The Car That Was Too Fast for Steve McQueen On October 17, 1968, Bullitt opened in New York. Steve McQueen's Mustang became a Hollywood legend. But during filming, the crew ran into a problem involving the villain's Dodge Charger. And the solution was almost as surprising as the chase itself. 🏎️ Steve McQueen, behind the wheel of a dark green Ford Mustang, pursued a black Dodge Charger through the steep streets of San Francisco. But behind the scenes, the filmmakers had an unusual problem. The bad guys' car was too fast. The Mustang was equipped with a 390-cubic-inch V8 engine rated at 325 horsepower. The Charger had a larger 440-cubic-inch V8 producing 375 horsepower. And that difference mattered. According to accounts from the production, the Charger was so much faster that its drivers sometimes had to ease off the accelerator to keep the Mustang close enough for the cameras. Imagine that. In one of Hollywood's greatest pursuits, the getaway car had to slow down so the hero could keep chasing it. The driving itself was no ordinary Hollywood illusion. McQueen was an accomplished driver and handled some of the scenes himself. But professional stunt drivers, including Bud Ekins, Carey Loftin, and Loren Janes, helped perform the dangerous high-speed sequences. Bill Hickman, the stunt driver behind the Charger's wheel, also played one of the hitmen in the film. Director Peter Yates wanted audiences to feel the speed, not simply watch it from a distance. Cameras were positioned close to the action, and the cars thundered through real streets rather than relying on the rear-projection techniques common in earlier films. The result was nearly eleven minutes of screeching tires, roaring engines, and spectacular jumps. The chase helped redefine what audiences expected from movie action. And 58 years later, there's a wonderful irony in remembering it. Steve McQueen's Mustang became a Hollywood legend. But the Dodge Charger was the car that had to hold back.