What Is the Mustang Shelby Terlingua?

Anyone who scoffs at the Shelby Terlingua’s V6 engine clearly doesn’t know the whole story behind this 2007 one-off. Built by the team at Shelby American and featuring a distinctive black and yellow paint job by West Coast Customs, the Terlingua made its debut at the 2006 SEMA show in Las Vegas. It was available to the public the following January. Ford had requested a special performance package to boost sales to its flagging V6 Mustangs — what they got defied all expectations and changed the way serious drivers thought about what the lowly base model could be capable of.

The Mustang Terlingua Pack: What You Got

Two Shelby Terlingua packages were available:

• Base pack: Starting at $7,995 on top of the cost of a V6 Mustang, the base Terlingua pack included suspension and engine upgrades by Ford Racing, a dual-exit exhaust, cold-air intake, short-throw shifter, and 18-inch rims. Shelby contributed a fiberglass deep draw hood and pin kit, as well as special striping and a sticker package bearing the Terlingua team logo.
• Performance pack: If the base pack isn’t enough for you, an extra $18,995 takes the upgrades even further by including a Borla side exhaust, Baer brake kit, 20” American Racing rims, and a Paxton supercharger, which boosted the V6’s output to around 375 horsepower.

The Terlingua Team

The Terlingua Mustang — which takes its name from a mining town on the Texas-Mexico border — traces its roots back to the ‘60s when Carroll Shelby and other young up-and-coming drivers founded the Terlingua Racing Team. In 2007, the Terlingua name was revived as an offshoot of Shelby American to offer products to people outside of the mainstream audience for performance auto parts. Or, as Shelby himself put it, “We formed the Shelby Terlingua Racing Team to thumb our nose at the stubborn, old racing establishment, win races and more importantly have fun.”

It is not surprising that a performance pack for a V6 Mustang was one of the team’s first projects— nothing better exemplifies the team’s spirit than taking an entry-level car and making it suitable for serious drifting and drag racing.

Image Credit: autoweek.com