“The Magic Bullitt”
By Steve Brant
Magic Bullet – Noun: a remedy (drug or therapy or preventive) that cures or prevents a disease
Magic Bullitt – Car: a Mustang (associated with an iconic motion picture actor) that transforms its owner’s life
Even though it’s my story, what I'm about to tell you surprises even me at times. Hang in there for the next little while, and I think you’ll understand why I call my Mustang the “Magic Bullitt”.
Basically, this is the story of how the 2008 Mustang GT “Bullitt Edition” yanked me out of my normal life… reminded me who I always wanted to be (a serious car guy!)… and helped me take major steps in both that direction and, in the last year, in the direction of a place I never thought I’d reach: the place where really serious car guys use their passion to make a difference in the world!
This is a journey that isn’t over. But it’s one I want to tell you now, because I just have to share what’s happened so far!
I’m sure we’ve all heard that the dreams of youth can get buried by the responsibilities of adulthood. Well, that was the case for me. In 2008, my environmental sustainability career had me looking to buy something economical and “green”. Scout’s honor: the morning I first saw the 08 Mustang Bullitt at the NY Auto Show, I test drove a Smart Car. And as I entered the Jacob Javitts Convention Center,
I initially headed for the Honda exhibit to check out the Honda Fit.
But I had always toured the entire auto show, especially the Ford exhibit, since my father liked Fords. So, I walked in that direction after sitting in a Fit; and there it was: Not just a Mustang but a Bullitt Mustang!
I had seen the 01 Bullitt seven years earlier, but my life was in such a different place then that I didn’t even own a car. (New Yorkers can be like that.) But this was 2008. I needed a car, and all of a sudden there was no way I was going to buy anything other than that Bullitt Mustang!
Sitting in it not only gave me instant visions of being on the open road, it gave me visions of Steve McQueen’s spirit being with me every time I did so!
That was on March 22nd. And on May 10th, I was behind the driver’s seat of my new Bullitt, driving home from Dutch’s Ford in Mt. Sterling, KY. I had four lessons driving a stick under my belt… my new friend, Terry Honaker, from the International Mustang Bullitt Owners Club – IMBOC - to thank for picking me up at the Lexington, KY airport, which made buying this particular (not overly optioned) Bullitt possible… and 720 miles of open road between me and NYC.
What a way to get to know my Bullitt (and really learn how to drive a stick)!
Flash forward three years, and the call of the open road (plus the desire to escape NYC winters, be with the larger number of IMBOC members in SoCal, and eliminate an undeniable sense of “career malaise”) led me to pack in my NYC life and start over on the “left coast”.
I had a very memorable cross-country journey. My Bullitt and I following our noses to places like the Jimmy Stewart Museum, Dollywood, my buddy Terry’s house, and a bunch of Route 66 landmarks, starting with the Rock Café in Stroud, OK and ending with Peggy Sue’s Diner in Yermo, CA.
But this solo trip was just the beginning of what now feels like a rapidly accelerating journey into my Serious Mustang Guy future!
Shortly after arriving in L.A., I attended the 2011 Friends of Steve McQueen Car Show at the Boys Republic School in Chino Hills, CA. Seeing the important work the Boys Republic does led me to join some of my fellow SoCal IMBOC members on the FOSM Car Show organizing committee for this year’s show.
Now I was really playing in the Car Guy Big Leagues!
Everyone was stepping up to the plate – in whatever ways were appropriate to their circumstances – “for the kids”. I looked for the special contribution I could make, and - when the tribute to “Bullitt” built into the Fox TV show “Alcatraz” came to our attention - I decided to see who from that show I could get to come to ours. I also figured out how to contact Robert Vaughn, Steve’s co-star in “Bullitt”.
In my mind, I was just living up to my new IMBOC nick name: “Hollywood Steve”.
But even with getting some “Alcatraz” celebs to participate, it was my car guy side that really came forward in two big ways.
The first was my decision to drive back east to see if I could get some East Coast Bullittheads to come to the show. And the second – sparked by famed automobile artist Nicolas Hunziker’s gift of half of the sales of his new “Bullitt” painting prints to the school – was my decision to sell my Bullitt and donate half of what I got to the Boys Republic.
The car guy life my Bullitt helped me achieve led me to the inescapable conclusion that now was the time for my Bullitt to help me serve an even higher purpose: that of helping the Boys Republic School in a much bigger way than bringing celebs to the show would do. Playing big is, I could tell, what real car guys do when they can.
So, I looked at my personal situation and how a number of “signs” (including a chance meeting with Dave Meadows of Galpin Ford, who casually suggested it might be time for me to “update my ride”) were leading me to see that a 2013 Mustang GT – if used just right - might mean something big to my future, and made the call.
My beloved Bullitt would go to a new home (asking price: $20,000). Once sold, the Boys Republic would get $10,000. I would drive my Bullitt on one last road trip (the Legend Lives Tour of Route 66, organized by the new Hoondog Events organization, launched this year by some of the founders of IMBOC specifically to support the Boys Republic). And I would apply the other $10,000 to buying a 2013 Mustang GT… and come up with some still-to-be-finalized way in which I could remain a Bullitthead, even though I was no longer driving a official (made by Ford) Bullitt Mustang.
While the Legend Lives Tour was now fulfilling the “Pied Piper” role in getting Bullittheads to “go west”, I still needed to drive my Bullitt to the tour’s starting point in Chicago. So, with two cousins living in Cleveland and my buddy Terry down near Nashville as part of my route, I headed off on the 3000 mile drive to Chicago.
At some point in that journey east, I starting thinking about how well connected the other FOSM Car Show committee members were. I was on the committee and making headway connecting with “Hollywood”, but who did I really know in the car world?
“Well, I once met Alan Mulally at a business function in NYC,” I thought to myself. And I had his email address. So, I emailed Alan about what I was doing. I wrote that I’d be driving to Flat Rock to thank the people who work there for building my Bullitt. I had no idea if I’d even get past the plant gate, but I figured if I didn’t drive there I’d never know if I could get in to say thanks or not.
And then a miracle occurred. Alan wrote back: “Thank you, Steve!” And he cc’d Ken Czubay on his reply.
I used this opening to contact Ken Czubay, and before long I was in touch with Jim Owens, the Shelby and Boss Marketing Manager in Ken’s office, and Deb Clary, the Executive Assistant to the Flat Rock Plant Manager, Tim Young. And Greg Dabkowski, who is both a Ford employee and member of IMBOC, got linked into the communication chain too.
And this led to a post-Flat Rock visit to both the Henry Ford Museum and the Ford Racing HQ, where I got to meet John Clor!
From being a simple car guy on a committee, I was now a car guy on a committee who was meeting Deb Clary, getting a literally unheard of private tour of the Flat Rock plant by the amazing Maureen McLean (who knows so much about the plant I think she could build Mustangs all by herself if that ever was necessary), taking the museum tour with Greg Dabkowski, and then meeting with both Greg and John Clor.
I am the happiest I’ve ever been these last four years… and ridiculously happy these last few weeks!
The kid who grew up building model kits of muscle cars…lots of muscle cars… finally got to own his dream muscle / racing car!
And now, that kid has gone from touring Flat Rock and Ford Racing HQ to completing the Legend Lives Tour of Route 66 and helping organize the Friends of Steve McQueen Charity Car Show.
I’ve spent time with the best bunch of guys and gals I could ever hope to be with: people both from within Ford and in IMBOC and the FOSM committee who know how to have fun and make a difference at the same time!
I’ve emailed Alan Mulally from the road (and gotten replies, including one with a picture of Alan giving Jay Leno a classic Ford Falcon).
And I’ve found a buyer (in New Orleans) for my Bullitt, only 11 hours after listing it on eBay. And my buyer’s local friend, who is handling the transaction for him, turns out to be the composer of the music for the “Alcatraz” TV show! I kid you not!
It doesn’t get any better than this!
Except that I’m about to purchase a new 2013 Premium Mustang GT (with the Track Package… yes!) As for where my new Mustang will take me… well, I’m talking to Chad McQueen about that now!
There’s at least another chapter or two of this story still to be written! After all, I haven’t met Jim Owens or Ken Czubay…or Alan Mulally!
Thank you Ford and Ford Racing for creating the 2008 Bullit…and the people at Flat Rock for building mine (No. 3972). That Bullitt Mustang has truly been a source of magic in my life!
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Steve Brant is a member of the International Mustang Bullitt Owners Club (IMBOC.com) and the Mustang Club of America (MCA). He lives in Los Angeles, CA and is on the committee for the 2013 Friends of Steve McQueen Car Show to benefit the Boys Republic School (May 31-June 1, 2013. The theme will be “The Great Escape”, one of the greatest movies Steve McQueen ever made!)
