How an iconic piece of movie merchandise was discovered at a junkyard
Car chases are something that has been part and parcel of cinema for decades, but there are few examples of vehicular carnage that have become so deeply embedded in the public consciousness as the rubber-burning escapades of Steve McQueen in Bullitt.
The classic crime thriller’s signature set piece begins a little over an hour into the running time and only occupies a shade over ten minutes of its 113-minute entirety. And yet, that was more than enough to see it go down in the history books as one of the greatest and most iconic ever, with any bruising actioner featuring a high-speed chase through densely-populated streets inviting comparisons whether it wanted to or not.
Much like the reputation its lead actor enjoyed, Bullitt turned the Ford Mustang into the epitome of cool, with two identical cars purchased for filming. Following the end of production, one of them was sold to a New Jersey-based detective named Frank Marranca, who would have no doubt been the envy of his colleagues as a result.
It then passed through several other owners before McQueen’s son Chad attempted to purchase it for himself as a family heirloom, but it was rejected. In 2020, the first Mustang was eventually put up for auction, where it ended up being won by a record-breaking $3.7million bid, per CNN.
Having been put through the wringer during filming, the second vehicle was heavily damaged and ultimately sent off to a scrapyard. After that, everyone simply seemed to forget about it, leaving it to be lost to the sands of time for decades until Ralph Garcia Jr stumbled upon it.
A body shop owner, Garcia had initially planned to transform the Mustang into a replica of the 1971 model – which itself had been altered into a 1973 – nicknamed ‘Eleanor’ from H.B. Halicki’s Gone in 60 Seconds. When he sought authentication, he was stunned to realise he’d found a significantly bigger prize than he could have ever imagined.
Speaking to The LA Times, Garcia admitted: “I was going to turn it into another ‘Eleanor’ car, but my partner Googled the VIN.” When his colleague discovered that it was only one of two used in the making of Bullitt, he was told in no uncertain terms not to touch it. Ford expert Kevin Marti would admit that while “it’s not the first time one of these old movie cars showed up in a junkyard,” the instances have been very few and far between.
After it was authenticated, Garcia began restoration work to try and return the Mustang back to its glory days, although its current status and whereabouts remain unknown. That said, accidentally happening upon one of the most legendary cars in the history of cinema was an incredible stroke of luck, and with the first selling for millions, it stands to reason that the second would fetch an equally princely fee.
