Back in the day, Saleen Mustangs were among the most desirable Foxes ever built. They showed how these pony cars could be elevated as performance machines with the right upgrades. If they didn’t have the funds to own one, enthusiasts still emulated their look with Saleen parts. One enthusiast who owned, upgraded, and drove one is the current Ford President and CEO, Jim Farley. Now you can follow in his footsteps and put your name on the title of his former Fox.
Now live on Bring a Trailer, Farley’s 1989 Saleen GT hatchback, which is number 403 of 734 built by Saleen Autosport, blends that original Saleen formula with a round of period-correct upgrades that will take you right back to the era of excess. Finished in Cabernet Red over two-tone gray cloth, it carries the full suite of Saleen bodywork, including revised fascias, side skirts, and the signature rear wing. It rides on five-lug American Racing 16-inch wheels wrapped in 225/50 Bridgestone Potenza RE-71RS tires, giving it more grip than anything available when it was new.
Under the hood, the storied pushrod 5.0-liter gained several upgrades in 2023, including a Vortech V-3 Si-Trim centrifugal supercharger. A 3.33-inch pulley, an Anderson Ford Motorsport Power Pipe, 47 lb/hr injectors, and a 340-lph fuel pump support the blower combo, while Pypes short-tube headers, a Pypes X-pipe, and Woolf Aircraft exhaust let it exhale with authority. A custom chip calibration brings it all together, and the car was dyno-tuned by D&D Performance in Wixom, Michigan, to ensure the setup performs as a cohesive package.
Total Package
Power routes through a five-speed manual backed by a RAM clutch, billet flywheel, and aluminum driveshaft to an 8.8-inch rearend with a Traction-Lok diff. As a regular road racer, Farley wanted more grip, so he chose a Maximum Motorsports suspension, including a torque arm, Panhard bar, Bilstein dampers, and more. Combined with four-wheel disc brakes featuring slotted front rotors, braided lines, and upgraded pads, the braking is also more robust than it was back in the day.
Inside, the car stays rooted in its iconic era with articulated two-tone gray cloth seats, red accents, and Saleen embroidery. A MOMO steering wheel frames the 170-mph speedometer and 7,000-rpm tach, while a Pioneer cassette stereo with graphic equalizer rounds out the period-correct feel. The odometer shows 22,000 miles, with roughly 600 added under recent ownership, and the sale includes documentation covering its Saleen lineage and the more recent upgrades.
If you are picking nits, the Carfax report notes a prior damage disclosure, minor blemishes have been touched up, and the removal of smog equipment means it cannot pass California emissions testing in its current configuration. It’s easy to overlook those minor issues, as it’s a genuine Saleen with low mileage, so if you are interested in a Fox classic with real Ford provenance, check out the auction on BaT and place your bid in the next five days.
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