Ford Mustang Bullitt: Past and Present
The Mustang is an American classic and a sport car staple, you know this and we know this. What other knowledge do we share? Well since you asked, we also know and appreciate that Steve McQueen was a car nut and his movie Bullitt made the 1968 Mustang a cult classic. So much so that the release of the 2019 Ford Bullitt Mustang at the Detroit Auto Show was almost overshadowed by the reveal of the original, long-lost but now found Mustang used in the filming of the movie in which McQueen starred and co-produced. Let’s take them one at a time shall we?
1968 Ford Mustang Bullitt
Molly McQueen was a significantly sentimental touch to the reveal in Detroit and her presence highlighted her grandfather’s role in making the car the icon that it is today. Though lost to history, it was an ever present and very useful daily driver to the Kiernan family before they retired it to their garage until now. It left the factory with a stock 390 cubic inch V8 and a fresh coat of paint before being tweaked and dented to fit McQueen’s character Frank Bullitt. According to Road & Track, the 1968 Bullitt was validated by Ford’s official licensee to vehicle-specific production data from 1967-2012; so we know it’s authentic.
For those who will never be fortunate enough to drive the original, they have the opportunity to own an aspect of its legacy in the 2019 Ford Bullitt Mustang.
2019 Ford Mustang Bullitt
In appropriate 50th anniversary fashion, the 2019 Bullitt was revealed via a film short starring McQueen’s granddaughter mentioned above battling a Dodge Charger for the last free spot in a parking garage. Guess who won?
Expected to hit dealerships in summer 2018, the 2019 Bullitt has a 5.0-litre V8 that will deliver at least 475-hp and 420 pound-feet of torque. It is capable of a 163-mph top speed through a six speed manual transmission.
Some subtle tributes to the original are the white cue ball shift knob gear shifter, chrome accents around the grille and front windows, red painted BremboTM brakes, minimal badging inside and out to name a few.
This car has been described as being “effortlessly cool like McQueen and the movie” and we think they’ve hit the nail on the head thus far. While we don’t know what price it will go for, with the historical significance attached and the Mustang GT Premium starting at around $40,000, we can expect that it will cost no less and more than likely quite a bit more.
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