Auto Pics

This Mustang GT390 is the star of one of the greatest car chases ever filmed in cinema history. It appears as the car driven by "Frank Bullitt", a tough San Francisco cop played by Steve McQueen in the movie "Bullitt". The movie itself is an average police thriller which happens to be set in San Francisco. About halfway through the movie, the "bad guys" decide to make a move on Bullitt and start following him. Our hero spots the bad guys trailing him in traffic (in a rather cool looking black '68 Dodge Charger) and quickly manages to turn the tables on them. Hence begins a stormer of a car chase, up and down the steep hills of San Francisco. The stunt cars had to have their sumps and suspensions reinforced to withstand the frequent take offs and heavy landings as they powered through the hilly intersections used for the chase scenes.

The accompanying V8 soundtrack is just superb, but it is not apparently the true sound of a Mustang. The V8 roar of a Nascar racer was substituted on the soundtrack as McQueen felt the standard Mustang V8 sound was not good enough for the big screen. McQueen himself did much of the stunt driving required for the movie. The chase eventually ends with McQueen's Mustang hanging over a ditch while the bad guys get the worst of it by crashing into a gas station resulting in their fiery death! However, if you look closely at the scene, the Charger actually can be seen passing behind the gas pumps on the forecourt a split second before the explosion was set off. As only one take was possible, (given that they had blow up the fake gas station they built to shoot the scene) the footage of the car missing the pumps was left in the final cut of the movie.

Green '68 Mustang fastbacks are often known now as "Bullitt" Mustangs, so popular was the image of the car in the movie. Many are "replicas" having been painted green and given the appropriate "Torque Thrust" 5 spoke wheels.

This model of the Bullitt Mustang is by AUTOart and it was one of their first efforts at a classic American car. It is a superb model with great looking paint, super wheels, a detailed interior and engine bay and even has the correct numberplates as on the movie car! The front brake discs have a realistic metal appearance, a feature on many AUTOart models and one which looks superb. As of 2006 you can still buy this Mustang new from AUTOart, but no longer with the "Bullitt" numberplates or in a movie themed box. My guess is that the licensing deal allowing AUTOart to use the "Bullitt" and Steve McQueen titles has expired, but of course there is no reason to stop making green Mustangs! (As long as they still have the license from Ford!).