Photo From Fox News/Kevin Marti Pictured is the car with a fresh coat of paint, Ralph Garcia, Jr. and Kevin Marti
The 1968 Ford Mustang used in the Steve McQueen film Bullitt has been missing for almost five decades, and has just turned up in a junkyard at the Mexicali border. Classic Ford expert, Kevin Marti, has verified that this is the car from the movie after he traveled to the Mexicali border last week.
A man named Hugo Sanchez was the one who found the Mustang. The body was rotting away and original powertrain/drivetrain gone. This movie star car was the one used as the main stunt car in the movie, and it had been rumored to have been sent away to junkyard life after the movie was finished filming. It is unlikely to have been at this particular junkyard the whole time, and several layers of paint suggest that it’s changed hands a few times before ending up here.
Hugo brought the car to a custom car shop that his friend, Ralph Garcia Jr., owns to have it worked over. The mission was, ironically, to turn it into a Mustang Eleanor clone from the movie Gone in 60 Seconds — but after learning about its history, that didn’t seem proper at all!
Garcia ordered a full report from Marti Auto Works — this is a company that maintains the production data base for all Fords built from 1967-2012. The results of the report shocked Garcia. This Mustang was one of two Mustangs ordered by Warner Bros. for the movie, and the other is privately owned.
Kevin Marti is confident that the VIN plate is the original one, and this source is of the highest authority. He also cross-checked dates stamped on the original body panels to back up the claim. He also provides that this isn’t even the first time a famous car has turned up in a junkyard, kind of a sad scenario if you think about it.
“I’m 100 percent sure it’s authentic” -Kevin Marti to Fox News
The Mustang is currently undergoing repairs, and it’s dignity has already been restored with a fresh coat of green paint and replica license plate like the one from Bullitt. A full restoration will be done with the guidance of the experts at Ford.
Garcia has already been contacted with bids to buy the car as it sits, but it’s not for sale at the moment. Pinning down the car’s value would be difficult, but other McQueen related vehicles have gone for millions at auctions. Not to mention, Bullitt frenzy is about to reach a generational fever-pitch next year when the film celebrates its 50th anniversary — talk about great timing!
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