William Towns designed the Aston Martin Bulldog in the late ‘70s to become the world’s fastest production car. To that end, in 1981, the Bulldog did hit a record-breaking 192 mph, which made it the quickest car of the day, but it did not achieve the elusive 200 mph mark.
The original plan was to build 10-15 Bulldogs. Aston Martin only produced one due to financial constraints.
American Phillip Sarofim currently owns the car.
To achieve the elusive 200 mph, Classic Motor Cars (CMC) in Bridgnorth have completed an 18-month full restoration. On the 3rd of September 2021, the project was complete. Richard Gauntlett led the project (his father was in charge at Aston when they originally sold the Bulldog to a Middle East collector). The Bulldog was stripped completely and rebuilt, incorporating a tubular steel space frame to strengthen the car with the honest 200mph speed attempt in mind.
The mid-mounted V8 engine has been increased from 5.3 litres to 5.7 litres plus two turbochargers, producing 659hp. The 42 -year-old behemoth will undergo a series of tests before Aston Martin’s legendary endurance racer Darren Turner gets behind the wheel for the 200 mph attempt.
Its appearance is awe-inspiring, with its gull-wing doors and five concealed headlights on the centre of the front bonnet.
Aston Martin created the Bulldog as its first attempt to build a mid-engine supercar, designed to be the first production car to top 200 mph. According to Aston Martin, the Bulldog could reach 237 mph, but its fastest recorded top speed was only 191 mph.
To put things in perspective, the fastest Aston Martin ever is the Valkyrie, which recently entered production and has a claimed official top speed of 250 mph.