson was no stranger to the automotive business. He started buying cars before he could even drive. He took them apart and sold their parts.
“He’s just a car guy,” Johnson’s wife, Carolyn, said.
He worked in the repair shop of a Ford dealership when he was a teenager, she said.
Coletti called Johnson a “major mover and shaker in the auto industry.”
Johnson never retired. He was still on the board of directors of the Commercial Vehicle Group at the time of his death.
You can reach Hannah Lutz at hlutz@crain.com.
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From our friends at The Auto Channel.
Published on Nov 22, 2014
The complete Saleen Press Conference at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show featuring Saleen’s customized version of the Tesla electric car.
Click here to participate in the discussion.
[Source: The Auto Channel]
Saleen is offering a special offer on remaining S302 White Labels. These 26 “Special Order” coupes feature Race Red exterior paint and charcoal leather interior.
Get yours while supplies last!
Published on Nov 22, 2014
Nth Moto Saleen S7 twin turbo. 1100 HP on 93 octane pump gas. Race engine build, turbo kit, design, engineering, fabrication, wiring, and tuning by Nth Moto in Minneapolis, MN.
Quick Stats:
S7 04-043
– Lone Beryllium 2004 model
– Only Beryllium naturally aspirated
– Second to last 2004 road car produced
– One of three Beryllium S7 total
Auto Guangzhou 2014
The 12th China (Guangzhou) International Auto Parts & Accessories Exhibition
Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd will hold the 12th China (Guangzhou) International Auto Parts & Accessories Exhibition (Auto Guangzhou 2014) at China Import and Export Fair Pazhou Complex, Guangzhou during November 20th – 23rd, 2014.
As one of the largest auto parts & accessories distribution center in China, Guangzhou is a cluster of automobile and parts production. Since 2012 the parts & accessories section of Auto Guangzhou has been upgraded as a specialized concurrent event, China (Guangzhou) International Auto Parts and Accessories Exhibition.
The 12th China (Guangzhou) International Auto Parts & Accessories Exhibition (Auto Guangzhou 2014) will provide an effective platform for exhibitors to tap with the growing China market.
Click here to participate in the discussion.
[Source: Saleen Motors International]
Saleen Delivers the 1st Saleen Tesla Model, and Provides Additional Drivetrain Options
CORONA, CA–(Marketwired – Nov 21, 2014) – Saleen Automotive Inc. (OTCBB: SLNN) (OTCQB: SLNN) — Saleen Automotive has begun deliveries of the Model S based Saleen FOURSIXTEEN, which comes only a short time after the successful new product launch in Pebble Beach, CA. The recent release places Saleen Automotive Inc. in an advantageous position in the rapidly growing electric performance car segment as the Saleen Tesla (ST) hits the streets.
“Keeping with our core competencies, we’ve accomplished concept-to-production in a short time,” noted Steve Saleen, CEO of Saleen Automotive. “Moving quickly in the automotive industry is paramount to maintaining (and gaining) marketshare, especially in such an advanced segment as the electric car market.”
In 2013, the BMW Group sold more vehicles than ever before in the company’s history with an increase of 6.4% from the previous record year. Mercedez Benz also had a record breaking 2013 with 1.4 million in luxury sales, recently outselling Audi to become the world’s 2nd largest luxury car brand of the year according to Bloomberg.com
The trend for luxury cars continues to climb as the demand for luxurious eco-friendly options becomes a growing necessity in the automotive industry. Telsa is at the forefront of this demand and forecasts are trending to be 20% above target with over 21,500 cars sold in 2014. Pairing Telsa’s conscious, luxurious design with Saleen’s prestige performance has proven to be a masterpiece.
2015 ST Models on the Horizon
In addition to production on the current 2014 P85+ based sedan, Saleen is also taking orders on the 2015 model lineup. The updated 2015 drivetrain will present an additional opportunity for Saleen to increase cooling performance, aerodynamics and acceleration on the base 60 and 85, and P85D Model S chassis.
With a starting MSRP of $124,500 after federal tax credits, the newly updated vehicle and configurations on the 2015 all-electric Saleen model will receive updated performance numbers as well: A single motor 380HP motor configuration and a dual motor 691HP motor configuration that is expected to accelerate at a seat planting 0-60MPH in under 3 seconds.
For more information and updates regarding Saleen Automotive visit the following online locations:
Company website: www.saleenautomotive.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Saleen
Saleen Automotive, Inc.
Saleen is an American specialty manufacturer of high performance vehicles, technical performance parts, lifestyle accessories and apparel. Founder Steve Saleen has continually set the bar for automotive design and performance engineering in both street and racing applications. Saleen plans to utilize its existing strategic partnerships and dealer network to refine its design and engineering prowess, continue development of emerging automotive technologies, and expand its presence nationwide with a combination of automotive retail services, aftermarket parts and new vehicle sales to build significant long-term value. Learn more at www.saleenautomotive.com.
Contact: Saleen Automotive Inc
Source: Marketwired (November 21, 2014 – 8:00 AM EST)
Saleen Delivers The 1st Saleen Tesla Model, And Provides Additional Drivetrain Options.
Saleen Automotive Inc. (OTCQB: SLNN) Corona, CA – (November 20, 2014)
Saleen Automotive has begun deliveries of the Model S based Saleen FOURSIXTEEN, which comes only a short time after the successful new product launch in Pebble Beach, CA. This places Saleen Automotive Inc in an advantageous position in the rapidly growing electric performance car segment as the Saleen Tesla (ST) hits the streets.
“Keeping with our core competencies, we’ve accomplished concept-to-production in a short time,” noted Steve Saleen, CEO of Saleen Automotive. “Moving quickly in the automotive industry is paramount to maintaining (and gaining) marketshare, especially in such an advanced segment as the electric car market.”
2015 ST Models on the Horizon
In addition to production on the current 2014 P85+ based sedan, Saleen is also taking orders on the 2015 model lineup. The updated 2015 drivetrain will present an additional opportunity for Saleen to increase cooling performance, aerodynamics and acceleration on the base 60 and 85, and P85D Model S chassis.
Advancements in the Model S base chassis drivetrain provide the 2015 ST models with additional ordering options: A single motor 380HP motor configuration and a dual motor 691HP motor configuration. As with the 2014 Saleen Tesla, both models will offer all available driveline options and Saleen specific technology such as the motor cooling systems and driveline enhancements.
With a starting MSRP of $124,500 after federal tax credits, the newly updated vehicle and configurations on the 2015 all-electric Saleen model will receive updated badging as well; The Saleen ST.
ST | 380
The 380HP base model will receive a myriad of additional upgrades including aerodynamics, aesthetics, braking, and Saleen specific suspension components as standard equipment. New for this model year is the 2+2 Saleen performance seating which is now standard on all ST models. Optional equipment will continue and include the Saleen specific 11.39:1 final gear ratio and Saleen carbon ceramic brakes.
ST | 691
This model is the ultimate in all-electric performance and provides a unique track capable throttle response, acceleration, and torque management efficiency worthy of any world-class Supercar. When configured with the Saleen specific features and optional drive ratios, the 691HP all-wheel drive dual motor configuration is expected to accelerate at a seat planting 0-60MPH in under 3 seconds.
About Saleen Automotive, Inc.
Saleen is an American niche manufacturer of lifestyle ultra-high performance vehicles, technical performance parts, lifestyle accessories and apparel. With more than 30 years of automotive heritage, Saleen has continually set the bar for automotive design and performance engineering in both street and racing applications. As a Specialty Vehicle brand since 1984, Saleen offers a range of White, Yellow, and Black Label high-performance vehicles: The Saleen 302 Mustang, Saleen 570 Challenger, Saleen 620 Camaro, and the Tesla Model S based Saleen ST.
Everything at Saleen is literally built from the ground-up, by skillful hands. The Saleen staff consists of a wide range of designers, R & D engineers and production team members that works together pushing the envelope of development, manufacturing, and certification of high-performance specialty vehicles. Learn more at www.saleen.com
Click here to participate in the discussion.
[Source: Saleen Automotive]
Price: $49,500.00
VIN: 1ZVHT82HX55100450
Ext. Color: Trilogy Silver
Int. Color: Charcoal
Mileage: 8,815
Website: www.celebritycars.com
Vehicle Description:
2005 Saleen S281 Ford Mustang Coupe
This beautiful non smoker 2005 Saleen Mustang Coupe is in great condition with very low miles (8815).
-It is a E model with full glass roof in which only 3 have been made.
Only Ford, Saleen and one other private party has ever owned it. The car was the marketing car for Saleen and numbered #1. The runs great, looks great, with the exception of the following small issues; Gas Gage not working and a broken lever on driver seat. The car originally came with a supercharger but was removed and is not available. We are told it was removed by Saleen as it was the marketing car.
-CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY AND ORIGINAL SALEEN WINDOW STICKER ARE INCLUDED IN THE SALE.
Don’t miss out on this rare collectible SALEEN Mustang!!
Saleen S281 Supercharged Mustang Factory Info
Part of what makes Ford’s new Mustang GT a winner is its price. At $25,570 and with 300 horsepower under the hood, it’s hard to find anything comparable. Certainly, Saleen’s new supercharged S281 version of the Mustang–at $48,624 in its cheapest form–is not directly comparable.
Or is it? The major performance differences between the two are demonstrated most significantly at higher speed. The time the supercharged S281 took to reach 100 mph was 2.4 seconds quicker than our last Mustang GT [“21st-Century Muscle Cars,” C/D, January 2005]. By 130 mph, the difference was 7.1 seconds and growing. That’s called driving away.
But the differences are less profound in the quarter-mile sprint, where the Saleen reaches the lights just 0.6 second ahead of the GT (although it’s already traveling 7 mph faster). A lot counts on getting a decent launch at the drag strip, and we’ll admit our testing facilities have been badly ravaged by winter storms, making grip hard to come by.
We’ve heard of Saleen development drivers turning 12.7 seconds at 114 mph compared with our 13.2 seconds at 110 mph, and we’ll ponder that possibility until we get another example to test at a grippier venue. But the fact is that the claimed 100-hp advantage the Saleen enjoys is at least partly offset by the usual Mustang state of affairs. You know, a front-heavy weight distribution that makes launches hard to hook up. The Mustang also has a solid rear axle and a gearshift linkage that is not exactly precise. (This is a hindrance that has surfaced on production Mustangs, where the jointed linkage to the forward-mounted transmission has proved sloppier than on early press prototypes.) Add an electronic throttle that hangs onto revs long after you’ve lifted, and gearshifts are not made easy.
That’s not to say the supercharged S281 is not a fast and enjoyable car to drive. It is. Nearly every aspect of its character has been honed for better performance. Some of it is ingenious work. The Saleen-designed Series VI screw-type supercharger, for example, integrates itself, the intercooler, and the induction plenum into a single compact unit.
That has allowed Saleen’s engineers to design a plastic hood without a giant power bulge in it. The hood incorporates a redesigned grille and front fascia that evoke aspects of the Saleen S7 with its aggressive air dam and shark-gill inlets. Despite being a double-skinned (and presumably quite stiff) molding, the vented hood quivers and jumps as you drive along, its spasms suggesting you might not have closed it properly.
Saleen-specific plastic designs pretty much run the perimeter of the S281, with rocker skirts at the sides and a jutting rear fascia below a prominent spoiler. It all gives the S281 a distinct appearance–one not lost on the motoring public, if the reaction from jaded California motorists is anything to go by.
Once you hit the mountains, the car’s extroverted appearance is thoroughly backed up by the Saleen Racecraft suspension, which has tuned spring and bar rates along with urethane bushings and nitrogen-pressurized shocks, as well as by the optional 20-inch Pirelli P Zero Rosso tires on 10-inch-wide Saleen-designed chrome alloys, which provide reassuring turn-in and midcorner grip.
The S281’s ride is firm, with some fairly sudden, although small, vertical disturbances, and it takes quite a smooth stretch of pavement to get it all settled down. That Ford solid axle makes its presence felt, too, with the occasional hop at corner entry, but its Panhard rod and various links keep any seriously wayward tendencies in check.
A broad spread of usable torque enables the driver to reel in miles of wrinkled mountain road in one gear, slowing, turning, and driving out strongly without recourse to the billet aluminum shift knob. And if the strong engine braking isn’t enough, the optional 14.0-inch slotted and vented front discs and their four-piston monoblock calipers make short work of unwanted velocity. Although our dusty test venue produced longish stops from 70 mph (179 feet, nine feet longer than in that last GT we tested), they were consistent and fade-free, with a clear pedal feel.
The supercharged S281’s interior is festooned with Saleen upgrades, including a dual-gauge pod mounted high and center with boost pressure and intercooler temperature, Saleen-monogrammed instruments (with a particularly accurate 200-mph speedometer), specific vents and bezels, steering-wheel badge, and pedals, as well as the aforementioned billet shifter featuring tightened throws.
Occupants sit on furniture that has been through a Saleen makeover, with improved bolstering and unique leather design. Naturally, the seats bear Saleen logos. We wouldn’t want to forget who modified this car, would we? Not that you could. That big, fruity V-8 rumble is a constant reminder of the 400 horsepower tugging at the leash, as is the dentist’s-drill whistle of the blower at anything over 2000 rpm.
Yet all of that goes by the board when you have your foot planted. The car blasts forward between 3000 and 6000 rpm in almost brutal explosions of power in the lower gears and in long, sustained surges of acceleration in third and fourth. This is what you pay for here, and at $51,934, you pay dearly. But for some drivers, it’s likely worth every penny.
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door coupe
ENGINE TYPE: supercharged and intercooled SOHC 24-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection
Displacement: 281 cu in, 4601cc
Power (SAE net): 400 bhp @ 5800 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 420 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 5-speed manual
DIMENSIONS: Wheelbase: 107.1 in Length: 189.1 in Width: 74.0 in Height: 56.0 in
Curb weight: 3680 lb
PERFORMANCE RATINGS:
Zero to 60 mph: 4.6 sec
Zero to 100 mph: .10.6 sec
Zero to 130 mph: .18.5 sec
Street start, 5-60 mph: 5.1 sec
Standing 1/4-mile: 13.2 sec @ 110 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 150 mph
Braking, 70-0 mph: 179 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.90 g
FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA fuel economy, city driving: 17 mpg
C/D-observed fuel economy: 15 mpg
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