No One Wants The Only Functioning Saleen S1 Prototype

No One Wants The Only Functioning Saleen S1 Prototype

The one-of-a-kind supercar failed to sell at auction.

Way back in 2017, Saleen revealed a new mid-engine supercar at the LA Auto Show, but only one running prototype of the roadgoing S1 was ever made, and despite its rarity, that prototype has failed to sell at a recent auction. The car was offered on eBay with a hidden reserve, and that reserve was not met despite the fact that bidding reached $150,100, a respectable figure for a pre-production concept.

According to the listing, another three show cars exist but are little more than rolling exhibits. 20 Saleen S1 Cup racecars were also produced for a one-make race series, but this never took off either.

When revealed, the S1 was claimed to weigh just 2,685 lbs, thanks to a carbon fiber body and an aluminum chassis. Power came from a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-pot generating 450 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque, all of which would go to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual transmission. A dual-clutch automatic option was also promised but never materialized.

0-60 mph was expected to take no more than 3.5 seconds, and the top speed was rated at 180 mph. Back in 2017, pricing was set at a starting point of $100,000, with deliveries set to begin the following year. It’s now 2023, and the company’s website still says the S1 is coming soon.

Saleen has always made big promises and has often failed to deliver on them, but it continues to dream and continues to seek new investments to try to bring those dreams to reality. But for the past few years and for the foreseeable future, Saleen’s product offering has and will mean little more than reworked Ford Mustang special editions. This is probably part of why the S1 above failed to sell. Along with finishing issues common among pre-production cars, the S1 is also associated with a company that is simply underwhelming nowadays. To think Saleen was once associated with outright speed records, it’s sad that we now view it as simply a purveyor of mildly enhanced pony cars.