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Ford Brings Silver Screen Icon To Goodwood With Long-Lost ‘68 “Bullitt” Movie Mustang And New Ford Mustang BULLITT
- Iconic “Bullitt” movie Mustang as driven by Steve McQueen in the Warner Bros. classic makes debut outside U.S. at 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed
- Movie star car features on Goodwood Hillclimb alongside the new Ford Mustang BULLITT special edition model, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the iconic film
- World champion drifter Vaughn Gittins Jr. pays tribute to America’s World War II RAF fighter pilots with one-off 700 horsepower Eagle Squadron Mustang GT
- Ford Le Mans racers Andy Priaulx and Harry Tincknell pilot the ultra-high-performance Ford GT supercar up famous Hillclimb
- M-Sport Ford Fiesta World Rally Championship car makes Hillclimb and Rally stage debuts in the hands of M-Sport Ford World Rally Team drivers Sebastien Ogier and Elfyn Evans
- All-new Ford Focus is joined by EcoSport, Kuga, and Edge sport utility vehicle range to complete the line-up on a Ford stand that also features daredevil activities
COLOGNE, Germany, July 11, 2018 – The iconic 1968 Ford Mustang GT driven by Steve McQueen in Warner Bros. Pictures’ classic film “Bullitt” – and lost to history until the beginning of this year – makes its first appearance outside of the U.S. at the 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed, U.K.
The car that starred in the Warner Bros. film’s legendary 10-minute chase sequence – setting the standard for every movie car chase to follow – features on the 1.16-mile (1.9-kilometre) Goodwood Hillclimb course accompanied by owner Sean Kiernan and alongside the new special edition Ford Mustang Bullitt that celebrates the 50th anniversary of the classic film.
“Nothing captured the spirit and excitement of Mustang quite like that amazing car chase in ‘Bullitt’,” said Steven Armstrong, group vice president and president, Europe Middle East and Africa, Ford Motor Company. “We’ve been honoured to work with Sean and his family to bring an absolute icon of motoring history to Goodwood, where we know it will be appreciated by an audience that, like Steve McQueen, has petrol in its veins.”
Another very special Ford Mustang is paying tribute at Goodwood to a group of U.S. volunteer pilots who flew combat missions alongside the Royal Air Force over Europe from nearby British airfields, prior to the U.S. entering World War II. Driven up the Hillclimb by Vaughn Gittin Jr. – and co-created by Ford Performance and the world champion drifter’s RTR Vehicles – the Eagle Squadron Mustang GT features a one-off, fighter aircraft-inspired livery.
The ultra-high-performance Ford GT supercar returns to Goodwood piloted by Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Team World Endurance Championship drivers Andy Priaulx and Harry Tincknell fresh from the Le Mans 24 Hours race — as does Gittin Jr.’s Mustang RTR drift car.
The M-Sport Ford Fiesta WRC car makes its Goodwood debut on the Hillclimb and Forest Rally Stage, demonstrated by M-Sport Ford World Rally Team drivers Sebastien Ogier and Elfyn Evans.
“Bullitt” movie Mustang
Two identical 1968 Mustang GT fastbacks were used in the filming of the classic Warner Bros. movie “Bullitt” that debuted in theatres on Oct. 17, 1968. After filming, the cars went their separate ways: the hero vehicle driven by McQueen in the movie was sold by Warner Bros. to a private buyer, and the other – used in many of the jumps during the famous chase scene – was sent to a salvage yard. That jumper vehicle resurfaced in Baja, California, in early 2017, but the other was lost to history… until earlier this year.
Sean Kiernan, owner of the hero vehicle, inherited the car in 2014 from his late father, Robert, who had purchased the vehicle in 1974. To fulfil his family’s lifelong dream, Sean contacted Ford and the two parties worked together to reveal his movie star car firstly at the 2018 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, and now at the 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed, alongside the new Ford Mustang Bullitt that is now on sale across Europe.
“You know, it was never our intention to keep this car a secret from everybody,” Kiernan said. “It just kind of happened with life. I’m just completely buzzing to join with Ford and the new Bullitt and show this car to the world on one of the biggest stages there is.”
The new Mustang Bullitt is powered by Ford’s 5.0-litre V8 engine enhanced with an Open Air Induction System, and intake manifold, 87 mm throttle bodies and powertrain control module calibration from the Shelby Mustang GT350, to deliver 460 PS and 529 Nm of torque.* The six-speed manual transmission is equipped with Ford’s new rev-matching technology, which uses the engine’s electronic control system to briefly “blip” the throttle as the driver downshifts for smooth, seamless gear-changes.
Offered with a choice of Shadow Black or classic Dark Highland Green exterior colours, the Mustang Bullitt features 19-inch Torq Thrust-style wheels, red Brembo™ brake callipers and a faux Bullitt fuel-filler cap. Other features that pay tribute to the car McQueen drove are subtle chrome accents around the grille and front windows, and a unique black front grille. Inside and out, the vehicle uses minimal badging.
The interior delivers Ford’s 12-inch all-digital LCD instrument cluster and, in addition to the standard seats that feature green stitching and a driver’s seat memory function, Mustang Bullitt customers can opt for black leather-trimmed Recaro® sports seats. As a nod to the original car’s interior, the gear shifter features a white cue ball gearshift knob. A premium B&O PLAY audio system that delivers 1000 watts through 12 high-performance speakers also features.
Eagle Squadron Mustang GT
Vaughn Gittin Jr., returns to the Goodwood Hillclimb in his bespoke Mustang RTR drift car – producing more than 900 horsepower in competition form. However, this year it’s not the only Mustang in which Gittin Jr. is flying up the hill.
Gittin Jr. will pilot the 700 horsepower Eagle Squadron Mustang GT on the Hillclimb course before the unique sports car is returned to the U.S. to be auctioned at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s largest fundraiser, The Gathering – with proceeds supporting the Association’s youth education programmes.
Powered by a 700-horsepower Ford 5.0-litre V8 with a Ford Performance supercharger, the unique Eagle Squadron Mustang GT features an RTR carbon-fibre wide-body kit – adding a powerful and menacing-looking to the camouflaged exterior, and a Tactical Performance suspension package for fine-tuned handling.
RAF veteran Paul Miller, whose father “Dusty” served in the Eagle Squadron in 1941 and 1942, will accompany Gittin Jr. as he recreates the fighter plane experience on the Goodwood Hillclimb course.
http://www.cars-power.com/news/ford...t-movie-mustang-and-new-ford-mustang-bullitt/
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