The year is 1978, when the then president gives Aston Martin permission to develop a new prototype sports car. The car was supposed to become a symbol of the resurrection of the company, in the end it remained as a functional prototype, occurring in one single piece. Let's welcome the Aston Martin Bulldog or if you prefer the " Axe Shaped Car ".
The progressive design concept of the Aston Martin Bulldog comes from the drawing pen of William Towns . The famous car designer has signed Aston Martin DBS , Jensen-Healey , Hustler and others in his relatively short life. The controversial sedan Lagonda served as a model for the development of the bulldog.
The brutal appearance of the body is in perfect harmony with the technology that is hidden inside. The heart of the car is a 5.3-liter forked eight-cylinder engine located in the middle, which is properly fed by two Garret turbochargers. An estimated output of around 600 horsepower is sent to the rear wheels through a five-speed manual transmission. During factory tests in 1979, the 1,700 kilogram car reached a speed of 191 mph, or approximately 307 km/h. However, the bar for the theoretical maximum speed was set much higher and it was speculated as high as 380 km/h.
The wedge-shaped profile of the 4.73 meter long body strongly refers to the aforementioned Lagonda . However, it adds hi-tech elements such as headlights embedded in the front hood or one pair of wing doors in the style of the Mercedes 300 SL. The interior also refers to the futuristic ideas of the design of the 80s, in which we would look in vain for more complex curves under the leather upholstery.
Rumor has it that the bulldog owes his life to a wealthy Middle Eastern customer. He made a very decent deposit for the finished specimen, but never took possession of the car itself. However, finding a buyer was not a problem, so the car spends happy years of life in one of the emirates.
