Saleen No. 88-0009 is a 1988 Ford Ranger Saleen Sportruck, the ninth of 27 built in 1988, one of 24 built for the street, and the only one finished in Regatta Blue, with all the others being painted white. For years a white Saleen Ford Ranger has popped up online, but we never saw the blue one. This is truly a one of one rare Saleen.
It all started in 1987, when Saleen, backed by General Tire, entered the SCCA Coors Race Truck Challenge with a Ford Ranger. Capturing two wins, Saleen introduced the Saleen Sportruck in 1988, ultimately building 27 of them, three for racing. Each was finished in white with blue trim, except for this blue example, and each was powered by the 2.9L V-6 and 5-speed manual transmission. Steve Saleen improved the handling by installing his Racecraft Suspension System and essentially adding many components that enhanced the Mustang’s performance and looks on the Ranger.
The interior was upgraded with a Momo steering wheel, Saleen Sporttruck gauges, Mustang GT style bucket seats, and a dash plaque letting you know how rare it is.
The exterior received a custom grill with the valance molded in, a custom front bumper, side skirts, fender flares, roll pan, cab spoiler, and a rear spoiler on top of the tailgate / bed corners. The unique roll pan offsets the license plate to the left side, with an opening for the dual exhaust to exit on the right. The wheels are special Saleen offerings as well and painted to match the body.
While the truck wasn’t built for horsepower, it is definitely a neat looking truck and quite possibly fun to drive thanks to the suspension upgrades.
These Rangers went to Saleen’s facility in Anaheim, California where they received the Saleen treatment, and were sold through Ford dealers. This super rare Regatta Blue Ranger was sold through Courtney-Harvey Ford Mercury in Canfield, Ohio (now Fairway Ford) for $11,230. Pretty expensive considering the base model Ranger sold for around $7,500. This truck went to a collector that rarely drove it, so it only had 1,679 miles on the odometer when it went up for sale at the Mecum Auction in Indy in May 2024.
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About The Author
Jim Oaks is the founder of TheRangerStation.com, the longest-running Ford Ranger resource online since 1999. With over 25 years of hands-on experience building and modifying Ford Rangers — including magazine-featured builds like Project Transformer — Jim has become one of the most trusted authorities in the Ford Ranger off-road and enthusiast space. In 2019, he was loaned a Ranger FX4 by Ford Motor Company to test and document across the TransAmerica Trail. Jim continues to inspire and guide Ranger owners around the world.
