Classic Motor Cars restored the 1979 Aston Martin Bulldog concept and earned the prestigious Coppa d'Ora award at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este for the work. The next plan for the unique machine is to attempt to reach 200 miles per hour on June 6 at a former NATO base in Scotland.
Aston Martin wanted the Bulldog to be the fastest car in the world at the time and thought it would have been able to reach over 200 mph. Classic Motor Cars took 7,000 hours to restore the unique vehicle. In addition, there were hundreds of hours of testing and making adjustments.
Gallery: Aston Martin Bulldog 200-MPH Attempt
“We have been dealing with 40-plus-year-old engineering and making sure that the integrity of the car is maintained while enabling it to do the 200 mph. In any restoration, an attempt like this is a balancing act between maintaining the cars originality but, also ensuring it is capable of carrying out what it was originally supposed to do," said Classic Motor Cars Managing Director Tim Griffin.
In the previous testing, the restored Bulldog managed to hit 162 mph. Development has continued since then to achieve an even higher speed.
The Bulldog packed twin-turbo 5.3-liter V8 making 600 horsepower and 500 pound-feet – impressive figures even by modern standards. Aston Martin intended to build 10 to 15 production examples, but that never actually happened.
The Bulldog features the wedge-shaped styling from so many 1970s and '80s sports cars. Massive gullwing doors provide access to the cabin. Inside, there were digital instruments. In testing during the era, the vehicle reached 192 mph.
During the restoration, Classic Motor Cars installed a modern fuel injection system. It also made the gearbox stronger and added a nose-lift system. The company's goal is to push the engine output to around 650 hp.
For more discussion about the recently unveiled Aston Martin DB12, check out this episode of the Rambling About Cars podcast:
