1968 Mustang GT "Bullitt" sold for $3,400,000 @ MECUM Auctions January 10th 2020 (Complete bidding)
The Hero Car driven by Steve McQueen in the 1968 Warner Bros film, "Bullitt"
Featured in the majority of scenes from the legendary car chase through San Francisco
Sold to Warner Bros employee Robert Ross following the film debut
Subsequently acquired by New Jersey Detective Frank Marranca in 1970
Purchased by Robert Kiernan of Madison, New Jersey in 1974 from Marranca
Bequeathed to Kiernan's son Sean in 2014 upon Robert's passing
Letter from Warner Bros certifying that this car was featured in the film
California Registration from 1968 in Robert Ross' name
1978 New Jersey Insurance Card and registration dated in Robert Kiernan's name
Letter from Steve McQueen to Robert Kiernan attempting to purchase the "Bullitt" Mustang
The 21st vehicle entered into the National Historic Vehicle Register
Unveiled to the public at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show alongside Ford's 3rd edition Bullitt Mustang
Retains camera mounts welded into the rockers
Rebuilt S-code 390 CI V-8 engine
4-barrel carburetor
4-speed manual transmission
GT emblems removed and grille blacked out
American Racing Torque Thrust wheels
Find more photos, information and documentation at Bullitt.Mecum.com.
In 1968, “Bullitt” cemented itself as the pivotal moment in the history of car chase scenes, doing what none had ever done before and setting the standard for all that would follow, earning it the badge of honor that it carries today as the single greatest car chase scene in history. This Highland Green 1968 Ford Mustang GT—the hero car driven by the “King of Cool,” Steve McQueen, in the iconic 1968 film “Bullitt”—is the one that started that enduring legacy. Hidden away for decades until its reveal to the public in 2018, this star of the silver screen is now slated to cross the auction block at the world’s largest collector car auction this January at Mecum Kissimmee 2020.
The iconic 1968 film “Bullitt” featured what most experts consider to be the first modern-day car chase scene, one that was executed with such innovation and finesse that it became the standard for all that followed. Longer, faster and more action packed than anything before it, the 10-minute car chase scene—featuring McQueen as Lt. Frank Bullitt chasing a black Dodge Charger while behind the wheel of this 1968 Ford Mustang GT—was the first to use cameras in a way that put the audience right inside the cars and alongside the actors. Throughout some of the most intense scenes of the famous car chase, McQueen could be seen right there, full screen, clutching the wheel of this very car as he expertly piloted it through the bustling and winding streets of San Francisco. This style of filming would become the formula for car chase scene success, serving as a blueprint for the films that followed, like “Gone in 60 Seconds,” “The French Connection,” “The Blues Brothers,” “Smokey and the Bandit,” “Vanishing Point” and plenty more.
The two Highland Green 1968 Mustang fastbacks used in the scene—this one, the hero car, being used for the majority of the scene’s filming and driven by McQueen—both featured the GT package and 390 CI V-8. As McQueen considered the car itself to be a character, not just another prop, he was particular about the look and feel of the car, having the emblems and backup lights removed and adding gray Torq Thrust wheels to make the car look a bit meaner, more befitting of his character, Lt. 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 symphony in the background of the chase scene, which featured no music at all. To accommodate the cameras that captured the revolutionary chase scene, three metal tubes were welded beneath the rockers, perpendicular to the car’s center line for the camera mounts, and holes were cut into the trunk to allow cords to run from the generator to the cameras and lights.
Following its movie debut, the 1968 Mustang GT hero car was sold to Robert Ross, a Warner Bros. employee who used it as a commuter, documented by the Warner Bros. parking sticker on the bottom right corner of the windshield. It then found its way to New Jersey and into the hands of Detective Frank Marranca, who bought the car in 1970 with confirmation from Ford that certified the Mustang had indeed been purchased by McQueen’s Solar Productions for the movie. As Marranca’s family grew, he eventually put the hero car up for sale. The ad in the October 1974 issue of “Road & Track” simply read, “1968 ‘Bullett’ MUSTANG driven by McQueen in the movie…Can be documented. Best offer.”