Ford Mustang Bullitt

Mustang Bullitt at a glance

The Bullitt is a version of the Ford Mustang and always sat one step above the GT; in 2019–2020 the track-focused Shelby GT350 was the next step up.

The 1968 film car

In Bullitt (1968) McQueen drives a modified 1968 Mustang GT 2+2 Fastback, chasing a Dodge Charger through the streets of San Francisco. Motor1 describes it as an ordinary Mustang GT, not a factory special edition. It had the 390 cu in V8 of 242 kW (325 hp, SAE gross) and a four-speed manual. Its opponent in the chase was a 1968 Charger, the car covered in the Dodge Charger R/T article.

The hero car later belonged to Robert Kiernan and then to his son Sean, and for decades its whereabouts were a mystery to the public. Ford showed it beside the new Bullitt in January 2018 at the North American International Auto Show, where Sean Kiernan appeared on stage. On 10 January 2020 Mecum Auctions sold it for US$3.7 million including fees, which Wikipedia describes as a record price.

2001: the first Bullitt edition

The first Bullitt GT appeared for 2001 on the fourth-generation Mustang, as a coupé only. Ford fitted a redesigned intake and a freer exhaust to the 4.6-litre V8, which gave 198 kW (265 hp), five horsepower more than the regular GT.

The chassis changes mattered more than the power figure:

• ride height lowered by 3/4 inch (19 mm), with Tokico dampers;
• subframe connectors, otherwise used on the convertible;
• brakes from the SVT Cobra: 13-inch (330 mm) discs at the front and 11.7-inch (297 mm) at the rear;
• Torq-Thrust style wheels, 17-inch and grey according to Motor1.

Outside, US cars lost their fog lights and the rear spoiler, while Canadian cars kept the fog lights. A brushed aluminium fuel door and Bullitt badges completed the look. Most of the 5,582 cars were painted Dark Highland Green; the rest were True Blue or Black. At about US$26,000 in 2001, Motor1 put the premium over a base GT at around US$4,000.

2008–2009: the S197 Bullitt

The Bullitt returned in February 2008 on the retro-styled fifth-generation Mustang; Wikipedia credits the Bullitt design to Doug Gaffka. The 4.6-litre SOHC V8 received a cold-air intake, a new engine calibration and an exhaust tuned to sound like the film car. Output rose to 235 kW (315 hp) at 6,000 rpm and 441 Nm at 4,250 rpm, and the rev limit moved from 6,250 to 6,500 rpm. Ford recommended 91-octane fuel; with regular petrol the peak figure stayed the same, but premium gave a flatter torque curve.

Buyers could choose Dark Highland Green or Black. For 2009 the Bullitt became a regular option on GT Premium coupés with the manual gearbox. Motor1 reports 5,808 cars sold in 2008 and 816 in 2009, at a base price of about US$31,000 in 2008.

2019–2020: the 50th-anniversary Bullitt

Ford unveiled the third Bullitt in January 2018 in Detroit as a 2019 model, marking fifty years since the film. It used the 5.0-litre Coyote V8 of the facelifted Mustang GT with intake parts from the Shelby GT350. Ford names the open-air induction system, the intake manifold, 87 mm throttle bodies and the engine calibration. The US rating was 358 kW (480 hp) at 7,000 rpm and 569 Nm at 4,600 rpm.

Outside, the black grille had chrome trim and no running horse, and a large round Bullitt emblem sat between the tail lights. Wikipedia describes the styling as taken directly from the 1968 GT390 in the film. Ford and the McQueen estate auctioned VIN 001 and raised US$300,000 for charity.

Motor Authority reported in October 2020 that the Bullitt would be dropped after the 2020 model year. Its last list price, US$48,905, was close to that of the 2021 Mustang Mach 1, which had the same 358 kW (480 hp) rating and more track hardware.

The European Bullitt

Ford of Europe presented the Bullitt at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2018 and started European production in June of that year. Its press release gave 341 kW (464 PS) and 529 Nm, slightly less than the US rating, and listed the equipment of the European car:

• the six-speed manual with rev matching, which blips the throttle on downshifts;
• red Brembo brake calipers, 19-inch Torq Thrust style wheels and optional MagneRide dampers;
• an active-valve exhaust as standard;
• a 12-inch digital instrument cluster with a green Bullitt welcome screen and a 1,000-watt B&O PLAY system with 12 speakers;
• a white cue-ball gear knob, green stitching, optional Recaro seats and a numbered plaque on the passenger side of the dashboard;
• a faux Bullitt fuel-filler cap as the only exterior badge.

In the UK, Motoring Research measured 0–60 mph in 4.6 seconds, reported a price of under £50,000 and said the allocation for 2019 had sold out.

Bullitt versions compared

The pattern is the same in all three: a small power increase, a lower and stiffer suspension, better brakes or wheels and a deliberately plain body. The Bullitt was never the fastest Mustang of its generation; that role belonged to the SVT Cobra and the Shelby GT500.