You would be hard pressed to find a car enthusiast that didn’t also salivate at the sight and sound of an F-18 going ballistic, or the rumble of a B-25 flying overhead. For folks that build, fly, restore and show project airplanes, one of the biggest events of the year happens in Wisconsin in mid-summer.

How big are we talking about? How about 578,000 attendees last year? How about more than 2600 show planes? OK, that’s pretty big, but why would Mustang guys care? Well, there’s a guy in Michigan that likes Mustangs of all kinds. Both the road-going type and the flying type. Yep, Jack Roush collects P-51 Mustang warbirds and his company often builds a special Mustang each year for the EAA show.

This year, the project is a little different. The SR-71 Blackbird Mustang is a joint project between Shelby and Roush – hence the “SR” – to be presented at the Experimental Aircraft Association “AirVenture” show in Oshkosh, WI, running from July 26 to Aug. 1. The Mustang is a special collaboration between the top two names in Mustang performance and will be put up for auction at the AirVenture Show, on July 29.

This is far from the first association between the SR-71 airplane and the Ford Mustang. For a period of time, the Air Force used modified SSP Mustangs as “chase cars” to assist SR-71 pilots in takeoffs and landings. The cars were driven by other SR-71 pilots, who provided verbal instructions to the aircraft pilot.

In a perhaps less-than-accidental coincidence, the opening day of the show will feature races between aircraft and select Roush and Shelby Mustangs.

UPDATE: We now have more solid information, courtesy of the particpants in this unprecedeted project. Mustang owners love to explain why their car is unique. Well, the future owner of this Mustang will have to patiently explain that, yes, it is a Roush and, yes, it is a Shelby and, yes, it is an SR-71… and, no, it’s not impossible.

Photos: ROUSH Performance

Suah a vehicle inspired by the Lockheed Martin SR-71 Blackbird long-range USAF reconnaissance aircraft, could only be built with Carroll Shelby and Jack Roush, along with Ford Motor Company to design, engineer and produce the special edition (of one) SR-71 Mustang.

The SR-71 first took flight in 1964, the same year the Ford Mustang was introduced. The SR-71 holds all official airspeed and altitude records and remains the most technically advanced aircraft ever produced. A product of the Lockheed SkunkWorks, it was an aircraft loaded with features that are still admired and copied today.

Destined to become a legend in its own right, the SR-71 Mustang will include an all-new aluminum block 5.0-liter Ti-VCT V8 engine with a 2.3-liter Whipple Twin Screw Supercharger, including Ford Racing calibration and Roush cold airintake, Ford Racing Handling Pack, Ford Racing tuned exhaust and tips, SVT Track Pack wheels in custom paint (19-inch in front, 20-inch in rear), optional production glass roof with unique graphic treatment, unique non-production matte and silver exterior paint treatment with SR-71 cues, custom Recaro race seats featuring embroidered signatures of Jack Roush and Carroll Shelby, custom racing steering wheel, rear seat removed to accentuate the ‘cockpit’ environment, Ford Racing performance gauge cluster ,modified navigation screen and instrument cluster, roll cage, along with custom IP badging, sill plates and floor mats.

You can participate in this once-in-a-lifetime auction by pre-qualifying through Matt Miller at 800-236-1025 or[email protected] by July 26, 2010.