2020 Ford Mustang Bullitt – Classified of the Week
October 3, 2023
Picture the scene: it’s a lazy Sunday and you’re wearing your brand new dark blue roll neck sweater. There’s a bit of a nip in the air despite the glorious sunshine so you choose to pair it with your favourite brown tweed jacket – the one with the elbow patches that the barista in the coffee shop recently said was a good fit on you. Because it’s such a beautiful day you’ve decided to go for a drive, just for the pure pleasure of the act itself, so you grab your keys from the side table and head outside. You sense a slight buzz of anticipation – it’s a familiar feeling and one that you’ve come to associate with the short walk from your front door to the car. You cherish it. Maybe you amble a little bit slower today in order to prolong the sensation, but before you know it you’re there, standing beside your Ford Mustang Bullitt and a grin has involuntarily spread across your face.
It may not be the original 1968 hero car from the movie but that’s understandable because that particular Ford Mustang GT390 is a one-of-a-kind unicorn car that sold in 2020 for nearly four million dollars, so even if it did come up for sale again (which is unlikely) none of us would be able to afford it. What this is, however, is the next best thing – a 2020 factory Ford Mustang Bullitt edition.
Officially released by Ford in 2018 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of one of the greatest car films ever made, the Ford Mustang Bullitt is a special, limited edition version of the sixth generation model of that most iconic of pony cars. Make no mistake though, this isn’t just a stock car dolled up to look like McQueen’s steed. Far from it. The Mustang Bullitt not only pays wonderful homage to that legendary car, but also to the spirit of the man himself.
Of course, the now famous Highland Green paint is there to remind us all of the car’s influences but this is very much a modern car with modern tech (including MagneRide adaptive suspension) and as such presents as a far more usable proposition than an original ’60s GT390. With just enough retro style to help evoke those streets of San Francisco sentiments and a powertrain beefy enough to sate any speed freak’s fascination with forward motion (and sideways actually, come to think of it…) the Ford Mustang Bullitt is every bit the perfect tribute to one of motoring’s most iconic muscle cars.
Developing a whopping 480bhp from its 5.0-litre Coyote V8 the Ford Mustang Bullitt is a sublime synergy of suck, squeeze, bang, blow that when combined with the car’s active exhaust makes for an incredibly guttural, but highly musical symphony for the soul. With perfect accompaniment from a six-speed manual Getrag gearbox (complete with cue ball style shifter) and Torsen limited slip diff it’s the kind of car that puts fun firmly in the list of boxes ticked and you can read all about our review of the car from pre-Covid 2019 here. Suffice to say we like it. A lot.
The car we have for sale (serial number L1253) is a two-owner, low-mileage 2020 Ford Mustang Bullitt. Bought as a bucket list purchase it’s a cherished example that has been lavished with care and attention since day one, but that’s not to say it’s been stashed away without an opportunity to stretch its rather muscular legs. The car has seen regular use which, as we constantly bang on about, is a very good thing. It’s had time to bed in, it’s been regularly serviced and when not being enjoyed, lives in a nice dry garage. The current owner, when commending the car’s many redeeming qualities, hails the Ford Mustang Bullitt as “almost like a Toyota GT86, but with teeth” and we’re finding it difficult to think of a more fitting description.
The Ford Mustang Bullitt is perennially popular, not just for what it represents but for what it actually is as well, and with a Spielberg-directed Bullitt movie remake on the cards prices are only set to go one way. Buy this one and then convince a friend to pick up a seventh generation black Dodge Charger. Trust us, you’ll both be winning at life.
