Work continues on rare Aston Martin at Bridgnorth garage
One of the world's rarest cars is now in its sixth month of restoration at a garage in Bridgnorth.
Mechanics working on an Aston Martin Bulldog at Classic Motor Cars said the extraordinary vehicle continues to reveal its secrets as work to restore it continues.
Project leader Richard Gauntlett, son of the late Victor Gauntlett, the former CEO and chairman of Aston Martin, is project managing the restoration and overseeing the car’s exciting future.
He said: “The first six months of this heroic project have been truly fascinating.
"The restoration is absolutely forensic in every respect and we have seen the car offer up its past.
"We have located and spoken with every member of the core team who built it and we are compiling every piece of information we can find regarding its extraordinary history.
“This car illustrates that British ingenuity in the face of financial adversity can be so deeply impressive which seems so relevant at this time. The future’s bright, the future’s Bulldog.”
Nigel Woodward, managing director of the Stanmore Business Park-based company, said: "The car is dramatically designed in every way and has inspired the restoration team like no other car we have worked on previously.
"As the car has been dismantled and revealed its history, it has prompted numerous questions as to why certain elements of the car were built in a certain way.
"It’s almost like an archaeological dig. You find something interesting and then must work out why it was constructed in that way, how to put it back together and whether it should be improved whilst ensuring that the historical integrity of the car remains the same.
“What has been revealed is that the basic structure showed a lack of torsional rigidity by today's standards and complete lack of rollover protection.
"A concealed internal cage is being designed and constructed to correct both these issues without interrupting the originality of the car.
"For a vehicle with such enormous performance, we felt this was an essential safety improvement to allow the car to be driven in the manner for which it was designed.
“When you first see the Bulldog it appears to be a flat-faceted design but it’s not.
"The car has subtle compound curves in many of its body panels and it is essential that we retain those as we rebuild it."
The project has led those working on it to designing their own team Bulldog T-shirts.
Liz Collings, from Wolverhampton, is one of the team working on the car.
She said: "I’m really excited to be working on the Bulldog project. It's an honour to be part of the team that will be bringing this iconic car back to its former glory. It will be great to see the car on the road and performing to its full potential."
Marketing director David Barzilay said: “There is huge interest in the car from the general public who have heard that it is being restored and want to know how the restoration is proceeding.
"Many remember the publicity that was produced when the car was first unveiled, and they constantly ask when they might be able to see the restored car.”
