That is one sure way to draw a crowd: the world-famous, now fully-restored Aston Martin Bulldog concept showed up and showed off for pedestrians and a handful of poshly-dressed folks in central London over the weekend.
The Bulldog was built in 1979 and was supposed to establish Aston Martin as the maker of the world’s fastest production car, with a top speed of 237 mph (381.4 kph) and a limited run of just 15 to 25 units. After the first one was completed, the fastest it could go was 192 mph (309 kph), which was still a record at the time but far from what Aston Martin had hoped for. Failure to attain the goal and a severe lack of funding forced the marque to dump the project and estrange the one Bulldog it had built almost right away.
The Bulldog simply fell off the map, and it remained lost for decades. It is now owned by U.S. collector Phillip Sarofim, who brought it back to the UK and had it fully restored. As we speak, the Bulldog is preparing to make a 200-mph (322-kph) speed run in the UK, which would bring it closer to the initial goal set by Aston Martin and the designers.
Over the weekend, the Bulldog showed up on the iconic Savile Row in Mayfair, central London. It was in excellent company, too, sitting on the sidewalk next to a Bizzarrini 5300GT Strada and a Bentley Continental GT Zagato, one of the nine ever produced. Based on the video available at the bottom of the page, it was also the only one to put on a show for the crowd by going for a (very short) drive.
Powered by a 5.3-liter twin-turbo V8 engine, the Bulldog sounds as impressive as it looks. With its wedge shape, pop-up headlights, and its impeccable all-brown interior, it stands out as true retro-futuristic eye-candy. You don’t have to take our word for it since there’s a video of it.
The driver made sure photographers and bystanders got a full look at the concept, revving it and playing with the pop-up headlights. Then, he drove it slowly and, with the gullwing doors open farther down the road, mounted the sidewalk again, and stopped right next to a waiting carrier. The TFJJ, who filmed the video, guesses that it was on display for a photo shoot. Based on the amount of time it spent out – in the rain, no less – it seems to confirm it.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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