Original 1968 Ford Mustang GT From Bullitt Is Being Auctioned Off This Month

Mecum is gearing up to auction the 1968 Ford Mustang GT from Bullitt on January 10th, and on order to build up hype, the company has released new details about the iconic movie car.

The story starts in 1968 as the Mustang was driven around San Francisco by Steve McQueen during filming. While the car certainly looked cool, it’s best remembered as staring in what is often considered the “first modern-day car chase.”

While two Mustangs were featured in the 10 minute long chase, this is the so-called “Hero Car” and was used for a majority of filming. Mecum says McQueen considered the Mustang a character and not a prop, so he had it modified. Among the changes were a blacked out grille, gray Torq Thrust wheels and a “scuffed” paint job for a more “authentic, road-tested look.” The emblems and backup lights were also removed, while the engine was modified to be louder and produce more power.

Also Read: Original McQueen-Driven Mustang Bullitt To Be Auctioned In 2020

The changes didn’t stop there as the vehicle was modified to accommodate cameras for the iconic chase scene. As part of this process, “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 the movie’s release, the car was purchased by Warner Bros employee Robert Ross who used it for commuting back and forth to work. Shortly thereafter, Ross sold it to New Jersey Detective Frank Marranca who got confirmation from Ford that this particular Mustang was purchased by McQueen’s Solar Productions for Bullitt.

Marranca held onto the car for approximately four years, but decided to sell it in 1974. He opted for a short ad in the October issue of Road & Track which said “1968 ‘Bullett’ MUSTANG driven by McQueen in the movie…Can be documented. Best offer.”

Robert Kiernan saw the ad and purchased the car for $6,000. That was the bargain of a lifetime as Bureau of Labor Statistics’ inflation calculator says that’s the equivalent of $30,200 in today’s money. To put that into perspective, the 2020 Mustang Bullitt starts at $47,705.

Kiernan’s wife used the Mustang as her daily driver for a number of years and McQueen reportedly “made numerous attempts to reacquire the vehicle from Robert, even offering to help him find a similar Mustang.” Robert declined McQueen’s requests and the actor passed away in 1980 at age 50.

At around the same time, the Mustang’s clutch went out with 65,000 miles (104,607 km) on the odometer. Instead of getting it fixed, Kiernan decided to store the car in a garage. The car moved with the family several times over the following decades, but it largely sat untouched.

Following the introduction of the 2001 Ford Mustang GT Bullitt, Kiernan and his son, Sean, decided to get the car drivable once again. Unfortunately, fate intervened as Robert was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and work on the car ground to a halt. Ford introduced another Bullitt edition in 2008 and, like before, this caused the family to focus on the car once again. However, Robert’s condition worsened and he passed away in 2014.

The car was bequeathed to Sean, who got the model road-worthy in time for its debut alongside the 2019 Mustang Bullitt at the North American International Auto Show.

The car is now being auctioned off with no reserve. While it obviously has signs of wear, Kiernan wanted to keep the car as original as possible. As a result, there are only a handful of updates including a rebuilt 6.4-liter V8 engine which features “as many original parts as Sean and his father could conceivably use.”

Mecum doesn’t list an auction estimate but, back in 2018, Hagerty suggested it could be worth as much as $4 (£3 / €3.6) million.