If there was ever a more appropriate response to the phrase, “The 80s called – it wants its car back” than this 1989 Ford Mustang Saleen convertible in rare Tropical Yellow paint, it would have to come from Vanilla Ice himself. This Saleen ‘Stang is already emblematic of an era of performance builds that combined aerodynamic enhancements with monochromatic styling, but it’s pushed over the top thanks to its super rare paint scheme. The seller also notes that this Saleen has been under wraps for many years, apparently stored in a shop under cover since 1997. Find it here on eBay with one bid to $30,000 and a Buy-It-Now of $100,000.
Of all the Saleen generations, the early Fox body cars are my favorites. If I had the means, I would be a serious contender for this Mustang, as the early models were just perfect, in my opinion. The body kit was so cleanly integrated, with the dramatic rear spoiler, side skirts, and 5-spoke, bronze-painted wheels all working together perfectly. If this Mustang had just one of those elements, it would look cheap and awkward; when combined, it just looks slick. Tropical Yellow paint is a rare color on any Fox body Mustang, but it’s hen’s teeth when you combine it with a genuine Saleen build.
The seller calls these seats Recaros, but I’m always confused by their appearance; they look like FloFits or Konigs to me. Still, the point is that the Saleens got these desirable sport bucket seats which were some of the most sought-after buckets in the aftermarket / “tuner” industry at the time. While Saleen didn’t increase the horsepower, everything else the company did reflected the best options at the time for improving the chassis dynamics and aerodynamics of the Fox body. However, while the Saleen mods make it a genuine collector car, it’s the color that makes it among the rarest of all Fox bodies, with the seller estimating that only 3 Saleen cars wear this color.
It sounds like despite its many years of inactivity, the Saleen fired right back up with some basic reconditioning. The seller notes that the gas tank was dropped and cleaned, and that a new fuel pump and battery were installed. Amazingly, it comes with its original General tires that were installed by the dealer, but they’re likely not safe to drive on. The early Saleen cars got Racecraft suspensions, firmer springs, and larger sway bars, along with the bodywork and interior enhancements, while the 5.0L V8 remain unchanged. This Saleen may be all the money, but if you had to have one of the rarest and best versions of one, this could be the car to buy.
Steve Saleen made some neat Mustangs over the years. For road and track 🏁 Real head turner here in these colors. Thanks Lavery. 🤝
Maybe its a trick of the camera angle, but don’t these Saleens look longer with the fround effects? I always thought they look great and this color and rims look great together. Very nice one here.
Sharp, clean, desirable car. Yellow would probably not be my first choice. But with the tan top, interior, and wheels, it actually looks pretty good. Big asking price.
Yeaah, no.100 grand? How many times has it been said here rarity doesn’t always mean value? Don’t like that color and the seats, is that velour? Saleen mainly seems to be about dress up packages and suspension tweaks. Now if it was a Rouch, that would be different.
Double Brotha!
Uhhh… it’s “Roush” and Jack Roush did not sell fox body Mustangs (I believe ‘95 was the first year). I agree that the “ask” of 100K is a bit optimistic and the color wouldn’t be my first choice, but WOW- what an unusual and desirable package! The fabric does appear correct (or very close) to original for a fabric-fitted Saleen of that era. It was close to velour, and maybe not to everyone’s tastes today, but does look correct. It screams “ ‘80’s!!”. Great write-up, keep the fox body coverage coming!
Soooo…. 85 large, and not one shot of the engine bay, or underside of the car?
I kinda like the color and it makes it more palatable with the tan interior and top, the gold accent wheels just cements the ‘80’s vibe.
Very nice car, I am not a fan of yellow but I do like this car. I’m not a Saleen expert but shouldn’t there be a triple stripe below the belt line ? Maybe they had a stripe delete option?
One of my good friends bought a Saleen in 88. Broke the engine in and then installed a Vortech blower. Nothing else, just the blower, so he could take it off when the time came to sell it. Made a big difference. Should have been installed by Saleen! I was always a big fan of these, but this car’s color just doesn’t do it for me.
Used to be a Saleen admirer, but most of these were appearance packages with minor suspension tweaks.
On another hand, the “Cat In The Hat”, thank you Mr. Rousch, all performance levels were on the table.
I dig the colour, but even at almost 64, I still love to drive em fast. 04 Anniversary GT Convertible right now. More to come one day I hope.
Go Fast, Stay Safe, Enjoy!
There’s (still) no “c” in Roush. 😆
Got me! Two many thumbs!
BTW, my first Mustang was a Raven Black 1971 Boss 351. It was promptly stolen a year after I bought it. I need another 71 long Stang!
Wow…. 1 of 1806 Boss 351’s, huh? Very impressive! I don’t feel quite so funny, now! My ‘71 Mustang coupe was my first car, and I’ve owned it 41 years now. It sleeps in the garage next to my ‘22 Roush 450R. Both very fun, but as different as night and day!
MAN! And you still have your first! I’m in envy. I chased my 04 Anniversary for 20 years. So it’s still family owned and I’ll keep it for sure.
Next midlife crisis I hope is a Roush or a Super Snake.
Have you ever checked out Lebanon Ford? They sell 800+ hp Mustangs with a warranty.
We’re birds of a feather, apparently! I am familiar w/ Lebanon Ford, their supercharged Mustang deals are impressive. I’m a big fan of Saleen, Ford and especially Shelby. There’s no following like that of “ol’ Shel”! My 10spd Roush convertible (stock 450HP) was the “sweet spot” between my beer budget and my champagne (Shelby) tastes. It’s a great car that provides 90% of what I wanted and I don’t fret over it like I did my ‘13 GT500 ‘vert. Best of luck to you on your next midlife crisis – keep your foot on the skinny pedal! I hope to “see” you back on this site.
-Tom
Irie Man!
Ended at $45,100.
Reserve Not Met.
Not worth it anyway