[Closed] Another 1968 Bullitt Mustang is on its way.Arrival should be guaranteed as

The model looks good and the color appears to be right, but the huge chromed outside mirror is wrong, and so is the mysterious chrome trim
piece in the side scoop. The "Bullitt" Mustang had a dark-colored mirror, either
black or dark green, and much smaller than the one on this model and there was
no chromed piece in the side scoop ahead of the rear wheel.

Both easy fixes, if accuracy is paramount. And it is, especially regarding an icon
like this Mustang (which by the way, wore no Ford badges or Mustang in the
grille, since Ford wasn't sure they wanted to be associated with it!).

Rick

I always thought the Bullitt Mustang was metallic green.

The actual color, John, is Highland Green, which is a fairly dark green.

I'm not sure if it was metallic or not. Now that I look again at the picture of the
model in Ed's post, it doesn't appear to be dark enough. It's also a little too
bright.

There were actually two Mustangs used in the movie, according to an article I
read at a site which came up when I googled "Bullitt Mustang." Some still
photos show a car with no external door-mounted mirror, but the article in "Car
Life" magazine from August 1968 in its article on filming the movie clearly
shows a dark-colored mirror on the driver's door.

Thanks for the "fun" youtube vid and the sorta weird stevemcqueen site - the vid does show the ...

round, black mirror on the 'stang!

John,the rare green Brooklin was dark green metallic.However the Brooklin Bullitt is descibed as forest green,the real 1/1 colour being dark highland green.I have only been to Goodwood once (last year) and hope to go again this year.

My friend (and Editor at "Cars & Parts" Mag) Brad Bowling wrote the definitive article on the surviving Bullitt Mustang, here.

As for the mirror and other blacked-out/deleted items on the car, in films, directors often use tricks to reduce glare and unwanted reflections. They use dulling spray, and also paint trim in flat colors to keep the "action" on the actor(s) and not the shiny details of the car(s). Dulling spray is quite noticeable when you know that you're looking for it, or at it.

That explains the standard, round, non-remote-controlled mirror being blacked out on the movie car, and the other trim, too. That or McQueen's Bullitt character liked to customize his Mustangs; the world may never know.

Brad has also written a plethora books and articles on Mustangs, listed here.

TG

Yes, but it doesn't alter the fact that Ford wanted the horse and corral in the grille removed as well as the Mustang letters on the decklid. Their
lawyers didn't want the company too closely associated with a car driven like
that on the streets. I didn't say it made sense!

While the mirror may have been replaced for exactly the technical reasons you
state, Tom, because of the shots of the driver as shown through the side
window, the chrome trim around the grille, around the rear taillight panel,
around the windows, and on the door handles and bumpers was left in place.
Only the identifying stuff was removed, at the insistence of Ford.

Okay Rick, but if Ford Legal didn't want McQueen driving a GT, they should've given him a Camaro.

For conversation's sake, where does the lawyer's take on this come from? From the ponysite.com's BULLITT Page (click on REPORT: Dave), about of a third of the way down, "...There has been much rumor and speculation over the years as to why the Mustang had no emblems...."

Interesting to note that the "expert" didn't bother to convert his car from remote mirrors, remove MUSTANG and black-out the side scoop tin and GT gascap. So much for experts. Don't even get me started on the turtleneck and sport coat!

Rather like Mr. Rogers channelling Rhett Butler...

TG

The Minichamps, for those who care, is dark metallic green

Alas, I am here in Charleston for some R&R and can't pull my replica out to examine details like mirror, decklid, etc. But it does not have the pony on the grille.

LOL!! As to the take on the lawyer's position, Tom, I have no clue. Who knows what they're thinking some of the time? There may have been some people
watching the movie who didn't know that Bullitt's car was a Mustang, but
there can't have been many....why Ford would not have wanted the horse,
etc., in the grille is beyond me.

I checked my '68 Mustang brochure and it's really weird. Some cars have the
trim piece in the side "scoop" and some don't, so I guess it was a part of a
trim package. Mostly, it's the 2+2s which don't have it...the convertibles and
notchbacks do. And at least one car has the letters FORD across the hood,
just above the trim piece at the top of the grille, but others don't.

I'm curious about your comment on the sport coat and turtleneck...what's the
issue there? One photo in Car Life shows both McQueen and Bud Ekins, who
did a good bit of the stunt driving, in similar getup, as you'd expect.

One site that I found shows the process whereby a '68 Mustang Bullitt replica
was built for Chad McQueen, and it doesn't have an exterior mirror on the
driver's side. As you so correctly noted, so much for "experts."

Rick

Rick, the McQueen turtleneck take reminds me of a dweeb in the local Buick Club who bought a marginal '58 Buick, simultaneously discovered Harley Earl, and proclaimed himself an instant expert on all things pertaining to both. Fins and fedoras, chrome zoomies and zoot-suits, ad nauseum, to the point I had to stay away, or at least out of earshot and visual range (I don't have enough icepicks for two ears and two eyes). This was around the time of those dreadful Harley Earl GM ads, and it was just a bit too too.

Anyhew, I like the McQueen look and double-breasted, pin-striped suits, and costumes in general. But you gotta be able to do it justice, and really pull it off.

TG