Two Mustang GT 390s were modified for the making of Bullitt – which included a dark Highland Green paint scheme, no exterior badges, scoops or spoilers and adorned with a black-mesh grille absent of Ford's iconic pony badging. Of the two, this is the only surviving car.
So when the world learned in January 2017 that the car, which had vanished from existence decades ago, had survived McQueen, who died in 1980, heartbreak turned into astonishment. The Kiernan family, the car's owner since 1974, had safely tucked it away in a Kentucky barn, far from prying eyes.
What happened to the original Mustang from the movie Bullitt?
The Bullitt Mustang ended up staying in the Kiernan family's D.C.-area garage for decades. Upon Kiernan's passing in 2014, the car was passed down to his son Sean who was inspired to get the car back up and running. Sean Kiernan restored the car in secret on his own before unveiling it to the public.
Two Mustangs and two Dodge Chargers were used for the famous chase scene. Both Mustangs were owned by the Ford Motor Company and part of a promotional loan agreement with Warner Brothers.
There were either two or three 1968 Dodge Chargers used in the film. One was originally yellow, and the other was blue. One was definitely an R/T, which is the one that doubled as a camera-car.
10 Cool Facts About Frank's '68 Fastback Mustang - Bullitt
Who was driving the Dodge Charger in Bullitt?
The actor is better known for his prowess as a stunt driver. His work in Bullitt (1968) is legendary where he drove the black Dodge Charger 440 Magnum that was pursued by Steve McQueen in his Ford Mustang 390 GT.
How long did it take to film the Chase scene in Bullitt?
One of the most memorable car chases in all of cinema features Steve McQueen in a Ford Mustang being chased by bad guys through the streets of San Francisco in the 1968 film “Bullitt.” Warner Bros. The sequence took Yates three weeks to film and was pieced together from multiple takes.
Did Steve McQueen do all his own driving in Bullitt?
Although Steve McQueen was credited with the driving during the chase sequence, it was actually shared by McQueen and Bud Ekins, one of Hollywood's best stunt drivers. From the interior shots looking forward inside the Mustang, it's easy to see which one is driving.
A dull green 1968 Ford Mustang GT driven by Steve McQueen in the movie “Bullitt” just became the most valuable Ford Mustang ever sold at auction. It went for $3.7 million …
Based on the 2001 Mustang GT, the limited-production Bullitt featured a 4.6-liter V-8 tweaked for better airflow and power, including a cast-aluminum intake, twin 57-mm bore throttle body and high-flow mufflers.
After shooting was complete, the surviving hero car was returned to the dealer, who repainted it yellow and sold it. And so it was for a few decades. But in 2002, 51-year-old Mopar fanatic Arnold Welch purchased what he believed to be the "Bullitt" Charger, in Tucson, Arizona.
Industry experts believe it is odds-on there will be a new-generation Ford Mustang Bullitt – given the special edition was included in the previous three generations – but it could be several years away, in the second half of an expected eight-year model cycle.
However, it seems that a certain buyer grabbed the machine from the Valley Dodge car dealer in Van Nuys, California in 1970 and sold it to Arnold Welch of Tucson, AZ in 2002.
Unfortunately, according to CBS, that was just some dramatic license. The telecast featured two authentic 1968 Mustangs, but neither is the car from the film.
Its precarious yet mostly original condition combined with its legendary story made this amazing car the most expensive Mustang ever sold, as it fetched a whopping $3.74 million. It turns out that the second car was never scrapped as it resurfaced in Mexico in 2017.
After filming, the Mustang was sold to a Warner Brothers employee, and later to a New Jersey police detective. He in turn sold it for $6,000 in 1974 to Robert Kiernan of Madison, New Jersey, who held onto the car until he died in 2014.
The 1968 Ford Mustang Bullitt GT driven by Steve McQueen in Hollywood's legendary action film of the same name emerged to international celebration after being hidden in a family's garage for 40 years.
One of the unique elements that distinguish the Bullitt edition from other Mustang models is the wheels. The 2019 Mustang Bullitt features 19-inch, five-spoke Torq-Thrust-style wheels, reminiscent of the movie car, wrapped in Michelin's performance rubber, ready for any film-like chase scene you might imagine.
However, it was the car chase alongside Steve McQueen in the 1968 film Bullitt for which he is usually remembered. Hickman was to do all his own driving; portraying one of two hit men, he drove an all black 1968 Dodge Charger 440 Magnum R/T through the streets of San Francisco, using the hills as jumps.
On November 7, 1980, McQueen died of a heart attack at 3:45 a.m. at a Juárez hospital, 12 hours after surgery to remove or reduce numerous metastatic tumors in his neck and abdomen. He was 50 years old. According to the El Paso Times, McQueen died in his sleep.
Genge is most famous for his role as the shotgun toting gray-haired mob hitman 'Mike' in the 1968 film Bullitt (his character is the passenger in the black 1968 Dodge Charger during the famous car chase that goes out of control and causes his death and the driver's).
Although Steve McQueen was credited with the driving during the chase sequence, it was actually shared by McQueen and Bud Ekins, one of Hollywood's best stunt drivers. While filming the scene where the giant airliner taxis just above Steve McQueen, observers were shocked that no double was used.
Billed as a cult classic car chase thriller, Bullitt is still considered one of the greatest police action films of all time. Most of the Bullittt scenes were filmed on location in San Francisco, California, and surrounding areas.
Frank Bullitt's girlfriend, Cathy—drove a Champagne Yellow Porsche 356 Cabriolet that received its fair share of screen time with Bisset and Steve McQueen, serving as a sort of “hers” to the Bullitt Mustang “his.” This classic matching-numbers 1965 Porsche 356C Cabriolet is a strikingly similar Porsche that presents ...
