The 1968 Ford Mustang GT driven by Steve McQueen in the legendary chase scene in the movie “Bullitt” sold on Friday for $3.74 million. “It's a record auction price for any Mustang ever sold,” said Dana Mecum, the principal of the auction house, Mecum Auctions, that sold the 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.
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.
The Bullitt Mustang used in the eponymous movie just gaveled at Mecum for an eye-gouging $3.74 million. It is now not only the most expensive Mustang ever sold, but also the most expensive muscle carever. That title used to belong to a 1971 Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda convertible that changed hands for $3.5 million in 2014.
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.
[HD] Greatest Hollywood Car Chase of All Time - Bullitt (1968)
Who bought the Bullitt Mustang?
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.
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.
What engine did the original Bullitt Mustang have?
Powered by a 390-cubic inch V8 engine, this Mustang painted in the famous Highland Green body colour was driven by the King of Cool himself, Steve McQueen, during the famous car chase in the streets of San Francisco (which you can re-watch below).
Two Mustang GT 390s were used in the making of Bullitt. One (VIN 8R02S125559) was pampered and used in low-action scenes – mostly when McQueen's titular character, Frank Bullitt, was driving around his neighborhood in picturesque San Francisco.
What is so special about the 1968 Bullitt Mustang?
Frank Bullitt. The Mustang's grille was blacked out, and the paint was scuffed to give it more of an authentic, road-tested look. Meanwhile, the engine was modified for speed and sound, creating the iconic symphony in the background of the chase scene.
Frank Bullitt's car is a 1968 Ford Mustang 390 GT 2+2 Fastback. The bad guys drive a 1968 Dodge Charger 440 Magnum. The Charger is just barely faster than the Mustang, with a 13.6-second quarter-mile to a 13.8-second.
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.
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.
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. There were either two or three 1968 Dodge Chargers used in the film.
Once again McQueen's pursuit of authenticity for Bullitt meant the chase was filmed entirely with stunt driving and no special effects. The two cars actually drove through the real streets of San Francisco and at genuine speed.
With a strong 6.4 L V8 Big Block power plant, the Ford could give the Charger a run for its money any time, which the film established quite convincingly. The Mustang went from 0 to 60 mph in only 5.5 seconds and took the quarter mile is 13.8 seconds, with a maximum speed of 140 mph.
Two identical 1968 Mustang GT fastbacks were used in the film, which debuted Oct. 17, 1968. One went to a salvage yard and the other was sold by the studio to a private buyer and eventually ended up in the Kiernan garage.
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.
How long did it take to film the car chase in Bullitt?
Paul Monaco has written, "The most compelling street footage of 1968, however, appeared in an entirely contrived sequence, with nary a hint of documentary feel about it – the car chase through the streets of San Francisco in Bullitt, created from footage shot over nearly five weeks."
Despite his starring role, Steve McQueen only performed around 10% of the driving. Stunt coordinator Carey Loftin and stuntmen Bud Ekins and Loren James did the rest.
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.
