Gas Monkey Garage Recreates Iconic Bullitt Mustang Chase Scene in SF
Fast ‘n Loud star Richard Rawlings built a replica of the legendary Bullitt Mustang for Chad McQueen, and it is incredible to see it in action.
Steve McQueen chasing down a Dodge Charger in the 1968 movie Bullitt is perhaps the most significant movie chase scene of all time. The legendary Mustang rips through the packed San Fransisco streets in a show of raw engine sounds and tire smoke. When Chad McQueen, Steve’s son, approached Richard Rawlings and crew to ask for a replica Mustang, they couldn’t say yes fast enough. He wanted to recreate the iconic chase scene, and the result is astounding.
Discovery recently released a short behind the scenes clip of the crew on the set of the shoot. Rawlings, the star of Fast N’ Loud, and owner of Gas Monkey Garage immediately addresses his concern with the tight three-day shooting schedule. His primary fear was the Mustang having a mechanical failure, setting them behind schedule at best, and left with irreparable damage at worst.
We see a modern Dodge Challenger is the stand-in for the Charger in the original movie. Having it and all the other modern vehicles surrounding the set is truly symbolic of how timeless the classic Mustang is.
The primary challenge of this shoot was that they only had one Mustang to work with, whereas the original movie had a pair. One for all the jumps and stunt driving, and one driven by McQueen for the glamour shots. Meaning the Gas Monkey Mustang needs to be able to withstand the abuse of stunt driving and still manage to look good and function properly. According to Gas Monkey’s website, the Mustang was built with a skid plate and chassis reinforcement to ensure it can withstand the abuse. Couple that with the 600 horsepower 390 big block, the car was more than capable.
Obviously, the original scene can not be beaten. However, the smile on everyone’s faces was well worth the effort. A toast to Chad McQueen and the Gas Monkey Garage crew for making this iconic moment in automotive movie history return to the front out our minds!
Photos: Discovery