1966 Ford Mustang

The 1966 Ford Mustang, the highlight of the first generation of this legendary pony car, impresses not only with its striking design, but also with the variety of powerful engines that were available under the hood.

Bullitt - film history

The Bullitt movie car, a 1968 Ford Mustang GT390 Fastback, became world famous in the 1968 film of the same name, "Bullitt." The film, directed by Peter Yates, is known for its spectacular car chases through the streets of San Francisco. Steve McQueen plays the lead role of Detective Frank Bullitt, who is supposed to protect a witness but becomes involved in a dangerous case.

Filming the 1968 film Bullitt was demanding and has become legendary, particularly for its iconic chase sequences. Steve McQueen, a passionate racing driver and car enthusiast, did many of the driving sequences himself. His love of fast cars and his driving skills helped make the chase scenes feel authentic and exciting.

Some of the dialogue and plot elements were adjusted during filming to better suit the strengths of Steve McQueen and the character of Frank Bullitt. McQueen wanted Bullitt to appear as a realistic and down-to-earth character and helped shape the character accordingly.

Chronology of "Bullitt"

After filming, a member of the film crew, Robert Kiernan, purchased the Mustang from Warner Bros. for $6,000. Steve McQueen had tried to purchase the car but was rejected. The Kiernan family used the Mustang as their everyday car and were initially unaware of how important the vehicle was.
The Bullitt Mustang was forgotten for many years and remained well protected in the Kiernan family garage. Although there were rumors about the car's whereabouts, it was only rediscovered in 2018 when the family decided to sell it.
In January 2020, the original Bullitt Mustang was sold at Mecum's auction in Kissimmee, Florida. The car, which was in remarkably unrestored condition, fetched a record price of $3.74 million. This highlighted the historical significance of the vehicle for car enthusiasts and collectors.
After the auction, the Bullitt Mustang was restored by professionals to restore it to its original condition. The work focused on preserving the signs of use and presenting the car in the condition as seen in the chase scenes.
Not only has the Bullitt Mustang made history in "Bullitt," but its legacy lives on in various special edition Ford Mustangs released from time to time to commemorate the legendary chase and movie car.

The Bullitt Mustang was equipped with a 6.4 liter V8 engine. This engine was part of Ford's "S-Code" and produced around 325 horsepower. The engine was mated to a four-speed manual transmission.

The Bullitt Mustang was painted in a distinctive Highland Green, which became one of the vehicle's most iconic features. The exterior was designed to be relatively simple and without any noticeable emblems to give the car a timeless and distinctive look.

The interior of the Bullitt Mustang was black and emphasized the sporty character of the vehicle. Care was taken to ensure that the interior was functional yet attractive.

The Bullitt Mustang featured a sporty chassis to optimize driving dynamics and control during chases. The wheels were custom American Racing Torq Thrust rims.

For filming, some performance upgrades were made to improve the vehicle's performance and durability. These included reinforced shock absorbers, high-performance tires and a more powerful radiator.

It is important to note that the Bullitt Mustang was not made as a special production version for the film, but was a converted stock Mustang GT fastback. However, due to its performance and role in the car chases, this movie car had an immense impact on the popularity of the Ford Mustang and the model's reputation as one of the most iconic cars in movie history.

Excerpt from the legendary chase

Enjoy the 10+ minute experienceChase that made film history.