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Yeah, i found this out the hard way. I detailed the Saleen early Sunday morning, then drove down to Irvine for lunch with some friends (and by the way, i destroyed a couple of kids in a tricked out Infinity G35 2 door on the way down there; not that i thought they had a chance, but now they know). after lunch i headed over the the Irvine Spectrum where the Saleen Store is. and, well, we know what happened there. BUT, they did say, they were closed for renovations, and the store has temporarily been moved to 76 Fairbanks, where their headquarters are. i went over there, and of course they were closed. the only good thing that came of it was that i got to check out a new S281 RF. Not much to it, except for some decals. i parked my black SC next to it, and i'd take mine any day over that one. anyhow, i've got people in Irvine that will keep checking on the status of the store for me, so i'll be sure to pass it along to all of you when/if i hear anything new.
Well it's closed offically Iwas at Saleen's Irvine HQtoday geting work doneand heard all the scoup.
They were moving everything down from the storeto their head quarters lobby. The half extremecar wassitting in the warehouseand a truck load of merchandise.
Inside chattersays the storewas costing Saleen $40,000 a month for the space and its better not to spend that kind of cash ifthe store isnotmaking aprofit.
Steve Saleen is gone soI heardthe storewas more of an ego thing.His ego was whythey opened the store in the first place +I think he wanted to help his daughter Mollyout.
To me Saleen's furture seems bleak.Today Isaw thefactorywas dead and there seriously are not many employees working over there anymore. It was dissapointing to see it in such a sad statebut the Mustangmarket is a hard one (it has too much competition) + gas prices are not being kind.
I think you will see the Irvine Headquarters down size but hopefully they will come up with something to make them profitable again.
Idont see them going away completely butI think part salesare the only thing holding them together.
I think eventully they maymove just to car enhancement parts and ditch making specialty vehicles all together.
There is a lot going on at Saleen at this point in time and a lot of rumors floating around......The store was opened as a new way to show off a brand to the consumer and it was not opened for an ego boostor for a support of a daughter. All production is moving to Troy Michigan and aftermarket/personalizationand thestore front is staying in Irvine. This is all in process now and is why you see the mess on the floor. Saleen will not be going away but we will be dedicatingour resources to other divisions within the company rather then on the store.
Guys, if you think $ 40k a month is a lot of money....... just try to guess what the amount of the rent is to the Irvine Co. on Fairbanks is. You would'nt even believe me if I posted it. Everything is about Troy now.
Carlos has been with Saleen for a long time..... actually other than Bonnie I believe the longest running employee at Saleen in Irvine. He needs all the support he can get just to keep a presence in Irvine.
For those of you who are still new to Saleen before the "Store", HQ was the only place to purchase Saleen Performance parts and accessories anyway. No big deal that the store is gone. Fairbanks has never had a showroom and it was always akward. Whatney had a showroom. It was great.
Ego did have a part in the "lifestyle" aspect in opening the store. Remember, it is Steve's ego that started the company in the first place.
To finally dispel all fo the rumors, Steve was voted out. When that happens they urge at the sake of brand protectionallow an official letter of resignation.
Again, Steve never wanted to build 2,000 cars per year. He wanted to race. He surrounded himself with people he could trust. When it was sink or swim, bringing in the big money had other plans attached to it.
As for Saleen in Irvine just say your prayers. From what I found out today it's a crapshoot. Fairbanks will be closing. Downsizing is key right now. No more fat.
At least then the transport charge will be worth it when buying a Saleen in California[:-]Sounds like they are just getting their act in gear and good things are just around the corner. I assume it is a lot cheaper to operate in Michigan verus California. Workers comp anyone?
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RE: Saleen Store Closed Down!!!
