Images: Electronic Arts

Two years ago, Electronic Arts and Shelby American developed a special concept of the Shelby Terlingua Mustang for the action game Need for Speed – Undercover. The virtual Need for Speed Terlingua Mustang has appeared in other EA releases since then and served to captivate a new generation of Shelby enthusiasts worldwide. To promote the new virtual vehicle, Shelby American built a real life version, of which only one was ever built.

Open to all Shelby vehicles, the event provides a wide range of events including track time, road trips, dinners and, of course, a car show. Several local organizations benefit from participation in the event, including Terlingua Fire and EMS, Terlingua High School and many local businesses. Additional information is available on the event web site.

The Terlingua name comes from a small Texas town where Carroll Shelby, Bill Neale and others often gathered during the mid-1960’s to decompress from the hectic demands on their time. Their parties and competitive attitude are legendary as they had everyone from Pancho Villa to Steve McQueen to join the group.

In both the real and virtual worlds, the car is lightweight, fast and extremely entertaining to drive. Signed by Carroll Shelby and with the one-off blacked out paint scheme, it will be the only NFS Shelby Terlingua in the world, as noted in the official Shelby Registry. A portion of the sale of this car will benefit the Carroll Shelby Foundation.

The Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas Auction runs from Sept. 23rd through 25th at the Mandalay Bay Resort.

The winner of this car, and any other local Terlingua enthusiasts, might want to swing by an event the following weekend by the Terlingua Preservation Society. “Terlingua 2010” runs from Thursday, Sept. 30 through Sunday, Oct. 3, at the Lajitas Resort & Spa in the Texas Big Bend country.