Calling all Steve McQueen fans – this is your chance to drive a Bullitt Mustang! This very faithful replica of Lieutenant Frank Bullitt’s Ford Mustang from the hit 1968 movie ‘Bullitt’ is an amazing beast of a car to drive – so let’s see if you can replicate that legendary car chase scene!
So there you are driving through the streets of San Fran when you spot the two protagonists who murdered the key witness you were charged with protecting as they cruise along in their Dodge Charger. Cue a heart-pounding 11 minutes of the most realistic car chase 1960s Hollywood had ever seen where McQueen drove the Mustang himself for the close-up shots as his character Bullitt is chasing and being chased by the gangster hitmen around the hills of San Fransisco. The pursuit finishes in quite literally explosive style as Bullitt forces the baddies to crash into a petrol station.
Even today many film and car buffs consider Bullitt’s Ford Mustang vs Dodge drive to be on of the greatest car pursuits of all time. Filming took a mammoth five weeks using two 1968 Ford Mustang GT Fastbacks one of which was scrapped after the film wrapped and the other was sold. No-one is quite sure of the whereabouts of the original Bullitt car these days but we can tell you there’s a very similar one zooming around the airfield track at Bovingdon!
Just as you’d expect this Bullitt-style Mustang is that subtle dark green colour with glistening chrome. We’re not sure if you’ll get any sultry jazz-inspired music on the cassette player and we doubt you’ll ever look quite as cool as the McQueen himself in his tweed jacket with those leather elbow patches but on this experience you’ll sure have fun trying.
Before you’re let loose for your 10 Hollywood-style high thrills driving hot laps of the circuit you will head out in a high performance motor with an instructor driving so can check out the lay of the land. There won’t be any green VW Beetles to overtake twice or Bernal Heights to climb but there will be some challenging corners and a nice straight where you can put your desert-booted foot to the floor in this Bullitt Mustang.
