In the Garage: 1988 Ford Mustang Saleen
THE CAR AND ITS OWNER
1988 Ford Mustang Saleen coupe #509 owned by Joshua Rivera
WHAT MAKES IT INTERESTING
“Mustang on steroids” is one term that comes to mind when collectors think of the Ford coupes, hatchbacks and convertibles modified and massaged by former race driver Steve Saleen going back to 1983. His early creations began their lives as base Ford Mustang LX models (known internally as the “Fox platform”) delivered from the company’s Dearborn, Michigan plant with the big 302-cubic-inch V-8 engine and a few other options. They were shipped to Saleen’s California facility and given special suspensions and other performance upgrades, new body parts to enhance air flow and distinctive exteriors and interiors to make it absolutely clear you weren’t driving an ordinary Mustang.
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Each had its own serial number (hence Rivera’s #509) and modifications were done largely to hatchbacks and convertibles, making Saleen coupes exceedingly rare. “This Mustang is one of only 59 coupes ever produced by Saleen Autosport, Inc. from 1987 to 1993,” says Rivera, “and is a true time capsule with a little over 19,000 original miles. It wears ‘Oxford White’ paint with rare tan interior and the gold graphics package, making this car a documented one-of-a-kind Fox-body coupe.”
