Editor’s note: Big Dan is off this week so guest columnist Bill Thorpe is here to share his story about the Bullitt Mustang.
Four decades after hitting Warner Bros.’ big screen with Steve McQueen’s famous nine-minute car chase in a 1968 Mustang, Ford’s 2008 special edition of the Bullitt was released to commemorate that history-making chase. Mustangs flew out of showrooms in the weeks after the film’s release, thus starting a trend for future product placements in Hollywood. The movie “Bullitt” set the standard for chase scenes in all motion pictures that followed, even to present-day Hollywood.
A limited production of 7,000 units (all numbered) in the United States and 700 in Canada assure the car’s collectivity status. Engineers modified the auto to stand alone from other Mustang GTs by giving it a special chassis and handling package. Sound engineers matched exhaust tones perfectly to the original 1968 car. The five-speed manual transmission will red line at 6,500 rpm with 325 foot pounds of torque at the rear wheels.
The Ford Racing Team has set up this 315 horsepower, 4.6-liter engine with a factory cold-air induction system, allowing a top-end speed of 151 mph. Track times were 5.1 seconds in 0-60 mph and 13.07 seconds in the quarter-mile with a top speed of 102.8 mph.
All 40th anniversary Bullitts were built at Auto Alliance International in Flat Rock, Mich.
By the way, all the cars have five-speed manual transmissions because McQueen wouldn’t drive an automatic.
One of the models will be on display Friday through Sunday at the World of Wheels at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
Four decades after hitting Warner Bros.’ big screen with Steve McQueen’s famous nine-minute car chase in a 1968 Mustang, Ford’s 2008 special edition of the Bullitt was released to commemorate that history-making chase. Mustangs flew out of showrooms in the weeks after the film’s release, thus starting a trend for future product placements in Hollywood. The movie “Bullitt” set the standard for chase scenes in all motion pictures that followed, even to present-day Hollywood.
A limited production of 7,000 units (all numbered) in the United States and 700 in Canada assure the car’s collectivity status. Engineers modified the auto to stand alone from other Mustang GTs by giving it a special chassis and handling package. Sound engineers matched exhaust tones perfectly to the original 1968 car. The five-speed manual transmission will red line at 6,500 rpm with 325 foot pounds of torque at the rear wheels.
The Ford Racing Team has set up this 315 horsepower, 4.6-liter engine with a factory cold-air induction system, allowing a top-end speed of 151 mph. Track times were 5.1 seconds in 0-60 mph and 13.07 seconds in the quarter-mile with a top speed of 102.8 mph.
All 40th anniversary Bullitts were built at Auto Alliance International in Flat Rock, Mich.
By the way, all the cars have five-speed manual transmissions because McQueen wouldn’t drive an automatic.
One of the models will be on display Friday through Sunday at the World of Wheels at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
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