1997 Saleen Mustang

The Saleen S-281 was introduced in 1996 and was commonly based on the Mustang 4.6L GT and would become the flagship model for the Saleen company. Initially, the 4.6L 2V SOHC V8 engine offered 220 horsepower, increasing to 285 in 1999 with the introduction of the New Edge Mustang. With the arrival of the Fifth-generation of the Ford Mustang, produced from 2004 to 2014, its designation was changed to the S281-SV for its use of three valves per cylinder in the engine.

Among the Saleen options were a cold air intake, 3.55 rear differential, B-pillar chassis brace (roll bar), 3-piece Saleen aluminum pulleys, custom exhaust, cross-drilled and slotted rotors, custom cowl hood, aluminum cooler tank, Cobra racing spring, smoke lenses, black speedster convertible top, and a hard tonneau cover and roll bar.

The 'S' in the S-281 name represented 'Saleen' and the 281 was the cubic-inch displacement size. The S-281SC was a supercharged model, and the S-281C was a variation of the SVT Cobra first introduced in 1996. The S-281 was the Supercharged Extreme model.

There were a total of 327 Saleen S281s and 40 Saleen S351s manufactured in 1997.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2022