We Bet You Didn’t Know This About Steve McQueen’s Ford Mustang In Bullitt

Almost every classic movie enthusiast has vivid memories of Steve McQueen racing around in his Ford Mustang in what is the greatest chase scene in movie history. We are thinking exactly about the iconic scene in the 1968 movie Bullitt, in which Steve McQueen was racing around in an ominous Highland Green-colored 1968 Ford Mustang GT. It was like the Mustang appeared in a starring role just for this iconic scene before it disappeared right off the face of the earth without leaving a trace. To the wild astonishment of cinematic as well as automotive fans, the Bullitt Mustang rose from the dead 52 years later at a Mecum auction in Kissimmee, Florida.

The Ford Mustang from Bullitt is a mystical legend, to say the least, as it appeared only once in the movie and then stayed out of the spotlight of the world. Its comeback was nothing short of stunning, as it bagged a 3.7 million-dollar price tag once the hammer at the auction fell down. Despite its poor condition, the green Mustang broke the previously set record at the Mecum auction set by the 1967 Shelby GT500 Super Snake at $2.2 million. Fans are still wondering where the Steve McQueen Bullitt car has been for such a long time.

The History of the Bullitt Mustang

For the 1967 model year, Ford had crafted one of the most significant redesigns in the Mustang’s history. The new Mustang had a larger, more lifelike appearance than its predecessor, and it also came with better shoulder belts and a two-spoke energy-absorbing steering wheel. The Mustang also got an additional 4.9-liter V8 engine with 302 cu-in displacement. The front and rear ends have some cool side markers. Ford also eliminated its logo from the hood of the Mustang. For the movie Bullitt, the Ford Mustang was slightly modified to fit the personality of the charismatic lead character.

 The Legend of Bullitt

The 1968 movie Bullitt was based on the story of a San Francisco cop named Frank Bullitt, played by the legendary Steve McQueen himself. He was summoned to protect Chicago-based mobster Johnny Ross, played by Felice Orlandi, who was pursued by Italian mobs. 

The movie Bullitt set the benchmark for most later cult action movies, thanks to its crazy stunts and mesmerizing car chases. Frank Bullitt’s badass character looked even more badass when he drove the ’68 Mustang GT Fastback while chasing a Dodge Charger R/T through the streets of San Francisco.

 The Bullitt Mustang’s Destiny after the movie

The Bullitt Mustang left a significant mark on American cinema, even though its cameo only lasted 10 minutes. Fans deliriously witnessed the Mustang in the most high-octane action scenes of the time. Steve McQueen drove the Mustang with the VIN 8R02S125558, also known as the 558, as the actual hero car during the shooting. However, very few people knew that Warner Bros. had also recruited another Mustang with the VIN 8R02S125559, with the same color and engine as the hero car. This was known as the ‘559’ in the movie terms.

The 558 Mustang was lost in time after it ended up in a California salvage yard owing to its severe damage after the movie’s shooting. However, the 559 Mustang had a different destiny, as it was sold to Warner Bros. employee Robert Ross. Ross eventually sold the Mustang in 1970 to a New Jersey police detective named Frank Marranca for just $6000.

Four years later, the Mustang again found a new home in the Kiernan family, as Marranca sold them the ‘Stang for the same price. And the sensational part is that the family knew all about the Mustang’s movie antics, but they still employed it as a daily driver. Steve McQueen later sent out a letter to the couple to reclaim possession of the legendary Mustang. However, the couple instead chose to refuse the actor’s lavish offering.

 What Happened to the Bullitt Mustang

Fans had lost all hope for the Bullitt Mustang when it disappeared off the radar after the 1968 movie. However, all hope was not lost yet as the Mustang went into the caring hands of the Kiernan family. The heir of the family, Sean, took charge of the car’s restoration project in 2014, after his father’s untimely death within the same year. Although this was an emotional setback, Sean Kiernan worked on the car to get it restored for a movie venture for his boss, Wallace. The first step was to get the car authenticated, which went smoothly as Sean had inherited Steve McQueen’s offer letter sent to his father in 1977.

The next step was to slowly unveil the car to the world by contacting Ford, the automaker giant. Ford had already produced two special-edition Mustang Bullitt tribute models in 2001 and 2008. Ford had goals to launch a new edition very soon, and this restored Bullitt Mustang was the ideal car to feature in a press preview. No one would recognize the car after so many years, right?

Ford had plans to reveal the resurfaced Bullitt Mustang at the Detroit Auto Show in 2018. This all-original Mustang was the key inspiration behind Ford’s next Bullitt special-edition model. So many events unfolded on the same day that the Mustang was revealed. January 14, 2018, was the 50th birthday of the Bullitt movie. Ford revealed a 2019 Mustang Bullitt tribute model on the same day. We can certainly imagine the ecstasy among journalists and automotive fans on this day.

All of these events certainly couldn’t have happened if Sean hadn’t had a conversation with his boss Wallace about the Bullitt Mustang. On January 10, 2020, the Steve McQueen car Bullitt went for sale at Mecum Auctions. Here, it was sold for a staggering price of $3.7 million to an unknown buyer, keeping the mystery intact as the day it first reappeared.