Saluting Bakersfield car culture with Mustang Bullitt
Karl Klausner spent many years working with K-12 school programs and universities in the Bay Area. He continues to work as an educational writer, editor and consultant for a Northern California school organization.
While my longtime daily ride is a 2001 Mustang Bullitt, the road to buying this gem was long and circuitous. It began in my hometown of Bakersfield, where there’s a very strong car culture and a familiar saying, “You are what you drive.”
The day I got my license I approached my father to discuss the car I desperately needed. He said calmly, “Well, let’s see. You live across the street from your high school and you don’t have a job. You need the car for…?” Thanks to a long history of losing discussions with my dad, I realized that I was going to have to make this work on my own.
When I turned 18 in 1963, I found that mythical “little old lady” who only drove her car to the store and back. I bought her two-door 1955 Chevy with a 265 V-8 stick shift and only 25,000 miles on it. It took about a week before I had a Hurst shifter on the floor, a Sun tachometer, Stewart Warner gauges and a set of glass packs that got me my first ticket.
By 1965 while living at home, going to college and working, I was able to start my “new car fund.” I used it to buy a 4-speed 1965½ Buick Skylark Gran Sport, in green with a black leather interior.
A host of other cars followed, like another 1955 Chevy, to which my friend Steve added bucket seats, a 4-speed transmission and a totally rebuilt engine.
Next were a 1969 Pontiac Firebird 400, followed by a pair of mid-1960s Porsches. When my second Porsche was stolen, my wife (who was expecting at the time) assured me that it was time to move into more sensible family cars.
After many years, our children now older, I was ready for a car that had some old-fashioned American horsepower. I wanted something that made a little rumble and was somewhat unique. I looked into Chrysler, Carroll Shelby’s latest efforts and other American manufacturers.
A stroke of good fortune occurred when a friend forwarded me the August 2001 issue of Road & Track magazine with an article about his new Porsche. Luckily, I turned the page to an article about the new Mustang Bullitt GT. I was immediately smitten.
The next day we showed up at the dealership for a test drive. The salesperson tossed us the keys and said, “Be back in three hours.” We drove it on the hills, freeways and roads around the Oakland Coliseum, and my only question back at the dealership was, “What kind of mileage does it get?” Seeing 18-25 mpg on the sticker was all it took. “Sold!”
A team of engineers had been challenged to design a car inspired by the 1968 Mustang Fastback driven by Steve McQueen in the movie “Bullitt.” There were less than 6,500 Bullitts manufactured in 2001.
It has 4.6 liter V-8 engine that starts with a deep rumble. The car is quick and responsive with a smooth 5-speed manual transmission. It has an improved handling package and a beefed-up braking system. Details like red calipers, brushed metal pedals, door sill plates and a gas cover all add a touch of class. It is still unique enough that I get the occasional honk and “thumbs up.”
We still enjoy the Bullitt and it is going to be hard to part with, as it still meets all the criteria when we were looking for a new car in 2001. I confess that I always watch that iconic eight-minute chase scene with the ’68 Fastback and the black Dodge Charger whenever I come across the movie “Bullitt.”
I guess you can take the boy out of Bakersfield, but you can’t always take the Bakersfield out of the boy.