One of the most famous and influential car chases in movie history hit the big screen in 1968, when “Bullitt” was released in October of that year. The Pick of the Day is a 2001 Ford Mustang Bullitt listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Osceola, Missouri.
The classic movie, starring Steve McQueen as a police lieutenant, was a stereotypical action-thriller detective story, but most people remember the movie for its captivating 10-minute car chase through the streets of San Francisco. About three decades following the film’s released, a concept car called the Mustang Bullitt was unveiled at the 2000 Los Angeles Auto Show. A production version went on sale in February of the following year.
The listing begins, “Only 5,582 special-edition Bullitts were produced in 2001, and the cars were specially numbered by Ford. This Bullitt is number 0702.” According to Ford Performance, there were 3,041 Bullitt Mustangs produced in Highland Green.
The Bullitt came with some stylistic features that set it apart from the GT and other/lower trim levels: retro-style hood scoop, 17-inch five-spoke wheels, billet aluminum fuel-filler door, and model-specific badging. It’s also worth noting that the Bullitt package deleted several features in the interest of a cleaner, more minimalist look similar to the movie car, so the spoiler and fog lamps were omitted accordingly.
Power comes from a 4.6-liter Modular V8 mated to a TREMEC TR-3650 five-speed manual transmission. Ford squeezed five additional horsepower out of the Bullitt’s engine when compared to the standard GT model’s, putting it at 265 horsepower. While not a huge difference on paper, the modifications reportedly made the car more responsive to drive by giving it better power delivery at lower RPMs. Features included a special cast-aluminum intake manifold, twin 57mm-bore throttle body, larger alternator and water pump pulleys, and retuned exhaust system with 20% improved flow. Handling was improved courtesy of a lowered suspension, re-valved Tokico struts, and unique, large-diameter stabilizer bars.
Speaking of improvements, this low-mileage Bullitt, which shows just 40,000 miles, has a few performance tricks up its sleeve besides the ones that Ford installed at the factory: Diablo power chip, Paxton Novi 2000 supercharger, AFM high-volume power pipe, long-tube headers, and SLP cat-back exhaust system.
The seller says, “This Bullitt is in great shape and has not been abused. Everything works like it is supposed to, including the A/C and the six-disc factory CD player.”
The asking price is $21,500.
Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com
