Aston Martin Bulldog

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Aston Martin Bulldog

The Aston Martin Bulldog was developed to show off the capabilities of the new engineering facility they had opened in Newport Pagnell and to contend for the title of the fastest production car in the world. Internally, it was known as DP K901 but was later named 'The Bulldog' after a Scottish Aviation Bulldog airplane that Aston Martin's managing director, Alan Curtis, flew. After this, it gained an internal nickname 'K9' from the robotic dog from the TV show Doctor Who.

It was produced with a 5.3 L V8 that used two turbochargers from Garrett AiResearch. It produced 600 bhp but was capable of 700 bhp during testing and had a max torque of 678 Nm (500 lb ft). When it came out, Aston Martin claimed a top speed of 381 kph (237 mph), which was much faster than the fastest car at the time, the Aston Martin V8 'Canadian Vantage', which had a top speed of 273 kph (170 mph). During testing done by the Motor Industry Research Association, they tested the top speed but could only reach 307 kph (191 mph), which was still a speed record. This speed was helped by the distinctive wedge shape made by William Towns, created a low drag coefficient of .34,.

March 27, 1980, the Aston Martin Bulldog was launched at the Bell Hotel in the town of Aston Clinton, and showed off many of the 'odd' design choices. Although it was a British car, it was produced in left-hand drive, while also featuring five headlights hidden in the center by using a lowering panel. The Bulldog also has gullwing doors that reveal a leather interior, buttons from the Aston Martin Lagonda, and walnut trim. The Bulldog was meant to have a production run of around 15-25 units. This never came to fruition, with Victor Gauntlett, Aston Martin Chairman, said it would have been too expensive.

In 1984, Aston Martin sold the Bulldog for £130,000 to a collector in the Middle East, who added mirrors and cameras, and then sold it to an American collector. It spent some time in America and was shown at the 2009 Goodwood Festival of Speed and Kensington Park Gardens for the Aston Martin 100th anniversary in 2013. After it was moved around storage facilities, it was found in the Far East and put up for sale in the UK. It was now painted green from its original silver over grey, and its interior was changed from dark brown to light tan. In 2020, it was purchased by another American, Phillip Sarofim, who had Victor Gauntlett's son, Richard, oversee a full restoration. In 2021, they had Classic Motor Cars Ltd in Bridgnorth do the restoration. Their goal was a top speed of 321 kph (200 mph). During their first shakedown on the main runway at RNAS Yeovilton, they clocked a top speed of 261 kph (162 mph). On June 6, 2023, BBC 4 news reported that the Bulldog had finished its goal, clocking 330 kph (205 mph) at Campbeltown Airport in Scotland.

From this, the Aston Martin Bulldog won Best in Class for 'Wedge-shaped Concept Cars and Prototypes (Late)' at the 2024 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.