Photo: Facebook / Classic Motor Cars
A one-off, mysterious, beautiful and record-breaking Aston Martin is coming back from the dead. The Bulldog, once meant to be the fastest production car in the world, is currently being restored in England.
The Aston Martin Bulldog was, until not long ago, a more or less mythical car. Built in 1979 (under the codename Project K.901), it was meant to be Aston Martin’s supercar and the fastest production car in the world, with a top speed of 237 mph (381.4 kph). After the first one was made and once it would have achieved that speed, a limited run of 15 to 25 items was planned.
Aston Martin only built one. It failed to achieve that top speed, reaching only 192 mph (309 kph) – an impressive feat at the time, but well under expectations. Given this “disappointment” and the high production costs, Aston Martin decided to scrap the project. The one-off car was eventually sold in the early ‘80s by former boss Victor Gauntlett, to a Middle Eastern buyer for a reported £130,000 ($167,000).
In February this year, specialized shop Classic Motor Cars (CMC) announced they had been commissioned with restoring the Bulldog, in what they estimated would be an 18-month-long project. The BBC video at the bottom of the page shows a first glimpse at the “mythical creature” and offers a bit more details into how it was finally uncovered.
As it turns out, it’s the son of the man who sold it off who’s behind it all. Richard, son of Victor Gauntlett, is heading the restoration project. Obsessed about it since he was a kid, he made it his mission to find it.
He was able to track down the Bulldog for a U.S. Aston Martin “fan,” who is now also paying to bring it back to life. Indeed, the Bulldog is dead right now, but CMC is hoping to restore it to its original form and, more importantly, get it up to 200 mph (322 kph), which is closer to what Aston Martin had in mind with it.
In the process, the Bulldog will also be getting a complete overhaul of its 5.8-liter V8 and have the original silver and gray color scheme replace the green paintjob it’s been given at some point in time. The restoration began in March and is expected to be complete within a year or so.
Aston Martin only built one. It failed to achieve that top speed, reaching only 192 mph (309 kph) – an impressive feat at the time, but well under expectations. Given this “disappointment” and the high production costs, Aston Martin decided to scrap the project. The one-off car was eventually sold in the early ‘80s by former boss Victor Gauntlett, to a Middle Eastern buyer for a reported £130,000 ($167,000).
In February this year, specialized shop Classic Motor Cars (CMC) announced they had been commissioned with restoring the Bulldog, in what they estimated would be an 18-month-long project. The BBC video at the bottom of the page shows a first glimpse at the “mythical creature” and offers a bit more details into how it was finally uncovered.
As it turns out, it’s the son of the man who sold it off who’s behind it all. Richard, son of Victor Gauntlett, is heading the restoration project. Obsessed about it since he was a kid, he made it his mission to find it.
He was able to track down the Bulldog for a U.S. Aston Martin “fan,” who is now also paying to bring it back to life. Indeed, the Bulldog is dead right now, but CMC is hoping to restore it to its original form and, more importantly, get it up to 200 mph (322 kph), which is closer to what Aston Martin had in mind with it.
In the process, the Bulldog will also be getting a complete overhaul of its 5.8-liter V8 and have the original silver and gray color scheme replace the green paintjob it’s been given at some point in time. The restoration began in March and is expected to be complete within a year or so.
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