Where is…Steve McQueen’s Mustang from Bullitt?

After Bullitt finished filming, the car was sold to a studio executive in Los Angeles, who kept it briefly before selling it, coincidentally, to a police detective. The officer shipped the car to New York and kept it for about three and a half years before placing a for-sale ad in the back of Road & Track magazine in 1974. His $6,000 asking price was somewhat steep, but Robert Kiernan, a New Jersey insurance executive, and Mustang fan went out to look at it. He bought it for his wife, Robbie to use as a daily driver.

The Kiernans kept the car a secret, mainly to ward off thieves and gawkers. Steve McQueen found out that the Kiernans owned the car and he tried to buy it but insisted that the price had to be right. Apparently, it never was right. McQueen never did buy the car.

Robert and Robbie’s son, Sean Kiernan decided to sell the car in 2020.

It stayed in the garage for decades after it was driven by his mother, Robbie, back in the day to St. Vincent’s parish, where she taught third grade. Her husband took a train to work in New York City. This month, Robbie Kiernan went to the auction with her 7-week-old grandchild.

The car will be inducted into the Historic Vehicle Association roster this year—kind of like the National Register of Historic Places, but for cars. It’s only the 21st car to be so honored.

“I am OK with any price. But I would like it to be the most valuable Mustang ever,” he said… he succeeded.

Before he sold the Mustang, he brought it home in October for his mother’s birthday and put it in the garage where the car had been hidden for four decades.

“I had never prepped the car to sell, so I changed all the fluids and did all the car stuff to it,” Kiernan said. “My sister, my mom, my wife, Sam’s dad came down from Dearborn and sat in the car. That car had been in the garage forever. It was her spot. I think everybody cried at some point or another.”

They all said goodbye to the car….But… hello to 3.74 million dollars to an unknown buyer on January 10, 2020.

Thanks to everyone who has read my “Where Is” posts…here are the rest:

 

 

Author: badfinger20 (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball fan, old movie and tv show fan... and a songwriter, bass and guitar player.

18 thoughts on “Where is…Steve McQueen’s Mustang from Bullitt?”

      2. YES…guess what? I saw and touched Eleanor! Are we talking about the same Eleanor? 1974? It was in the movie theater and I got to see it and touch it while going to see the movie….not the remake of course.

        Like

      4. It is…watch the other one when you can. It is a B movie but cool. It has real policemen and real hookers in it. The car is pretty awesome also.

        Liked by 1 person

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