Instead, a partner of body shop owner Ralph Garcia Jr. found the dilapidated car at a scrapyard in Baja California – painted white over its famous Highland Green Metallic paint and in rough shape.
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.
What happened to the Bullitt Mustang found in Mexico?
Sanchez co-owns the Mustang with shop owner Ralph Garcia Jr., who had already started repairing the car -- it now wears a fresh coat of Highland green paint. It was displayed at the local Mexicali Ford dealership before being shipped back to California, where Garcia lives.
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.
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.
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.
Did Steve McQueen actually drive the Mustang 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.
For some reason the surviving R/T Charger ended up back with the dealer and was re-painted yellow and sold. Arnold says the car hasn't been driven since about 1978 and that its VIN date indicates it was built January 15, 1968. Location filming was begun in April of 1968.
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.
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.
About 40 years ago, a certain Highland Green 1968 Ford Mustang GT exchanged hands for $3500. That same car, the one that was actually driven by Steve McQueen in the movie Bullitt, just became the most valuable Mustang ever after it was auctioned off for a cool $3.4 million.
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.
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.
Terrence Stephen McQueen (March 24, 1930 – November 7, 1980) was an American actor and racing driver. His antihero persona, emphasized during the height of the counterculture of the 1960s, made him a top box-office draw for his films of the 1960s and 1970s.
Bill Hickman, who would be doing all the stunt driving in the bad guys' car and have an on-screen role as the hitman behind the wheel, agreed with the choice. McQueen and Yates were on board with the selection, but apparently, Warner Brothers was not.
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.
How many hubcaps did the charger loose in Bullitt?
"These two cars were literally flying down Taylor Street." As a movie, "Bullitt" was confusing, and its centerpiece chase scene had some strange inconsistencies. The bad guys' Charger lost six hubcaps and couldn't hit the broad side of a gas station during the explosive finale.
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."
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.
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).
How William Friedkin made The French Connection – and almost killed Gene Hackman. The greatest car chase in cinema was shot with no permits and featured actual crashes with real New Yorkers.
You would rehearse it once- it's got to be choreographed- then you would rehearse it again, and if it looked good, they shot it. You rehearsed at about 1/4 speed or 1/2 speed, then you went in to film it at full speed.” For the in-car scenes, two cameras were mounted in the cars and painted black.
Taking a seat in a vintage Porsche convertible that was a favorite of James Dean and driven by Jacqueline Bisset in the film “Bullitt” (co-starring Steve McQueen), was a real treat. Actually driving the Porsche 356 Speedster along the French Riviera this summer took pleasure to another level.
