The Aston Martin Bulldog was a one-off concept vehicle that was supposed to hit production, but got way too expensive. When it was tested in 1979, it was claimed that it could hit 237 mph (381 km/h), but it couldn’t crack 191 mph (307 km/h). Finally, after 44 years, the Bulldog cracked the 200 mph barrier at an airbase in Campbeltown, Scotland.
Built in 1979, the Bulldog was supposed to be the fastest production car in the world. Aston Martin had initially planned to build 15-25 Bulldogs but the new chairman of the company, Victor Gauntlett, scrapped the project for being too expensive.
After an 18-month long project to restore the Bulldog, three-time class winner at Le Mans, Darren Turner, took it to the track to break the 200 mph barrier and succeeded. Though it wasn’t his first attempt as in 2021 the car fell short of expectations at 176 mph.
It took over 7,000 hours of restoration work and hundreds of hours more just to bring the Bulldog back up to speed (excuse the pun).
“Bulldog’s 200 mph goal has been over 40 years in the making, being part of that legacy is a fantastic feeling,” said Turner.
“The Bulldog has now fulfilled Aston Martin’s promise and everyone who has worked on the car – from those who first designed and built it, to Classic Motor Cars who undertook the restoration under the management of Richard Gauntlett, can feel very proud.”
The car’s current owner, Phillip Sarofim, said, “Today is about making dreams come true, the dreams of the original designers and engineers who created Bulldog. Those automotive pioneers were breaking barriers, not just speed barriers but frontiers of design, innovation and engineering.”
Perhaps in a twist of irony, it was the former Aston Martin chairman Gauntlett’s son, Richard, who headed the project.
“It is a truly incredible moment to witness the close of a 45-year chapter in the history of the incredible Aston Martin Bulldog,” said Gauntlett. “The team who built it and the team who re-built it are deservedly celebrating their momentous achievements and it is heartwarming to see all their hard work rewarded.”
The prototype Bulldog was sold to a Middle Eastern collector in 1984 for £130,000 before being sold to an American collector where it bounced around in storage. Each owner left their mark on the car with the original purchaser adding both rear view mirrors and cameras. The exterior was changed from silver/light grey to green, while the interior changed from the original dark brown and black to a light tan.
