The Aston Martin Bulldog is a car that should never have existed. A car that was built before its time and became lost in time. A car that never failed to leave those who encountered it mesmerised by its aesthetics and its jaw-dropping capability. Aston Martin created Bulldog as a concept car in the late 1970s with the hope that it would go into production as the first road car capable of breaking the 200-mph barrier. They missed that speed due to lack of space and the car never entered production. Instead, the sole prototype, designed by William Towns, designer of the DBS and Lagonda, spent the next 40 years bouncing from one owner to another, gradually deteriorating in condition. That is, until 2019. Bought by American collector Phillip Sarofim, Bulldog was about to have one more shot at securing its place in the 200-mph club. Hundreds of never-seen-before photographs from the Aston Martin Archive, as well as new photography by experienced car photographer Amy Shore, chronicle the lifecycle of this incredible car. Including interviews with the original engineers who were involved in the restoration and speed record, Aston Martin Bulldog follows the full story, from concept and design, through the lost years and on to its recent resurrection, which saw it successfully break the 200-mph threshold in 2022. AUTHOR: Simon de Burton writes about cars and luxury for The Financial Times, The Telegraph, The Spectator, GQ, Vogue China and Vanity Fair. He lives on Dartmoor, Devon. SELLING POINTS: . Original black-and-white photographs from the Aston Martin Archive, dating back to the 1970s, illustrate Bulldog's creation . Detailed coloured photographs by car photographer Amy Shore chronicle Bulldog's restoration . Fascinating interviews with owners, designers and restorers, reveal Bulldog's evolution