Few films have car chases as iconic as those in Bullitt, the 1968 film starring Steve McQueen as a relentless San Francisco police detective. And while the film has taken its place in cinematic history, that’s not the only foothold it’s taken in terms of being preserved for posterity. The Mustang that McQueen drove in the film has also had an impressive second act — including being displayed on the National Mall in 2018.
This iconic car is now taking its next step into history: at an auction in Kissimmee, Florida, the Mustang sold for $3.4 million, breaking the previous record for sales of a Mustang by over a million.
The Los Angeles Times reports that bidding began at $3,500 — a request from the car’s seller, Sean Kiernan, whose father had previously purchased the car for that amount. (Needless to say, the bids rose very quickly from there.) One thing that’s not clear: who the buyer ended up being.
In their report, the Times notes that cars associated with McQueen have tended to sell for higher-than-expected prices. It’s unclear whether this is limited to actor Steve McQueen or whether cars associated with artist and film director Steve McQueen have also seen a similar boost.
Also unclear is what the buyer plans to do with the Mustang. The possibilities aren’t quite limitless — attempting to re-enact the iconic car chase from Bullitt would likely not end well for anyone involved. But whoever the car’s new owner is, they now have a piece of both cinematic and automotive history.
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