Unique Aston Martin Bulldog heads to America after restoration in UK
- The only Aston Martin Bulldog is a unique vehicle
- Launched in the late 1970s the Bulldog now belongs to a US car collector
- After painstaking restoration in the UK the car is heading to the US for a specific reason
Published on Aug 02, 2024 at 4:19 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Aug 02, 2024 at 6:37 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
The one-of-a-kind Aston Martin Bulldog is heading out to its owner in the USA after being restored in the UK.
The unique-looking motor was designed by William Towns in the 1970s and is as exclusive as can be, with just one of them ever created.
Aston Martin had originally planned on creating between 15 to 25 Bulldogs – code name DP K901 – however, this was scrapped due to the cost of the project.
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The Aston Martin Bulldog is a truly unique car
The car, which sort of looks like a cross between a Cybertruck and a DeLorean, was named in honor of the Scottish Aviation Bulldog airplane, which was flown by Aston Martin’s then-managing director, Alan Curtis.
While the car’s unusual shape is sure to divide opinion; its performance is top-notch.
Powered by a 600 horsepower twin-turbo 5.3-liter V8, upon its launch, Aston Martin set its sights on the car achieving a top speed of 200 mph (322 km/h).
But once on the track, its fastest speed recorded was 191 mph (307 km/h) – close but no cigar.
However, after a 44-year wait, the car finally managed to hit a top speed of 205.4 mph (330.5 km/h) in Campbeltown, Scotland in June this year.
The one and only Bulldog now belongs to American businessman and car collector, Phillip Sarofim.
An expert team spent thousands of hours working on the car
It was sent to Bridgnorth in Shropshire, UK, for restoration more than four-and-a-half years ago, with the experts from Classic Motor Cars (CMC) spending more than 6,000 hours on the Bulldog.
After arriving in 2020, the car has undergone a full nuts-and-bolts makeover – something CMC said has been a ‘privilege’.
With the work finished, the Bulldog is now set to wing its way to California where it will be shown at the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours car show.
The car will be judged in the wedge-shaped concept car and prototype class.
“Concept car designers prove that it’s not necessary to accept the past in order to look to the future,” Sarofim told the BBC.
“I am a great believer in the power of icons such as Bulldog to inspire the next generation to push the boundaries and shoot for the stars.”
Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Across her career she's covered a wide variety of topics, including celebrity, cryptocurrency, politics, true crime and just about everything in between.
