2020 Ford Mustang Bullitt Review (The Weekly Driver)
2020 Bullitt Mustang ideal for the Steve McQueen in all of us.
A 1968 Ford Mustang GT Fastback and a 2004 Pontiac Aztek are as far apart on the automotive spectrum as possible — with one exception.
With a few dozen other vehicles — an Aston Martin DB5 to AMC Pacer and a Plymouth Fury to Pontiac Trans AM — the Mustang and Aztek are cultural icons.
Younger automotive and movie enthusiasts may only know the Aztek from the “Breaking Bad” series on Netflix or a Toyota MK IV Supra from the movie “The Fast and the Furious.” But the Bullitt Mustang, released in three time frames in the past 20 years, dates to the 1968 movie “Bullitt.”
Bullitt Mustang: Relevant Then, Now
Actor Steve McQueen epitomized coolness as Police detective Frank Bullitt. With his black turtleneck sweater, open chocolate-brown blazer and gun in a shoulder holster, Bullitt chased criminals around San Francisco. The film’s seven-minute, high-speed, climactic chase scene showcases the Mustang chasing a 1968 Dodge Charger 440 Magnum.
More than 50 years later, the footage remains as relevant as any movie car chase scene. It’s also the impetus for Ford to sell more Mustangs of different variants as homages to the increasing legend of the original car.
(photo credit: Gretchen Gaither)
