December 2018 Issue #24 December 2018 Issue #24 CHRISTMAS | Page 93

The Story Behind the 2019
Ford Mustang Bullitt
Warner Bros. originally purchased two 1968 Mustangs for the making of
the film. A company employee later purchased one of the cars, then sold it
in 1970 to a New Jersey Police detective for $6,000. In 1974, the car again
changed hands to the Kiernan brothers in 1974 for $6,000. The Kiernans
used it as their family car until 1980, despite Steve McQueen’s offer to pur-
chase it in 1977.
In 2001, Robert Kiernan and his 20-year-old son Sean began restoring the
original Mustang Bullitt. Sean Inherited the car when Robert passed away in
2014. He carried on the rebuild, firing it up for the first time on July 4, 2016.
Last year, the famous pony car reunited with the McQueen family, when
Steve’s granddaughter Molly met with Sean in the Ford design studio in
Dearborn.
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