‘Bullitt’ Ford Mustang gears up for Goodwood

The iconic 1968 Ford Mustang GT driven by Steve McQueen in the classic film ‘Bullitt’ – and lost to history until the beginning of this year – will make its first appearance outside of the US at the 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed (July 12-15).

The car, which starred in the Warner Bros movie’s legendary 10-minute chase sequence will take on the 1.16-mile Goodwood Hillclimb course alongside the new special edition Ford Mustang Bullitt, now available to order and celebrating the 50th anniversary of the cult movie.

One of two identical 1968 Mustang GT fastbacks used in the filming of ‘Bullitt’, the historic vehicle driven by McQueen resurfaced after more than three decades in storage.

To fulfil his family’s lifelong dream, owner Sean Kiernan, who inherited the car in 2014 from his late father, Robert, contacted Ford and the two parties worked together to reveal his movie star car at the 2018 Detroit Motor Show in January.

Another very special Ford Mustang in one-off Eagle Squadron livery has been co-created by Ford Performance and Vaughn Gittin Jr’s RTR Vehicles to pay tribute at Goodwood to American fighter pilots who served in the Royal Air Force during World War II.

World champion drifter Gittin Jr will pilot the 700hp Eagle Squadron Mustang GT on the Hillclimb course before the unique sports car is returned to the US to be auctioned at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s largest fundraiser, The Gathering – with proceeds supporting the Association’s youth education programmes. Gittin Jr also returns to the Hillclimb in his bespoke Mustang RTR drift car.

Visitors to this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed will also see the Ford GT supercar perform on the Hillclimb course driven by Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Team World Endurance Championship drivers Andy Priaulx and Harry Tincknell – fresh from competing at the Le Mans 24 Hours race.