Astra Gnome 1956

Astra Gnome 1956 by Autocult

Looking 45 years ahead into the future!

Richard Arbib was born in Gloversville, New York, in 1917. He studied design and found a job at General Motors, where he worked with star designer Harley Earl. After World War II, the Henney Automobile Company hired him, and from 1951 to 1954, he turned his dreams into cars. The Packard Super Station Wagon, with its slightly curved rear window, was based on an idea by the 37-year-old Arbib. In the 1950s, he planned to build a car that would resemble the cars of the year 2000. He realized his vision under the name "Astro-Gnome — time and space car," based on a conventional 1955 Nash Metropolitan, also known as the "Baby Nash." Arbib focused primarily on the car's appearance, particularly the semi-circular roof covering that offered passengers a panoramic view. He also recreated a spacious interior. Since the car was slightly wider than normal small cars, the interior was considerably larger. The car of the future was developed by the Richard Arbib Company, Inc., at the request of the American Motors Corporation (AMC) and crafted by Andrew Mazzaro of New York. According to reports at the time, the entire process took only four months. Visitors to the 1956 New York International Auto Show got their first and only real glimpse of this vision of the future. The car then disappeared into obscurity and was only rediscovered in 1980.