They Sent ARMED TROOPS to Steal My $2B Supercar Factory • Steve Saleen | MotoMan Podcast #010

In this episode of the MotoMan Podcast, we sit down with Steve Saleen — racing legend, car builder, and the man behind some of the most iconic American performance cars ever made.From selling his house to go racing… to building the original Saleen Mustang… to secretly engineering the Dodge Viper and manufacturing the 2005 Ford GT, Steve shares stories few have ever heard — including the rise and collapse of his $2 billion China venture, complete with a hostile takeover and 500 stolen patents.This is the untold story of America’s Supercar pioneer, told in Steve’s own words.Chapters:0:00 How Far Would You Go to Chase a Dream?1:50 Welcoming Racing Legend Steve Saleen3:56 Growing Up in Southern California Car Culture4:54 The 1956 Porsche That Started It All6:26 Why He Sold His Porsche for a Shelby Mustang8:03 My First Shelby: The "Cobra Kai" Car & 4-Foot Flames11:20 The Near-Fatal Crash: "I Went Off a 200ft Cliff"16:33 The Hard Lesson & Building a Race Car from a $300 Shell17:53 My First Race: "The Worst Possible Thing Happened... I Won"20:23 I Sold My House to Buy a Formula Atlantic Race Car24:28 The Pivot: From Pro Racer to Car Builder26:28 Ford’s SVO Plan & Why "America Wants a V8"30:11 The Original Saleen Business Plan: Fund Racing32:19 My Sister Funded the First Saleen Mustang36:03 Debut Race: A Corvette Landed On My Hood40:09 The Genius Move: Selling WITH a Full Ford Warranty45:04 How the Ford Probe Almost Replaced the Mustang48:03 The Saleen SC & The Pain of EPA Certification52:04 The Big Secret: Steve Saleen Built the Dodge Viper53:01 Surprise #2: Saleen Built the 2005 Ford GT56:42 Creating the Saleen S7 Supercar59:49 How the S7 Was Designed: No Clay, Straight to Carbon Fiber1:02:23 How the S7 Won Saleen the Ford GT Contract1:06:15 The Ford GT Engine Debate: V10 vs. Supercharged V81:08:23 Manufacturing the Ford GT with the UAW1:11:22 Ford GT Pricing: I Wanted $200k, Ford Said $129k1:15:41 The China Venture: Building a Global Car Company1:18:49 The 850-Acre, 500,000-Car/Year Factory1:21:21 The Global Plan: EV, SUV, and the Saleen S11:24:26 The Perfect Storm: How the China Deal Imploded1:25:21 Hostile Takeover: "They Sent in Armed Troops"1:27:31 The Aftermath: $2B Lawsuit & 500 Stolen Patents1:31:39 What Is Saleen Doing Today?1:33:04 The New Saleen Mustang & Truck Lineup1:37:46 What's Next: The Saleen S1 and S11 Supercar1:39:08 Curating the "Birth of the American Supercar" Exhibit1:47:48 "American Idol" for a Car: Fans Vote on the S11 Design1:50:00 Collector Talk: The 2005 Ford GT's Value1:55:46 The Three Events That Defined Steve Saleen#SteveSaleen #FordGT #SaleenS7 #DodgeViper #SaleenMustang #MotoManPodcast #AmericanSupercarFor driving adventures & car reviews, before sure to visit us @https://www.youtube.com/@MMTVCarsDownload the MotoManTV Podcast @https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/motomantv-podcast/id1836304387https://open.spotify.com/show/0V4AKzLYrZc6rNCF23kwOthttps://music.amazon.com/podcasts/90ba9b31-fe69-4baf-817d-cb3816a33c21/motomantv-podcastConnect with us here:https://www.instagram.com/motomantv/https://x.com/MotoManTVProudly shot on Sony’s Cinema line of Cameras