Long Term Dream Becomes Reality

Written by David Elkowitz on 10/13/2008

This story tells of a long-term dream and how an article sent by a friend turned it into reality.

I have loved Mustangs since I was a kid. From my first sight of a GT500, I have always wanted to own a Shelby.

I am a park ranger at Big Bend National Park, named for the remote desert area of Texas along the Mexican border where the Rio Grande makes a big change in direction. I've worked there for much of the last 25 years. The Big Bend country is my favorite place on earth.

The region is apparently a very special place for Carroll Shelby, too. The park shares a long border with Terlingua Ranch, the huge spread Carroll and his friends used to own, and later subdivided.

That's right: I live in Terlingua!

My wife and I own a section of Terlingua Ranch land near the old lodge, which is now the operations center for the property owner's association. It's not easy to find workers nor to get materials delivered, but bit by bit, we're building our weekend and eventual retirement home on our land. We can often be found there for the weekend now.

My first knowledge of Shelby's original Terlingua Terror was a reprinted poster, on display at the Terlingua Ranch Lodge office, which commemorates the car's win of the 1967 Trans Am race. What catches the eye of everyone is the Terlingua Racing Team crest: it is almost identical to the Terlingua Ranch "bad rabbit" property association logo, decals of which adorn the vehicles of every Terlingua Ranch property owner - including us. A huge version covers the bottom of the ranch resort swimming pool.

How cool: a connection between my favorite place and my favorite racing icon! Since then, I've tried to learn all I can about the Terlingua Racing Team and the whole farce and fun behind it.

A few years ago, when Shelby started to make Shelby Mustangs again, I became inspired. Surely, it was only fitting that SOMEONE among the 4500 Terlingua Ranch property owners own one. Why not me - I am actually local, not an absentee owner? I shared my dream with friends and relatives. My spouse was skeptical. For one thing, the Big Bend is several hundred miles from the nearest Ford dealer. So the idea sat undone.

Then early 2008, my best friend sent me an article from Hot Rod Magazine. He sez, "hot rod for 8K, great deal, you should get one". The article, "Terlingua Lives!" raved on and on about the prototype of Shelby's latest Mustang creation. I couldn't stop staring at the pictures of the Terlingua rabbit-encrusted prototype - showing "Lucifer". Even my spouse was impressed!

I found the Shelby website and dove into its forums. There, I eventually found other folks who had driven the prototype. All of them raved about it. I loved the new V6 concept: lighter in weight, better balanced fore to aft, better gas mileage, cheaper to insure. Plus, the hometown name and black-yellow color scheme with all those familiar bunny logos, crowned by the huge "bad rabbit" on the hood. It would be a guaranteed hometown hit.
My spouse gave her blessing to a major redirect in our budget.

Next challenge: how to actually get a Terlingua Mustang? I knew nothing about Shelby purchasing, and back in April 2008 there was little to no information about the Terlingua. I checked the Shelby site - found the hero card - little more. I called many of the mod mod shops on the site - no ideas there - and Ford - nothing there either. So I phoned SAI, where I was told to speak with "Andrea". I was told I should leave a message on her voice mail, be put on a list and wait to be notified, etc.

Well, I'm not one to wait around for a call. Andrea's voice mail gave other names for further assistance, so I kept calling until I found a real person who could talk about the car I was now determined to have. Finally, I connected with a guy named Doug. I told him why I wanted this car so badly: I live in Terlingua, and I will retire there. Doug was great. He told me about the car and something of its