“Bullitt Rule. Any car chase in San Francisco will be downhill, even though the most likely places from which someone would flee are all downtown, at the bottom of all the hills.
“Bullitt Shift. Cars in high-speed chases can shift through more gears than they have. See Bullitt, where Steve McQueen’s car upshifts more than sixteen times.”
—Ebert’s Bigger Little Movie Glossary, p. 28
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McQueen does not simply upshift sixteen times. He also downshifts a number of times. If you listen carefully, the shifts are consistent with the scenes, the venue, and his Mustang, which had a 4-speed or possibly a 5-speed. He also double-shifts on the upshifts–perhaps an egotistical nod to his race driving experiences but not necessary with a Ford tranny. Double-shifts–that is, pausing between gears in neutral to rev the engine–were popular with those who owned English sports cars such as the TR-3 or the MG-B and C series.
Great comment, Locomotion. Thanks for sharing your expertise and the fruits of your close listening. For the record, the 16 upshift observation comes from Ebert’s Bigger Little Movie Glossary. It seems exaggerated to me too, but that’s what makes it funny, and funny is why I quoted it.