Aston took its future vision and threw it into fast-forward by the mid-1970s and early 1980s. The model range at the time was a mix of the Vantage and the Lagonda sedan – one looking and feeling like it was frozen in 1969, the other, 1999.
So one very antiquated, and one ahead of its time.
The 1980 Bulldog concept was ostensibly a range-topper; something to leapfrog the competition and bring the Vantage and supercar customer base into a bold and futuristic new decade.
Alas, the ambition was not matched by the right mix of sales and revenues to keep the dream of two ultra-modern cars alive. The Lagonda itself was a backbreaking investment for the company, and its overall market slump was a major drain on the small firm’s resources.
Aston has never attempted another mid-engine car since.
Until this year.
The Vision Gran Turismo DP-100 is a step back toward the R&D abyss.
But luckily, the DP-100 concept is mostly a digital endeavor. While a physical model of the car exists, it is (hopefully) not sucking out Aston’s finances like the Bulldog production engineering attempt did in the 1980s.
1979 Aston Martin Bulldog
2014 Aston Martin DP-100 Vision GranTurismo
Tom Burkart is the founder and managing editor of Car-Revs-Daily.com, an innovative and rapidly-expanding automotive news magazine.
He holds a Journalism JBA degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Tom currently resides in Charleston, South Carolina with his two amazing dogs, Drake and Tank.
Mr. Burkart is available for all questions and concerns by email Tom(at)car-revs-daily.com.