[Sidponcho]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

Enthusiasts weren't able to guess with any accuracy a week before this present auction (much less 10 years from now).

https://www.yenko.net/forum/showthread.php?t=158845

K

You expected accurate poll results on a Chevy site ?

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by Chief of the 60's

Is it true that Jay Leno offered the family $6M for the car a little while back?

Doubtful. People bring up his name whenever some car sells for silly money at an auction, but he's not in the hobby to flaunt his wealth on speculative movie cars.

[Chief of the 60's]

Originally Posted by Stuart

Doubtful. People bring up his name whenever some car sells for silly money at an auction, but he's not in the hobby to flaunt his wealth on speculative movie cars.

Kind of what I was thinking but you never know sometimes in this crazy collector car world.

[Chief of the 60's]

Originally Posted by Sidponcho

You expected accurate poll results on a Chevy site ?

Now that there is funny.

[hobbygto65]

What's funny is the next night a McLaren super car sold $995 thousand, you could have bought 4 of these for the price of that Mustang. Which one do you think would be more fun?

[Bentwheelbob]

What’s the rumor mill say about who bought it?

[Mcronk]

I was there when it sold. Craziest thing I have ever seen at a auction. I have been going to this auction for about 7 years now. Never have I seen so many people jammed in that building. I was waiting for the fire marshal to show up and shut the whole thing down!

Throngs followed the car on and off stage like lemmings. I am sure Mecum will get some negative feedback. They sold a ton of general admission tickets and had very little seating for them. They took up most of the registered bidders seating which was 4 times the cost of GA. Quite a few registered bidders could not even get in the seating area as entrance ways were constantly being blocked by people standing. It was impossible to get on the floor and if you were down there you were not moving as everyone was tightly packed in.

My observations on car are, it definitely changed the cinematic approach to filming car chases, but other than that it leaves me unimpressed. What do you do with a car like that? It was rusty, dented, and not in a condition that was pleasing to the eye. You don't dare restore it, and you can't drive it.

To me the Smokey Bandit movie cars are much more iconic. They not only had a huge social impact from little kid lunch boxes, to popularizing the CB lingo, to helping sell a ton of Trans Ams. I cannot say the same for the Bullit Mustang. This was definitely a "hype" job by Mecum.

[shaker455]

I've been following the Bullitt movie car for quite some time....
I like the car and wouldn't mind owning one like it.
After spending this past summer tuning & driving another movie car "Elinor" I've had my fill of movie cars.
You get a lot of attention when you stop for gas.
From what I gather Jay Leno helped direct the owner to sell it.
I figured it would be sold as the most expensive movie car in history .....like $10,000,000
Mob scene....your not the first to that Mcronk.

[pont406]

The Hype started when the owner finally brought the car out of hiding, coaxed out by Ford (and probably some cash) to display with the Bullit edtion new Mustangs, I figured once it started going around to shows, it would end up on the BJ or Mecum stage. knew it would bring a big price, (maybe break 6 figures) but really didn't think it would hit what it did, while its an iconic car now for the over 40 guys and gals, they must really love the car because as the years go by it won't be a good investment if that was the motive for buying it. This sale makes me curious what the American Graffitti 32 coupe would bring today? that car as well, has been cloned/tributed by the thousands (some good, some bad)and is a well known iconic movie car, although i'm sure the current owner of the AG coupe had heard a lot of offers over the years, have to wonder if any were that high?

[Stuart]

Jay Leno drove the car on an episode of Jay Leno's Garage, but I've never read or heard anything about him being involved in advising the owner on the sale of the car before it became public.

The Smokey and the Bandit Trans Am and the '32 Ford from American Graffiti are iconic, but it can be argued that the Mustang from Bullitt started off the whole concept of a car being the star of a movie (well, there is the Aston Martin of 007 fame but it really only appeared in Goldfinger for a few minutes total, and was somewhat incidental to the plot of the movie. It didn't really become iconic as such until later.) Combine that with the Mustang being associated with Steve McQueen (have you seen what anything he actually owned, from cars to motorcycles to articles of clothing have sold for?) it makes sense it sold for millions.

[Mcronk]

I had to laugh. Can you imagine building a clone of this car? Will be interesting to see how many do. I just don't think that value will stick. Sure it is associated with McQueen but he never actually owned the car. However there was a Bullitt Mustang for sale there owned by McQueen's first wife and being sold by his son Chad. It was the first Bullit tribute version and had extremely low miles. Have to look it up and see if it sold.

[Mcronk]

I am not sure I would go as far as saying the car was a star in the movie. You could argue the 68 Charger would be a costar as the bad guy. They both had the same screen time. Ironically I watched this movie days before the auction. I retired from "making pictures" and to me the car was a interesting prop. McQueen nor anyone ever mentions the car by name etc. There is barely even a mention of it in the dialog. Now a movie where the car was definitely the leading actor was The Love Bug!

[77 Canamman]

Originally Posted by Mcronk

To me the Smokey Bandit movie cars are much more iconic. They not only had a huge social impact from little kid lunch boxes, to popularizing the CB lingo, to helping sell a ton of Trans Ams. I cannot say the same for the Bullit Mustang. This was definitely a "hype" job by Mecum.

Too bad all of the film cars were destroyed by a mobile crusher in Jonesboro, GA in the fall of 1976. It was witnessed by a PMD official. The reason was liability, which surprises me for 1976-not so much in this era of malaise.

Imagine if one were to pop up, and could be authenticated. It could be a multi-million dollar car. Even the one that was used by Universal Studios for promotional purposes in 1977 sold for half a million.

[77 Canamman]

Originally Posted by Mcronk

I had to laugh. Can you imagine building a clone of this car? Will be interesting to see how many do. I just don't think that value will stick. Sure it is associated with McQueen but he never actually owned the car. However there was a Bullitt Mustang for sale there owned by McQueen's first wife and being sold by his son Chad. It was the first Bullit tribute version and had extremely low miles. Have to look it up and see if it sold.

Steve tried to obtain it, even as late as 1977. The owner at the time would not give in. Obviously, it paid off!

[shaker455]

Originally Posted by Stuart

Jay Leno drove the car on an episode of Jay Leno's Garage, but I've never read or heard anything about him being involved in advising the owner on the sale of the car before it became public.

Owner stated it in later interview.

[shaker455]

Originally Posted by 77 Canamman

Steve tried to obtain it, even as late as 1977. The owner at the time would not give in. Obviously, it paid off!

Yes I saw this letter and was amazed how willing Steve McQueen to bail if the price wasn't right...lol

[77 TRASHCAN]

Originally Posted by Bentwheelbob

What’s the rumor mill say about who bought it?

Fake news says that Mr. Mecum is the only one that knows who bought it.....

[nikrnic]

Its now the most expensive mustang ever sold.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by Bentwheelbob

What’s the rumor mill say about who bought it?

A person on another web board who was at the auction said the buyer was a regular attendee and most people in the room knew who he was, but he didn't give the person's name.

[keith k]

Originally Posted by shaker455

Yes I saw this letter and was amazed how willing Steve McQueen to bail if the price wasn't right...lol

No kidding!