Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
We were surprised to see this classic Ford Mustang parked up across the road from Stormont gates yesterday. We were coming away from the Red Bull Soapbox race event being held at the Estate.
Our Connor, has a good interest in classic cars, stated it was the best thing he had seen all afternoon. It was also the first time he had seen a Ford 'Bullitt' Mustang.
Promoting a vehicle via a film has been standard for decades, but few examples are as memorable as steve McQueen's 1968 turn as police Lt. Frank Bullitt, during which he hurled a Mustang around the streets of San Francisco.
Warner Bros. ordered a pair of Mustang Fastbacks from Ford. The studio chose the 1968 GT as the base car, then applied some changes to turn it into an on-screen machine.
The GT package automatically included power disc brakes, whitewall nylon tires, and an upgraded cooling package. Buyers could choose between a two- or four-barrel carburetor mounted on the 390-cubic-inch engine. Depending on the setup, the GT could make between 270 and 325 horsepower in its stock version.
The studio added a weathered patina to the signature Dark Highland Green paint even though these were new cars. After applying some scuff to the paint and painting the gas caps black, the Bullitts took on an understated, quasi-menacing appearance suitable to Frank Bullitt's demeanor.
Frank Bullitt hops in his Mustang to chase down a bad guy driving a 1968 Dodge Charger R/T. The ensuing pursuit takes up nearly 11 minutes of screen time in a film less than two hours long. Not only was it one of the longest chase scenes in a movie to date, it was uniquely riveting because of the production's insistence on realism. This included setting up the chase on city streets in San Francisco, including interior points-of-view then underutilized in cinema (some viewers were said to experience motion sickness), and sound design lifted from both recording racing engines and McQueen shifting gears with recording equipment in the cockpit.
The scene starts slowly, building tension for the first minute or two as McQueen subtly tails the Charger through the streets. But around minute three, the baddies in the Charger (with legendary driver Bill Hickman at the wheel) fasten their seatbelts — lap only — and it's on. The screeching tires, realistic traffic, and San Francisco scenery make great fodder for a muscle-car chase.
McQueen insisted that the Mustang's windows be open so that moviegoers could see that he was driving. However, McQueen did not pilot the Mustang for the entire chase. He had help from driver Bud Ekins on the more dangerous stunts.
Two authentic Bullitt Mustangs were ever made, the car's rarity and impact on the culture should have marked it as a valuable collector's item. Today, it would likely be packed up and auctioned off as a piece of mechanical Americana — not so in the '60s.
One original car was essentially destroyed in filming and sent to a salvage yard, while the production sold the other. The Road & Track classified for the surviving model advertised the "Bullett" Mustang driven by Steve McQueen in mint condition. The price? Best offer.
Bob Kiernan purchased the GT for $6,000 in 1974 and, incredibly, his wife, Robbie, drove it daily to the school where she taught third grade while Bob commuted to his New York City insurance job via train. When Bob's son Sean inherited the most legendary lost car in film history in 2015, it had undergone just a few changes: new carpets and steering wheel, a replaced bumper, and an engine rebuild. For all intents and purposes, it was original right down to the deliberately scuffed Highland Green paint job.
After a detailed verification, the Kiernans' family heirloom proved to be the genuine article. Fans flocked to the 2018 Detroit Auto Show to behold the coming-out of a legend 50 years in the making. In 2020, the Kiernans parted with their heirloom when it sold for $3.74 million at auction!
We were surprised to see this classic Ford Mustang parked up across the road from Stormont gates yesterday. We were coming away from the Red Bull Soapbox race event being held at the Estate.
Our Connor, has a good interest in classic cars, stated it was the best thing he had seen all afternoon. It was also the first time he had seen a Ford 'Bullitt' Mustang.
Promoting a vehicle via a film has been standard for decades, but few examples are as memorable as steve McQueen's 1968 turn as police Lt. Frank Bullitt, during which he hurled a Mustang around the streets of San Francisco.
Warner Bros. ordered a pair of Mustang Fastbacks from Ford. The studio chose the 1968 GT as the base car, then applied some changes to turn it into an on-screen machine.
The GT package automatically included power disc brakes, whitewall nylon tires, and an upgraded cooling package. Buyers could choose between a two- or four-barrel carburetor mounted on the 390-cubic-inch engine. Depending on the setup, the GT could make between 270 and 325 horsepower in its stock version.
The studio added a weathered patina to the signature Dark Highland Green paint even though these were new cars. After applying some scuff to the paint and painting the gas caps black, the Bullitts took on an understated, quasi-menacing appearance suitable to Frank Bullitt's demeanor.
Frank Bullitt hops in his Mustang to chase down a bad guy driving a 1968 Dodge Charger R/T. The ensuing pursuit takes up nearly 11 minutes of screen time in a film less than two hours long. Not only was it one of the longest chase scenes in a movie to date, it was uniquely riveting because of the production's insistence on realism. This included setting up the chase on city streets in San Francisco, including interior points-of-view then underutilized in cinema (some viewers were said to experience motion sickness), and sound design lifted from both recording racing engines and McQueen shifting gears with recording equipment in the cockpit.
The scene starts slowly, building tension for the first minute or two as McQueen subtly tails the Charger through the streets. But around minute three, the baddies in the Charger (with legendary driver Bill Hickman at the wheel) fasten their seatbelts — lap only — and it's on. The screeching tires, realistic traffic, and San Francisco scenery make great fodder for a muscle-car chase.
McQueen insisted that the Mustang's windows be open so that moviegoers could see that he was driving. However, McQueen did not pilot the Mustang for the entire chase. He had help from driver Bud Ekins on the more dangerous stunts.
Two authentic Bullitt Mustangs were ever made, the car's rarity and impact on the culture should have marked it as a valuable collector's item. Today, it would likely be packed up and auctioned off as a piece of mechanical Americana — not so in the '60s.
One original car was essentially destroyed in filming and sent to a salvage yard, while the production sold the other. The Road & Track classified for the surviving model advertised the "Bullett" Mustang driven by Steve McQueen in mint condition. The price? Best offer.
Bob Kiernan purchased the GT for $6,000 in 1974 and, incredibly, his wife, Robbie, drove it daily to the school where she taught third grade while Bob commuted to his New York City insurance job via train. When Bob's son Sean inherited the most legendary lost car in film history in 2015, it had undergone just a few changes: new carpets and steering wheel, a replaced bumper, and an engine rebuild. For all intents and purposes, it was original right down to the deliberately scuffed Highland Green paint job.
After a detailed verification, the Kiernans' family heirloom proved to be the genuine article. Fans flocked to the 2018 Detroit Auto Show to behold the coming-out of a legend 50 years in the making. In 2020, the Kiernans parted with their heirloom when it sold for $3.74 million at auction!
