One of the two Mustangs used to film the chase scene was said to have been scrapped after filming, due to damage and liability concerns. The other car was sold to an employee of Warner Bros. In 1974, it was purchased by Robert Kiernan, from a classified ad in "Road & Track", for a price variously reported as $3,500 and $6,000. The Kiernans used it as the family vehicle until 1980, then stored it; in 1977, McQueen attempted to buy it, but the family declined. Kiernan's son, Sean, began to restore the car in 2014, and had it authenticated in 2016, with documentation that included McQueen's letter offering to purchase it. On January 10, 2020, the car was sold by Mecum Auctions for $3.7 million. The other stunt Mustang was found in 2016 at a junkyard in Mexico; subsequent paint jobs suggested it had been used for several years rather than scrapped. The car was conclusively verified by an automobile authentication expert, using the vehicle's VIN and other identifying information. It was shipped to California, where the owners planned a full restoration.