Photo: Mecum
It’s not that often that we get to see a wealth of historically-important elements coming together in a single vehicle to make it one for the ages. Yet this 2007 Ford Mustang Saleen has them all.
It blends together a range of elements that make it extremely rare. We have the iconic Ford Mustang as a base, performance tweaks handled by Saleen, visuals meant to be reminiscent of one of Parnelli Jones’ best seasons in the Trans-Am Championship, the honor of being the first in a limited series, and so few miles it is practically new.
But let’s take things one at a time. Back in the late 2000s, Saleen decided to honor one of America’s most proficient racing drivers ever, Parnelli Jones, with a special edition of the Mustang.
Jones had been a force to be reckoned with on the American racing scene for decades. Inducted in more Halls of Fame than we dare count, he drove everything from midget and off-road cars to stock and IndyCar racers. Back in 1970, behind the wheel of a Mustang Boss 302 belonging to the Bud Moore Engineering team, he landed himself and Ford the winning titles in the SCCA Trans-Am Championship.
It is this achievement the 2007 Ford Mustang Saleen Parnelli Jones Edition honors. 500 of them were made and the first one we have here was meant for Jones himself. Serial no. 001 is now getting ready to go under the hammer in May during the Mecum Indianapolis auction.
The car wears the same colors and details as the Bud Moore Boss 302, with an orange and black exterior fitted over an orange interior. The signatures of both Steve Saleen and Parnelli Jones can be found on the dashboard of the car.
The 19-inch wheels wrapped in Pirelli tires get their spin from a 5.0-liter engine with forged internals allowing it to develop 400 hp and 390 lb-ft (528 Nm) of torque. All this power is handled through a 5-speed manual transmission, and the Mustang shows just 296 miles (476 km) of use.
Mecum does not say how much it expects this rare car to get.
But let’s take things one at a time. Back in the late 2000s, Saleen decided to honor one of America’s most proficient racing drivers ever, Parnelli Jones, with a special edition of the Mustang.
Jones had been a force to be reckoned with on the American racing scene for decades. Inducted in more Halls of Fame than we dare count, he drove everything from midget and off-road cars to stock and IndyCar racers. Back in 1970, behind the wheel of a Mustang Boss 302 belonging to the Bud Moore Engineering team, he landed himself and Ford the winning titles in the SCCA Trans-Am Championship.
It is this achievement the 2007 Ford Mustang Saleen Parnelli Jones Edition honors. 500 of them were made and the first one we have here was meant for Jones himself. Serial no. 001 is now getting ready to go under the hammer in May during the Mecum Indianapolis auction.
The car wears the same colors and details as the Bud Moore Boss 302, with an orange and black exterior fitted over an orange interior. The signatures of both Steve Saleen and Parnelli Jones can be found on the dashboard of the car.
The 19-inch wheels wrapped in Pirelli tires get their spin from a 5.0-liter engine with forged internals allowing it to develop 400 hp and 390 lb-ft (528 Nm) of torque. All this power is handled through a 5-speed manual transmission, and the Mustang shows just 296 miles (476 km) of use.
Mecum does not say how much it expects this rare car to get.
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