Is the iconic Bullitt about to become a full-time member of the new 2023 Ford Mustang range? Why Steven Spielberg could be the key to a permanent Bullitt Mustang comeback

Ford is due to reveal the all-new Mustang later this year and the Bullitt-inspired version could return thanks to Hollywood legend Steven Spielberg.

According to a report from Deadline, the director of Jaws and E.T. is set to direct a new movie based on the Frank Bullitt character from the 1968 film. Given the movie and the car are inextricably linked, the revival of the movie franchise strengthens the case for Ford to make the Bullitt a permanent member of the Mustang line-up with the upcoming seventh generation.

Bullitt is best remembered for its famous car chase through the streets of San Francisco, with Steve McQueen’s Frank Bullitt driving a ‘68 Mustang GT Fastback in Highland Green. Ford has since offered limited-edition runs during both the fourth generation and the outgoing model.

The 2018 Bullitt Mustang Edition features a similar green paint job and retro-styled 19-inch alloy wheels to give it the right look, while upgrades to the suspension and powertrain ensured it had a small performance boost, too. Ford Australia secured 700 examples of the MY18 Bullitt Mustang and all sold out.

If Spielberg is to bring Frank Bullitt back to the big screen at the same time Ford is launching a new Mustang, it seems like a dream made in marketing heaven. The S650 (as the new Mustang is codenamed) is due to be revealed by the end of 2022 and should be in showrooms in the US before the calendar turns over to 2023.

According to the Deadline report, Spielberg is set to direct another film first, as the script for the new Bullitt story is yet to be written. That would likely mean the new Bullitt movie could arrive in early 2024, which would be an ideal time for Ford to roll out its first special edition of the S650.

While so much of Bullitt Mustang is based on its appearance, as the 2018 edition was fitted with meaningful performance upgrades, so it’s likely that would be the case with any future versions. This is likely to take the form of a unique suspension tune and a small upgrade in power from the inevitable V8 engine. The 2018 version boasted 345kW - to make it more powerful than the 339kW GT version - as well as standard MagnaRide suspension.

If Ford follows the same plan as the sixth-generation Mustang, the Bullitt edition would likely precede the arrival of the Mach 1, which was also a popular addition to the range.

Importantly, the seventh generation could open the door for the Shelby iterations of the ‘Stang, because right-hand-drive manufacturing was never considered for the high-performance hero models. Instead, Ford Australia partnered with Herrod Performance to create the homegrown R-Spec variant to fill the void.