Ford Resurrects the Mustang Bullitt as Film's 50th Anniversary Nears

The first Bullitt go-round was a 2001 attempt to upgrade the Mustang GT with a modicum of extra power and a styling nod to an old movie that couldn’t be more forgettable, were it not for a stellar chase sequence. The 2001-2002 Mustang Bullitt, however, couldn’t do anything about its facelifted 1990s sheetmetal, which hardly asks, “Are you going to San Francisco?”

It was the fifth-generation Mustang’s retro design that proved a far more suitable canvas for Ford’s performance brush. Endowed with a more generous helping of brawn, the 2008-2009 Bullitt was a fitting homage to a certain Dark Highland Green ’68 Mustang 390. Still, all good things must come to an end. Or do they?

If you’ve heard rumors recently, consider this a confirmation. The Bullitt is back, just in time for the 50th anniversary of the Steve McQueen flick that made chassis-bending jumps popular a decade before the Duke boys. Driven onto the Cobo Center stage in Detroit by McQueen’s granddaughter, Molly McQueen, the Sunday night reveal of Ford’s turtleneck-and-sport-coat ‘Stang was a pleasant distraction from the automaker’s incessant future-speak.

For the 2019 Bullitt, due out this summer, the model’s signature blacked-out five-spokes (with chrome rim) expand to 19 inches. Body color remains the same, though Shadow Black is an option for those who can’t stomach paint perfection. A chrome faux gas cap harkens back to the days of pennies-a-gallon gas and Flower Power, and the chrome-ringed grille is tailor-made for putting black Charger owners on notice.

Inside, you’ll find available Recaro sport seats adorned with green stitching, but it’s more likely you’ll notice the cue-ball shifter on this Mustang’s six-speed stick first. That’s the only transmission choice here, as Ford’s keeping things as traditional as possible. Well, sort of, as Lt. Frank Bullitt didn’t have optional MagneRide semi-active suspension to sort out the landings on those San Francisco hills. Nor was there an available electronics package boasting navigation and blind spot monitoring with a cross-traffic alert feature in Frank’s day.

Nice touches, but what about power? The new Bullitt, thankfully, isn’t allergic to the gym.

Like the GT upon which it’s based, the Bullitt’s hood hides a 5.0-liter V8, only this one’s hit the weights. Borrowing the GT350’s intake manifold, 87 mm throttle bodies, and powertrain control module calibration, as well as an open air induction system, the mill is good for “at least” 475 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque, Ford claims. This means the Bullitt’s good for 163 miles per hour, flat out.

Out back, Black NitroPlate exhaust tips top off an active valve performance exhaust system. You’ll know of its presence by a “signature burble” — one designed to strike fear into the hearts of conservatively dressed hitmen everywhere.

What can a buyer expect to pay for the third-generation Bullitt Mustang? Ford’s keeping it a secret until closer to the release date, but anticipate a significant premium over a GT.

Not one to skimp on nostalgia, Ford managed to source one of the two original 1968 Mustangs used in the film in order to place it alongside the 2019 model. As this particular vehicle wasn’t used for low-altitude flights over San Fran’s voluptuous topography, the unmolested Stang found a private buyer after fulfilling its contract with the movie studio. Sean Kiernan, son of the car’s presumed second owner, recently contacted Ford with his find.

After all of Ford’s unsettling “city of tomorrow” talk, it was nice, though not completely reassuring, to see history come together in this way. Let’s hope this raw, individualistic heritage isn’t forgotten in the headlong race for “disruptive” self-driving vehicles and other utopian “mobility solutions.”

[Images: Ford Motor Company]