Overview

Once it shone on the silver screen, its place in history was forever assured. I am talking about the Ford Mustang GT Fastback that Steve McQueen's character, Lt. Frank Bullitt, used in the movie of the same name. Many consider that 'Bullitt', is a movie that's only worth watching if you enjoy seeing footage of San Francisco from the late '60s or if you're a car guy, and you want to see two muscle cars going at it on the winding streets of the City by the Bay.

But, the truth is that There are only two Bullitt cars which makes this example that much more valuable. Kiernans Mustang Bullitt did come up for sale and with the entire auction house on its feet, the Bullitt Mustang crossed the block for $3.7 million dollars at the Mecum Kissimmee auction in 2020 is a much more influential production and truly showcases McQueen's commitment to reality. As a matter of fact, the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress referred to the film as one that is “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.

The movie was co-produced by McQueen's Solar Productions company, the leading character being heavily based on real-life San Francisco inspector Dave Toschi, one of the people instrumental in the investigation of the Zodiac Killer murders that took place shortly after 'Bullitt' hit the theaters. But we're not here to talk movie history or discuss cinematography. The car used by Lt. Bullitt in the movie is what interests me, and you so let's go over its history briefly.

Warner Brothers bought this particular Mustang Bullitt, along with its identical sister, in March of 1968 for use in the movie. Manufactured in January of that same year at the San Jose, California plant, both cars received the GT equipment group, the extra cooling package as well as the now-legendary Highland Green exterior color.

Both Bullitt Mustang's were then modified by Max Balchowsky, who did all of the wizardries under the skin as well as removing the badges, painting the fuel cap black, removing the reverse lights, and fitting the American Racing Equipment Torq Thrust mag wheels.

A Timeless Automotive Icon

Under the hood, the Ford Mustang received the meaty 6.4-liter V-8 engine in 1967 and, for 1968, it was part of the S-code package. From the factory, it put out 320 (sometimes over 330) horsepower at 4,800 rpm and 427 pound-feet of torque at 3,200 rpm. With a curb weight of about 2,800 pounds, the Mustang GT Fastback with the 390 engine in it had a top speed of 105 mph and covered the quarter mile in under 14 seconds.

All that sounds respectable for the standards that were up 50 years ago but, apparently, the Charger proved faster thanks to its 50 extra horsepower. True, it was awful when you had to take a turn, but it went quicker in a straight line. That's why the two Mustangs used in Bullitt had their engines rebuilt with milled cylinder heads, modified the ignition, and carburetors as well as more potent camshafts.

What is more, they ditched the original 4-speed manual and replaced it with a Borg-Warner T-10 heavy-duty transmission with a heavy-duty Borg-Warner clutch. It also had a 4:10 Positraction rear end with heavy-duty universal joints. Balchowsky, who prepared the cars, was careful to add as much structural rigidity as possible. That's why the cars have reinforced shock mounts and a cross-beam support bar as well as reinforced frame members.

The suspension was also attended to with Koni shocks over heavy-duty coil springs coming in handy on the hilly streets of San Francisco. Both ends received Helwig stabilizers, and behind the front Torq Thrust D wheels, there were disc brakes. It's not clear how much faster the Bullitt Mustangs became but it's clear that they had at least 30 horsepower on a stock version and could go faster and corner better.

Bullitt Mustang Mods

- Engine modified with race equipment before filming

- Borg-Warner T-10 heavy-duty transmission

- Helwig stabilizers front and rear

- Koni shocks

- Heavy-duty coil springs

- Reinforced shock mounts and new cross beam support bar

- Straight-pipe Exhaust

1968 Ford Mustang Bullitt Specs

Exterior Design

Coming to the styling, upfront, the Bullitt Mustang has the emblematic black mesh grille with the chromed bar that elegantly frames it. The two extra lights positioned inboard within the grille weren't optioned on the Bullitt cars so the only lights beside the two outboard ones are the indicators placed in the lower apron.

There's more chrome at the front with the two, slim, vertical bumpers over riders, the chromed windshield frame, wipers, and the grille below the windshield. The hood has two U-shaped air inlets that sit on each side of the crease that runs down the middle.

The front bumper slightly wraps around the corners of the car, coming in just above two indicators placed in front of the front wheel wells. The wheel wells themselves lack the subtle chromed bar seen on other '68 Mustang Fastbacks.

Although even the Bullitt cars have the polished bar along the rocker panels, the chromed window frames, and the fake vertical air vent on the rear quarter panel, in between the two creases on the side of the car.

The Fastback version of the Mustang is distinguishable through its swooping rear with the less angled rear window. The B-pillar features back-facing louvered air vents. There are some red side indicators at the back too.

The rear of the Bullitt Mustang is quite simple. There are the customary six-piece taillights, three on either side, wrapped within the confines of the upper trim element that follows the top edge of the rear fascia and the thick rear bumper that incorporates in the profile of the rear center panel.

You can also see the chrome on the gas cap applied during the restoration process, has given way to reveal the original black paint applied in 1968 by Balchowsky. Below the bumper, there are two exhaust pipes exiting on either side of the number plate.

Even the Torq Thrust D mag wheels are in poor shape, with the one's upfront barely suggesting they were once painted black. The car came from the factory with wide oval white sidewall nylon tires but later received Dunlop M-15 racing tires on the front and Firestone GP Indy Tires on the rear. More recently, the car got Firestone rubber all around.

List of exterior styling mods on the '68 Bullitt Mustang Include

- American Racing Equipment Torq Thrust rims

- Some black exterior elements for the screenplay

- Highland Green paint job scuffed, to give it a more matte appearance

Exterior Dimensions

Interior

The Bullitt Mustangs came with a number of interior upgrades including an AM radio and the interior décor group package. This package includes the woodgrain center panel on the dashboard and the glove box, the trims on the door panels, an overhead console with map lights, and extra buttons on the sides of the seats.

The original steering wheel that came with this package made way for a Shelby Mustang wheel with the rim wrapped in black leather rather than the wood you usually see. Behind the three-spoke dished steering wheels are the tachometer and odometer placed on either side of the steering column and surrounded by a yellow frame. Three more gauges sit above while the AM radio sits in a recessed position in the lower part of the center stack.

The second owner of the car, Frank Marranca of New Jersey, replaced the original shifter with a Hurst shifter. The car also got two aftermarket speakers installed by Robert Kiernan, the father of the car's previous owner, who bought it from Marranca in 1974 through a misspelled ad in the October issue of Road & Track.

What's interesting is that they removed most of the sound deadening inside during filming, which made for a pretty interesting driving experience with the loud straight exhaust shaking the pavement underneath. The Kiernans used the car as a daily driver after they purchased it in 1974. Their son, Sean, says that his parents didn't have another car - the Bullitt Mustang was their only car.

He recounts the incredible story of his mom using the car to get to her job back in the '70s and '80s. What was her job? Well, she was a third-grade teacher at a parish. The car was also driven by the family to New York and Maine and, by the time it sat, it had racked up 46,000 miles.

List of interior mods on the '68 Bullitt Mustang Include

- Factory black vinyl luxury bucket seats

- Original options Include AM radio, interior décor group, and deluxe seat belts

- Shelby-type steering wheel

- Most sound-deadening material removed

- Hurst shifter

- Holes for movie equipment remain

1968 Ford Mustang Bullitt Price

The car you see above, sitting next to the 2018 Ford Mustang Bullitt is chassis '559, the car that wasn't used and abused during filming and which was under the same ownership since 1974. The green Mustang was in a rough - but in a highly original state. The rear bumper had rust, and the body has a multitude of scuffs, tears, and even signs of rust, but one can argue that you should never restore it and rather, preserve it as a time capsule.

There are only two Bullitt cars which makes this example that much more valuable. Kiernans Mustang Bullitt did come up for sale and with the entire auction house on its feet, the Bullitt Mustang crossed the block for $3.7 million dollars at the Mecum Kissimmee auction in 2020

A Timeless Automotive Icon

Movie cars have always had a special aura surrounding them. Think about the DeLorean DMC-12 used in the 'Back To The Future' trilogy. For all intents and purposes, John Z. DeLorean's attempt at a supercar was laughable, although it did look the part. The same goes for the Dodge Monaco used by the Blues Brothers or Herbie, the cute Volkswagen Beetle that appeared in 'The Love Bug.'

The Historic Vehicle Association included the 1968 Ford Mustang GT Fastback in its Bullitt attire is a legendary motor car, which is why chassis '559 in the National Historic Vehicle Register,. Done in partnership with the U.S. Department of the Interior, Historic American Engineering Record, it is the 21st vehicle to be part of this register that only looks for ultra-significant vehicles.

So, while you may not like the movie because of its lackluster plot and may have also gotten bored of seeing the car chase - although that's almost a heresy - you can't deny the fact that the car is a legend in its own right and that it's one of the coolest Mustangs ever built, up there with the Shelbys, the Hurst and the Mach 1. Let's wait and see what will happen with the beater '558, discovered in 2017 in a Junkyard in Baja, Mexico.