That cool sound of the Mustang from the movie Bullitt is often described as raw, mechanical, and aggressive. It’s that throaty rumble sound that only car guys can appreciate. The question is, can that sound be duplicated? The answer is yes and no.
This article starts with ‘without a doubt’ the most iconic 10-minute car race ever seen on film, Steve McQueen in the movie Bullitt. His famous souped-up 1968 Ford Mustang GT with a 390 ci Fastback racing against a 1968 Dodge Charger R/T 440 through the streets of San Francisco is a scene that went down in history.
- Did you know Ford Motor Company tried to replicate the sound of the Mustang GT, but they tried and failed, and then they tried again? This is where a simple idea turned into a total nightmare for Ford.
Before getting into the details of the iconic exhaust sound, here’s how the story came to be. Many years ago, there was a rumour that Ford was duplicating the iconic Bullitt sound for a 50th-anniversary car. When a 2011 Mustang drove by doing a loud exhaust note, it took me back to the movie Bullitt.
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As a blogger, I started researching Steve McQueen, the Mustang, and the sound. I’m not psychic, but I hear some non-car enthusiasts calling me crazy for overemphasizing a sound. However, many car enthusiasts modify their engines to get that perfect rumble sound, so this theme isn’t so crazy.
The story is not just about the Mustang, but also about that iconic sound. It’s about Ford trying to mimic the sound of the 1968 Bullitt Mustang, which is almost as interesting as the car race itself. It seems I’m not the only one who thought the rumble was neat.
This is where Ford’s nightmare begins. Duplicating that sound wasn’t as easy as Ford thought. Ford engineers tried to digitally map the audio for the 2001 tribute model, but they discovered they were chasing a “phantom ghost” soundtrack.
Most of the engine sounds in the movie’s famous chase scene were dubbed in post-production. According to Chad McQueen, Steve’s son, the sounds actually came from a NASCAR stock car. Steve McQueen’s movie car featured a straight-cut transmission, which creates a distinct “whine” that a standard production Mustang could not naturally replicate.
To solve these issues for the 2001 and 2008 models, Ford had to “invent” a hardware solution to mimic the dubbed movie sound. Engineers at Ford worked on the theory of Muffler Tuning with suppliers like ArvinMeritor to design mufflers specifically for the new Bullitt. These unique mufflers had internal baffles to match the “movie frequency”.
They used a modified H-pipe with internal changes to create a “burble” rather than the higher-pitched “rasp” of a standard X-pipe. For the 2019 version, Ford used an Active Valve Performance Exhaust to allow drivers to adjust the volume. However, some critics and owners claim Ford still uses “Active Noise Enhancement” to pump processed engine frequencies through the car’s speakers.
Ford also had to battle modern noise ordinances, especially in California. While trying to make the car as “rowdy” as the movie version, they had to ensure it met the 95-decibel drive-by noise standard. To push the limits, they calibrated the exhaust to be “as loud as legally possible” while still passing EPA regulations.
The main problem is that the iconic sound everyone remembers wasn’t easy to replicate because it wasn’t real to start with. The recreation of the Bullitt sound was a multi-decade engineering project that combined advanced acoustic mapping with surprising discoveries about Hollywood “magic”.
When Ford developed the first modern Bullitt tribute in 2001, they didn’t just add a muffler; they re-engineered the entire airflow path to replicate the specific frequencies they heard in the movie. The question on the web was, can you make a new Mustang sound like the one in the movie Bullitt? The answer is, not really, not without a lot of modifications.
Conclusion.
The 2008–2009 Models: Ford explicitly engineered a specially tuned dual exhaust system to mimic the crisp, retro, mechanical “growl” heard on the silver screen.
The Steve McQueen Bullitt Mustang is one of the most celebrated vehicles in cinematic history, famously driven by McQueen in the 1968 film Bullitt.
Serial number #8R02S125559
*** Although it seems I’m switching another gear, >>> here is a little Information on Steve McQueen’s Bullitt Mustang and the Stunt Mustang that you didn’t know. ***
The car, a 1968 Ford Mustang GT Fastback in Highland Green, is best known for its role in the legendary 10-minute chase scene through the streets of San Francisco.
The Original Movie, Warner Bros. purchased two identical Mustangs with sequential serial numbers for the production: The “Hero” Car Serial #559. “This was the car McQueen drove for most of the filming.”
After production of Bullitt, it was sold to a private buyer and then another buyer and eventually ended up with the Kiernan family in 1974. That year, Robert Kiernan and his wife Robbie purchased it for $6,000 after seeing a classified ad in Road & Track magazine. “Daily Driver:”
The Kiernans had no intention of buying a movie relic; they just wanted a cool car. Robbie Kiernan used it as her daily vehicle, driving it to teach school and run errands.
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A few years later, Steve McQueen tracked down the Kiernans and sent a letter offering to buy the car so it wouldn’t become an ordinary used car. Robert Kiernan declined his offer.
Around 1980, the clutch pooched and was no longer drivable, so the family parked the car in a barn where it sat for many years. It stayed in the family’s possession and moved around with them as they relocated to horse farms in Tennessee.
They never publicly discussed the car to protect its privacy, keeping the secret for over four decades.
The Public Unveiling & Auction
Robert Kiernan (the owner) passed away in 2014, leaving the car to his son, Sean Kiernan. Ahead of the movie’s 50th anniversary, the Kiernans partnered with Ford to dramatically reveal the unrestored hero car at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show.
In January 2020, Sean Kiernan decided to sell the iconic Mustang at a Mecum Auction House to move on to the next chapter of his family’s life.
It sold for a record-breaking $3.4 million, becoming the most expensive Mustang ever sold at auction. ****
The second Mustang (Serial #558, one digit different) underwent extensive modifications for jumps and high-impact stunts. They believed it to be scrapped, but later discovered it in a Mexican junkyard in 2017.
Serial number 8R02S125558
It’s also worth noting: Unlike the Kiernan hero car, the heavy stunt car has never been sold at a public auction since its discovery. Someone bought it privately in its deteriorated state, and they are currently restoring it.
“Written by a once truck driver, a heavy equipment, truck, coach and everything in-between mechanic. Now turned, opinionated Blogger. ☕ Buying me a Coffee would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks for considering my request through PayPal. 🔗
