Saleen Special Vehicles
Encyclopedia
Saleen Special Vehicles or SSV, was a Saleen
-owned and Saleen-operated small-volume, specialty vehicle assembly plant located 1225 East Maple Road in Troy, Michigan
. The building housing this facility was previously a Stanley
door-manufacturing facility prior to renovations performed by Saleen
to manufacture the Ford GT
(which occurred between 2003 and 2006). Prior to use by Stanley
, the building was the headquarters of the AMT Corporation, known by many as the premier manufacturer of 1:25th scale model cars in the 50's, 60's and 70's. The plant was last used principally for production of the Saleen S331 Sport Truck, and various models of Saleen Mustangs. Additionally, following Steve Saleen
's departure from the company, the core of Saleen's exterior styling and engineering was relocated to Saleen, Troy.
in the paint shop at Saleen Special Vehicles. Based upon the production rates achieved during the manufacture of the Ford GT
, Saleen Special Vehicles is capable of producing as many as 15 complete vehicles per day.
Saleen
Saleen, Incorporated, commonly known as Saleen, was an American manufacturer of high-performance sports cars and high-performance automotive parts in Troy, Michigan, formerly based in Irvine, California...
-owned and Saleen-operated small-volume, specialty vehicle assembly plant located 1225 East Maple Road in Troy, Michigan
Troy, Michigan
Troy is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan, and is a suburb of Detroit. The population was 80,980 at the 2010 census, making it the 11th-largest city in Michigan by population, and the largest city in Oakland County...
. The building housing this facility was previously a Stanley
Stanley
Stanley may refer to:- Australia :* Stanley, Tasmania* Stanley, Victoria* County of Stanley, Queensland- Canada :* Stanley, British Columbia* Stanley, New Brunswick* Port Stanley, Ontario- Falkland Islands :...
door-manufacturing facility prior to renovations performed by Saleen
Saleen
Saleen, Incorporated, commonly known as Saleen, was an American manufacturer of high-performance sports cars and high-performance automotive parts in Troy, Michigan, formerly based in Irvine, California...
to manufacture the Ford GT
Ford GT
The Ford GT is a mid-engine two-seater sports car. Ford Motor Company produced the Ford GT for the 2005 to 2006 model years. The designers drew inspiration from Ford's GT40 race cars of the 1960s.- Development :...
(which occurred between 2003 and 2006). Prior to use by Stanley
Stanley
Stanley may refer to:- Australia :* Stanley, Tasmania* Stanley, Victoria* County of Stanley, Queensland- Canada :* Stanley, British Columbia* Stanley, New Brunswick* Port Stanley, Ontario- Falkland Islands :...
, the building was the headquarters of the AMT Corporation, known by many as the premier manufacturer of 1:25th scale model cars in the 50's, 60's and 70's. The plant was last used principally for production of the Saleen S331 Sport Truck, and various models of Saleen Mustangs. Additionally, following Steve Saleen
Steve Saleen
Stephen Mark Saleen is an American businessman and former racing driver. He is best known for being the founder and former vice chairman of Saleen, Inc., originally named Saleen Autosport, which until 2009 was an OEM manufacturer of specialty vehicles including the Saleen S7 and highly modified...
's departure from the company, the core of Saleen's exterior styling and engineering was relocated to Saleen, Troy.
Manufacturing Facilities
SSV boasts a single assembly line outfitted to accommodate mixed-product production, a high-efficiency paint shop capable of high-bake paint cure processes, fabrication shop, and specialty car assembly area. Saleen currently conducts painting operations for the Dodge ViperDodge Viper
The first prototype was tested in January 1989. It debuted in 1991 with two pre-production models as the pace car for the Indianapolis 500 when Dodge was forced to substitute it in place of the Japanese-built Stealth because of complaints from the United Auto Workers, and went on sale in January...
in the paint shop at Saleen Special Vehicles. Based upon the production rates achieved during the manufacture of the Ford GT
Ford GT
The Ford GT is a mid-engine two-seater sports car. Ford Motor Company produced the Ford GT for the 2005 to 2006 model years. The designers drew inspiration from Ford's GT40 race cars of the 1960s.- Development :...
, Saleen Special Vehicles is capable of producing as many as 15 complete vehicles per day.
Show-Car Facilities
SSV houses a multitude of specialty facilities configured with a focus upon the creation of vehicles for use in motion pictures and auto shows. SSV offered prototype model and assembly services to other automotive OEM companies.Trivia
- The cars used in the movie Transformers were built at SSV
- A quote considered "infamous" at SSV from Steve Saleen reading: "Anybody can build cars from parts. Only you can build cars with no parts" appears on a multitude of small signs hung throughout the plant.