The Ford Mustang is one of the most popular muscle cars in the world, with a history spanning well over 50 years. From time to time, Ford will release ‘special edition’ models such as the Shelby, Saleen, SVT, and Mach 1. Another popular variant is the “Bullitt” Mustang, fashioned after the iconic 1967 fastback Steve McQueen drove in the legendary film. We were asked by the McQueen family to mock up a hypothetical 2013 Bullitt Mustang as key art for the Steve McQueen Car Show.
The full time lapse can be seen in the video below. Total production time was over 10 hours (give or take), but you can get the gist of it in this run through.
We started by rendering a modern Ford Mustang in the traditional ‘highland green’ color from the 1967 model Steve McQueen drove in the film. The challenge would be finding a modern Mustang that we could make ‘highland green’ without actually painting one.
We found a decent photo of a modern day red Mustang which would work well for a digital makeover. We started by painstakingly changing the car’s exterior body to match the icon green tint.
The details were important to replicate, as the “Bullitt” edition Mustangs typically come with a mesh grille (instead of the horizontal lines) and the traditional 1967 looking racing wheels. We also removed every emblem and marking on the passenger side of the car.
Small other details really helped add to the realism, such as accurate reflections in the windows of the ‘new’ San Francisco environment. The infamous “chase” scene took place in the city streets, thus it was a logical backdrop to use.
The final key art was in production for the official event program, alongside previous (real) photos of the 2001 Ford Mustang Bullitt. The McQueen family was quite impressed with final work and their show attendees were as well.
