There were some obstacles along the way.
The Aston Martin Bulldog will (hopefully) complete the mission it set out on more than 40 years ago, which is to hit 200 mph. Aston Martin revealed the Bulldog in 1979, planning production for 1980 with two goals: set a new record for the fastest production car in the world and be the first production car to hit 200 mph.
While it set a new production car speed record at 191 mph, it doesn't really count. The Bulldog never actually went into production, meaning the only car in existence was nothing more than a one-off concept, meaning the “production car” part of the record was dubious at best. Before it could hit 200 mph, Victor Gauntlett took over Aston Martin and canned the project because it was too expensive.
The Bulldog faded into obscurity, but in early 2020, Classic Motor Cars announced that it would restore the Bulldog so it could finally complete the 200-mph run. The production car speed record is no longer within reach of this 43-year-old car.
“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,” said Tim Griffin, Managing Director of Classic Motor Cars. “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. In this case, we have not altered the basic engineering/engine of Bulldog, but have sought to strengthen and support the original specification.”
After 7,000 hours of restoration and hundreds of hours of testing, the Bulldog is finally ready for the 200 mph attempt. It will occur at Machrihanish Airfield, a former NATO base in Scotland, on 6 June 2023.
The press release doesn't mention who will be on hand to verify the speed, but the standard these days is at least two third-party companies. Classic Motor Cars will likely manage to pull it off. It was responsible for the Ian Callum Jaguar Mark 2, updated with modern suspension, brakes, a beautiful interior, and the 4.2-liter V8 from XK8.
Because Gauntlett canned the project, the honor of being the first production car to hit 200 mph eventually went to the Ferrari F40.
If successful, Classic Motor Cars can at least claim the Bulldog is faster than two current Aston Martin products. The DBX tops out at 181 mph, while the Vantage V8 can reach 195 mph. Then again, the wedge-shaped Bulldog is more potent than both, equipped with a twin-turbocharged V8 producing 600 horsepower and 500 lb-ft of torque.
Keyword: Aston Martin Bulldog Finally Ready To Hit 200 MPH After 40 Years