Welcome to Part 5 of our favorite movie car series! In this installment, we dive into Jeff’s pick: the 1968 Ford Fastback Mustang from the iconic film Bullitt, and the incredible story behind it.

Steve McQueen’s 1968 Fastback Mustang from Bullitt

The 1968 movie Bullitt features one of the best, most intense car chase scenes in cinematic history. The legendary Steve McQueen plays Detective Frank Bullitt, behind the wheel of the now-famous 1968 Highland Green Ford Mustang GT, chasing bad guys around San Francisco.

Steve McQueen, who was considered a world-class racecar driver at the time, performed much of the high-speed driving in the movie. McQueen, in the Mustang, and stuntman Bill Hickman, in the Dodge Charger, practiced driving next to each other at high speeds on a closed track so they could make the actual driving scenes perfect. The chase scenes reached 100 mph or more, a daring feat for the stunt drivers and the star of the movie.

According to the National Historic Vehicle Register, two 1968 Mustang Fastbacks were purchased for the film with sequential VIN numbers – 8R02S125558 and 8R02S125559. The #558 car was the stunt car, while #559 was the ‘hero’ car used for ‘beauty shots’ while McQueen was driving. Both cars featured 390/325 HP big-block V-8s and 4-speed transmissions.

What Makes the Bullitt Car So Special?

Several factors that contribute to the popularity of the Bullitt car. First, Steve McQueen drove the car in the movie. Secondly, the way the chase scenes were filmed gave the audience a driver’s point of view, providing the sense of being part of the chase. Third, the climatic chase scene is considered groundbreaking in its realism, setting the bar for all future chase scenes. Time Magazine lists Bullitt among The Greatest Movie Car Chases of All Time, calling it, “the one, the first, the granddaddy” of car chases.

Prepping the Mustang for Movie Magic

According to Mecum, Steve McQueen was particular about how he wanted the car to look and provided input for some of the modifications to the cars. The engine was modified to not only go faster, but sound more intimidating. Other changes included:

  • The car’s badging was removed.
  • Backup lights were removed.
  • Some of the chrome elements were painted Highland Green or black.
  • The stock wheels were replaced with gray American Racing Torq Thrust wheels.
  • The grille was painted black.
  • The car’s paint was scuffed to give it a more realistic ‘used’ appearance.
  • The cars’ suspensions and pickup points were augmented.
  • Koni adjustable shocks were installed.
  • The mufflers were replaced with straight pipes.
  • The cylinder heads were modified.
  • An electronic ignition system was installed.

What happened to the car From Bullitt?

The Bullitt Stunt Car (#558)

It was long believed that the Bullitt stunt car was sold for scrap, but amazingly, it was found in a junkyard near Baja, Mexico, in 2017. Hugo Sanchez brought the car to his friend, Ralph Garcia, Jr., an automotive restorer, with intentions to use the car to create a replica of the “Eleanor” car from Gone in Sixty Seconds, until the origins of the car were discovered. Much of the car had been scavenged, but enough remained to verify that it was the stunt car used in the movie. Hugo and Sanchez then decided to restore the car back to its original state.

The Bullitt Hero Car Resurfaces (#559)

The ‘hero’ car – was sold to Robert Ross, a Warner Bros employee, and then sold again to Detective Franck Marranca. Marranca then sold the car in 1974 to Robert Kiernan, for $3,500, according to Kiernan’s son, Sean, while speaking to the crowd at the Mecum auction in Kissimmee, Florida, in 2020.

As mentioned in the Mecum article, Steve McQueen made several attempts to purchase the car from Kiernan, even going so far as to offer to help him find a similar Mustang, but all offers were respectfully declined. Kiernan and his wife loved the car and did not want to part with it. They continued to use it as a daily driver until about 1981, when it was moved to storage and essentially disappeared for nearly four decades. Robert and his son Sean had planned to refurbish the car, but that never happened. Robert passed in 2014, prompting Sean to complete the work he and his father had envisioned, choosing “preservation over restoration,” only performing necessary changes – such as restoring the mechanics to make it drivable, and replacing the front bumper because Sean’s grandfather backed into it, but left much of the car unaltered as a tribute to his father and to McQueen.

Bullitt Mustang Unveiled at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show

To help him present the car, Sean reached out to the Ford Motor Company as well as classic car experts to help him validate that his car was the car. As one can imagine, several concerns came into play for this extraordinary vehicle and who could lay claim to certain rights – the movie company, the manufacturer, the McQueen estate, others who may claim that their car was actually in the movie. Sean reached out to Hagerty, the classic car insurance company, to help document the car and protect Sean’s interests.

In coordination with the Ford Motor Company, the Bullitt Mustang was presented to the public in January 2018, at the Detroit Auto Show, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the movie and alongside Ford’s unveiling of their third Bullitt edition Mustang. Ford invited Molly McQueen, granddaughter of Steve McQueen, to unveil the new edition Mustang. The Detroit reveal of the original Bullitt Mustang was captured by TV news crews from across the US, as well as from China, France, Japan, Italy, Mexico, and Norway. On January 14, 2018, the Bullitt Mustang (VIN #8R02S125559) was the 21st car to be added to the National Historic Vehicle Register.

Bullitt Mustang Goes to Auction

Sean took the Mustang on a world-wide tour, including being displayed at the National Mall in Washington, DC, before putting the car up for auction at Mecum in 2020, announcing to the crowd that the opening bid would be $3,500 – the same amount his father paid for the car back in 1974. The 1968 Highland Green Mustang GT known simply as The Bullitt Car sold for a staggering $3.4 million ($3.74 million after commissions and fees) to an anonymous buyer. Let’s just hope it doesn’t disappear for another 40 years.

If you have a classic car hidden away in your garage and want to restore it to its former glory, contact Visions Restorations to see how we can help!

Image by Tima Miroshnichenko.