1970’s super car, the Aston Martin Bulldog is halfway through its restoration, which will ultimately see the car being driven to its intended top speed of 200 miles an hour.
A feat it never achieved in period.
The restoration of this British icon by Classic Motor Cars in Bridgnorth, Shropshire is being followed by thousands of people worldwide on social media, in motoring magazines and newspapers .It has its own following and fan base who are excited to hear about its every move.
But this wasn’t always the case. After the launch of the car, and its abortive run to reach 200mile an hour to claim the production car speed record, it disappeared into obscurity. But now more and more history about the car is being found.
Project Manager Richard Gauntlett said: “ The Bulldog became something of a mythical beast, lots of people knew about it and wondered where it was after it was sold by Aston Martin to an owner in the Middle East. It then disappeared from general view.”
He added: “ There were sightings all over the world, In the late 1980’s it was spotted in a lock up in Arizona, it was back in the Middle East in the 1990’s but it was RM Sotheby’s who tracked it down in Asia.
Richard said: “With top restoration company, CMC being chosen to carry out the 18 months plus restoration and get the car ready for its 200-mph run, the Bulldog was coming home. The car had come full circle not only geographically but in terms of its history.
“While the physical restoration has been going on at CMC, a huge amount of work continues to be done forensically piecing together the full history of where the car has been.”
RM Sotheby’s car specialist Alexander Weaver said: “ “Our team of Car Specialists is always on the hunt for unique, elusive or obscure cars on behalf of our clients and the Aston Martin Bulldog fit that bill perfectly.
“We found this one-of-a-kind concept within an exceptional collection where it had quietly resided for decades. As one would expect we were keen to facilitate its sale knowing the interest in it would be strong.”
He added: “ After extensive discussions and negotiations, the owner agreed to part with the long hidden Bulldog and we were able to facilitate a sale to our client and friend Phillip Sarofim, through our Private Sales division. We are certainly excited to see the car undergo the restoration to its former glory and I’m personally eager to see the Bulldog crack 200mph, as it was intended and came so close.
Nigel Woodward, Managing Director at CMC said: “ Bulldog has been with us for nearly a year and in that time, we have carefully dismantled the car, meticulously recording every detail of its construction. We have peeled back some of the later additions and modifications that had been carried out to the car after it left Aston Martin, and the process is now well underway to return the car to its former glory.
Cyan Racing chief engineer Mattias Evensson and his crew headed to northern Sweden with the Volvo P1800 Cyan, throwing the car sideways between the snow walls in -20 degrees Celsius.
“The Volvo P1800 Cyan is our way for us to combine the best from the past and today, moving away from the power, weight and performance figures of contemporary performance cars,” said Mattias Evensson Volvo P1800 Cyan Project Manager and Head of Engineering at Cyan Racing.
The team traveled close to 1000 kilometers north of the Cyan Racing headquarters in Gothenburg, Sweden, to the frozen lakes and snow drenched roads of Åre, Mattias Evensson’s hometown.
The location provided the team with the right conditions to explore the characteristics and limits of the Volvo P1800 Cyan in challenging conditions.
“What really struck me from this expedition was that the car is so easy to drive and that you do not need to provoke it to get it where you want,” said Mattias Evensson.
“All of the properties that we have tried to achieve were almost amplified by driving it on the low grip of snow and ice.
“The basic concept of the car seems to work really well, it does not matter that much if you are on a bone-dry racing circuit, a wet and twisty country road or on the crisp ice here in northern Sweden. You still feel confident and in control.
“I would say this concept has somewhat been lost along the way for the performance cars of today. For us, this is returning back to basics.”
The Volvo P1800 weighs less than 1000kg, featuring no driver aids, a dog-leg manual gearbox and an engine designed to deliver increasing power all the way to the redline.
“Our aim has been to make a car with a sound base design that leaves it to you as the driver to explore the limits, rather than leaning on electronic driver aids to control the power and weight as with most modern performance cars,” said Mattias Evensson.
“And it’s all connected with the engine response, the chassis balance and the low weight, making the car playful and rewarding.”
About Cyan Racing and this project Cyan Racing was founded in 1996 and was formerly named Polestar until Volvo Cars acquired the performance section and trademark in 2015. Cyan Racing is privately owned and operated. The team has claimed the last three touring car World titles, most recently the 2020 WTCR drivers’ and teams’ titles with Lynk & Co – and participated in the development of the Polestar performance models of the Volvo S60 and V60 in the years 2013 to 2015, including the concept models Volvo C30 and S60 Polestar Concept Prototype.
Please note that the Volvo P1800 Cyan will be marketed independently by Cyan Racing. Furthermore, it should be noted that there is no collaboration between Cyan Racing and Volvo Cars in relation to this car project, as well as that the trademarks “Volvo” and “P1800” are owned by Volvo Cars.
Heveningham Concours has announced that its fifth annual motorsport and aviation event will now take place in the summer of 2022 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The event, which was also sadly cancelled last year due to the pandemic, hosts 50 or more of the world’s most beautiful cars, while the aviation concours features around a dozen equally rare propeller planes at Heveningham Hall in Suffolk.
Chairman of the motorsport judging panel, Max Hunt, said: “With huge regret and in light of the ongoing uncertainty, we have taken the decision to cancel this year’s concours and country fair, which were due to take place in June. We are determined to look ahead to 2022 and will focus on hosting an extra special event – even by our standards! Thank you for your continued support and let’s look forward to better times ahead.”
Each year, the judges award Laurence Edwards-designed bronze trophies in the following classes: post-war, pre-war, supercar, plus the Hanna Aviation Trophy to the best plane.
There’s also a separate prize for the winner of Horsepower Hill, a timed sprint along the estate’s main drive that takes place on both days and features its own supercar paddock and drifting area. Spectators are at the heart of the action, with grandstands overlooking a spectacle not to be missed.
As ever, all proceeds go to charity, plus the concours also provides a full scholarship for a student to undertake a post-graduate MA in Intelligent Mobility at the Royal College of Art.
Heveningham Concours takes place at the same time as the long-standing Country Fair that attracts around 20,000 people annually, again with all monies going to charity.
As we slipped indistinguishably from a constrained Christmas to what felt like the longest January on record, the historic motoring community remained in isolation at home, for the protection of ourselves, the vulnerable and those working in the NHS.
Following the success of two events in 2020 and an RAC Historic Award, Classics for Carers is back for 2021! The March event is focused on NHS well-being and mental health, aiming to raise £13,000, which would provide an NHS well-being pod – a quiet restorative space for staff.
The National Stay At Home Motor Show is once again inviting classic car and bike enthusiasts, clubs and businesses to exhibit a nation-wide show of appreciation for NHS carers and their sustained effort over what is now a year of living with the coronavirus pandemic.
Commenting on the event’s return, organiser Nick Chivers said: “In May and June of last year, we hosted two charity at-home motor shows, raising £17,500 for NHS Charities Together, providing much needed resources for NHS staff. Numerous mini motor shows on people’s driveways gave classic car and bike enthusiasts a chance to put their passion on show and fundraise for a national cause. We are honoured to have been voted 2020 winner of a Royal Automobile Club Historic Award, in the category of Motoring Spectacle. A true testament to everyone who supported the events of 2020.”
As social distancing measures remain in place for at least the beginning of 2021, the motoring and motorsport sector has endured a prolonged period of cancelled meetings and it is unknown when we will see a return of in-person classic car and bike events.
Classics for Carers provides a live motor show, where attendees from all over the UK and further afield, can shine and share their pride and joy at home, and join the event online through social media. The collective efforts of the national motor show are streamed live on the Classics for Carers Facebook Group, Instagram and Twitter channels.
Fundraising towards the March 2021 target is drawn from generous donations from participants and spectators (including those passing by on their permitted daily exercise) and from the sale of event specific rally plates and stickers (where all profits go to the charity).
Key Information:
Return of award winning charity motor show, Classics For Carers
National collective of classic motoring community in support of NHS carers
Static stay-at-home motor show, showcasing classic and sports cars and motorbikes
Event rally plates and stickers available for purchase – all profits to NHS Charities Together
Share participation in the event via social media, using the hashtag #classicsforcarers
Classics for Carers is an entirely charitable event, with funds raised being donated to NHS Charities Together, the membership organisation representing, supporting and championing National Health Service (NHS) charities across the UK.
The latest data analysis from stolen vehicle recovery (SVR) expert, Tracker, reveals that Range Rovers and Land Rovers take six of the ten places in the 2020 list of Tracker’s most commonly stolen and recovered vehicles.
The three top spots in the 2020 league table are all Range Rover models – #1 the Sport, #2 the Vogue and #3 the Autobiography. The Land Rover Discovery, Range Rover Evoque and Land Rover Defender also make the top ten. These six models alone account for 37% of all stolen cars recovered by Tracker in 2020.
Analysis of how criminals stole cars in 2020 reveals that keyless theft has risen to an all-time high, with 93% of all recovered vehicles having been stolen without the thief having possession of the keys. This has nudged up from 92% in 2019 but represents a 26% increase in the last 5 years. Thieves use sophisticated equipment to exploit keyless technology by hijacking the car key’s signal, typically from the security of the owner’s home, and remotely fooling the system into unlocking the doors and starting the engine. This is commonly known as a “relay attack”.
Clive Wain, Head of Police Liaison for Tracker, commented: “Range Rover and other Land Rover models have always featured in our top ten most stolen and recovered league table in the last 10 years, as has the BMW X5 which has slipped from 2nd to 4th position in 2020. However, most premium 4×4 cars are hot targets, with car thieves stealing to order, often shipping them abroad or stripping them for parts in a chop shop to meet the growing demand for spare parts.”
Adding to owner’s security woes, in 2020 new car production ground to a halt in response to COVID-19. This caused significant delays to the supply chain and made Tracker’s top ten most stolen and recovered vehicles all the more desirable. Pent-up demand for both nearly new cars and manufacturer approved parts increases values and boosts trade for criminals stealing to fill the gap.
Wain concludes; “Keyless car theft has risen dramatically in recent years. It is quick and easy for professional criminals who have the tools and experience. Cars are commonly taken from outside of the owners’ house, often discreetly and within minutes, meaning the theft often goes unnoticed for some time. We encourage drivers to use traditional visual deterrents such as crook locks and wheel clamps to deter criminals and protect their car, however in the event of a theft, stolen vehicle tracking technology will significantly help police quickly close the net on thieves and return the vehicle to its rightful owner.”
Tracker is the only SVR provider offering vehicle tracking systems that are supported nationwide by UK police forces. Tracker SVR solutions work like an electronic homing device. A covert transmitter is hidden in one of several dozen places around the vehicle. There is no visible aerial, so the thief won’t even know it’s there. The combination of VHF with GPS/GSM technology, unique to Tracker, makes its units resistant to GPS/GSM jamming, confirming Tracker as a superior security defence against determined thieves.
TRACKER’S TOP 10 MOST STOLEN AND RECOVERED
2020 Tracker’s Top Ten Most Stolen & Recovered Vehicles
2019 Tracker’s Top Ten Most Stolen & Recovered Vehicles
1. Range Rover Sport
1. Range Rover Sport
2. Range Rover Vogue
2. BMW X5
3. Range Rover Autobiography
3. Mercedes-Benz C Class
4. BMW X5
4. Range Rover Vogue
5. Land Rover Discovery / BMW 3 Series
5. Land Rover Discovery
6. Mercedes-Benz C-Class
6. BMW X6
7. Range Rover Evoque
7. Range Rover Evoque
8. Mercedes-Benz C-Class AMG
8. BMW 3 Series
9. BMW M3 / Mercedes S-Class
9. Range Rover Autobiography
10. Land Rover Defender / Mercedes-Benz E-Class / BMW 6 Series
10. Mercedes E Class
For Tracker product and pricing information please visit www.Tracker.co.uk
