One-off Aston Martin Bulldog finally achieves goal set in 1979
Published on Jun 07, 2023 at 2:10 PM (UTC+4)
by Adam Gray
Last updated on Jun 08, 2023 at 9:32 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
As the saying goes, patience is a virtue.
This is something the Aston Martin Bulldog knows only too well.
The British automaker had to wait 44 years to achieve what the Bulldog set out to – reaching 200 mph (322 km/h) – but it’s finally done it.
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Back in 1979, when every other supercar ran out of steam at around 180 mph (290 km/h), Aston set its sights on 200 in the hope of setting a world record.
But, despite several attempts at the MIRA test track in England that year, the mid-engined wedge couldn’t manage more than 191 mph (307 km/h).
Fast forward to the present day, and the Aston Martin Bulldog has undergone somewhat of a restoration.
Ready for another crack at it, the restored Bulldog’s 600 hp twin-turbo 5.3-liter V8 pushed it to 205.4 mph (330.6 km/h) at a former NATO base in Scotland.
Darren Turner, three-time Le Mans class winner, was the pilot at the wheel on the special occasion.
And according to Turner, everything clicked into place to help reach the top speed target.
“The conditions were perfect for the run and the car performed perfectly too, easily hitting the 200 mph mark,” he said.
“The Bulldog has now fulfilled Aston Martin’s 1980s 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.”
There’s no denying it’s a fitting ending to the story.
The one-off concept was originally intended to go into small-scale production with the hopes of transforming Aston Martin into a fully-fledged supercar brand.
Unfortunately for the then cash-strapped automaker, it was forced to scrap the project in 1981, with the only car being sold to a buyer in the Middle East.
But the Aston Martin Bulldog was rescued and renovated over the past few years under the watchful eye of Richard Gauntlett.
Richard is the son of the late Victor Gauntlett, the Aston Martin CEO who pulled the plug on the program.
Clearly, Richard wouldn’t let sleeping dogs lie and achieved victory at last.
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Adam Gray is an experienced freelance motoring journalist and content creator based in the United Kingdom. Using his media accreditation with manufacturers’ press offices, Adam test drives the latest cars and attends new vehicle press launches, producing written reviews and news pieces for a variety of lifestyle and business publications. Here at Supercar Blondie, Adam applies his journalistic skills penning social-first content around current news and trends. When he’s not behind the wheel of the latest car or writing up another viral story, Adam can be found at his local rink playing ice hockey or at the Riverside Stadium supporting his beloved Middlesbrough FC.
