Aston Martin Bulldog Scores Another Historic Achievement On The Road To 200 MPH

More than 40 years ago, Aston Martin claimed that its Bulldog concept car would hit 200 mph. All these years later a small restoration company is trying to get it there and in the process, they’ve achieved another bit of history. The Bulldog has just become the youngest car to ever win the Coppa d’Oro award at the Concorso D’Eleganza at Ville D’ Este.

The Concorso D’Eleganza, or the Competition of Elegance in English, showcases a number of stunning classic cars. Among the awards in play, the Coppa d’Oro is special because it’s chosen specifically by the other entrants in the competition.

Last year, the winner was a 1930 Lancia Dilambda Serie I. In fact, over the years, the vast majority of winners have come out of the 1930s, and the youngest to this point had been the 1968 Alfa Romeo 33-2 Stradale Scaglione Coupe. So the Bulldog sets a totally new bar for the Coppa d’Oro.

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When the car was new it achieved a top speed of 192 mph and Aston Martin itself had plans to eclipse 200 mph and then build 25 examples to sell to wealthy fans. Instead, the whole project was shelved and the only example ever made, this one, was sold off and hidden away for decades.

Now that it’s been found, more than 6,000 hours of restoration have gone into the platform under the direction of Richard Gauntlett, the son of the former owner of Aston Martin. Gauntlett was put in charge by the new owner of the car Philip Sarofim who is still very focused on reaching 200 mph with the Bulldog.

“The win at Ville D’Este is a momentous occasion – to win such a prestigious and historic award on its first concours is a testament to CMCs incredible work and the wild vision of and engineering skill of Aston Martin. The next challenge is to get the car to 200 mph, and we will do that later this year at a location which we will announce shortly.”

For all the stories and incidents we see of supercars or concepts that end up stored in a museum with delivery mileage, let’s not forget that every once in a while someone out there does something special with them like the Bulldog. Hopefully, later this year we’ll get to report on a successful trip to 200 mph.

Photos BMW