Earlier this month, images surfaced online reportedly showing one of just two 1968 Ford Mustang fastbacks used in the Steve McQueen classic Bullitt.
At the time, the presence of an accurate VIN number suggested the car located in Mexico was the real deal but some had their doubts. Nevertheless, America’s most respected Ford authenticator Kevin Marti recently made the trip to Mexicali and has confirmed that it is indeed the missing Bullitt car.
Remarkably, the prized muscle car was found in a scrapyard in Baja California and was originally going to be turned into an Eleanor by Ralph Garcia Jr. A quick Google search of the VIN number by his associate Hugo Sanchez found that it was the car from Bullitt.
Speaking with the Los Angeles Times, Marti said he was skeptical about the authenticity of the vehicle until he checked the VIN stamps and looked at a number of distinctive elements of the car which wouldn’t have been known about by someone trying to make a replica.
According to Marti, the Bullitt car in question was the “jumper” and used in a selection of chases and jumping stunts. The other car from Bullitt acted as the hero car and was used in every other scene.
The car is expected to be worth well over $1 million but Marti says it would have been worth more if Garcia Jr and Sanchez hadn’t commenced restoration work before Marti’s inspection.
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