57 Studebaker Packard Astral

[COMMANDERPINK1]

This is the discription of the display in the first photo
1957 Studebaker-Packard Astral
This fullsized mockup was constructed to suggest how an Atomic-powered vehicle might be packaged if the technology exited to built it. A gyroscopic balancing mechanism was to have enabled it to rest on one centrally located wheel although it would also have been able to hover at low altitudes over land or water. A "protective curtain of energy" around the vehicle would have reportedly made collisions impossible. Since the capability to manufacture a small nuclear reactor did not exit at the time very few full-size "atomic-powered" vehicles reached even the makeup stage and none were ever actually fitted with a nuclear power system.




This was at the Peterson Automotive Museum in L.A. Calif. I had never seen or heard of it what can any here on the forum say about it. Sorry about the small size of the pics just cant figure out how to enlarge them.
Tom

[showbizkid]

I just watched a History Channel DVD on the Chrysler Turbine Car and the Astral makes a cameo appearance halfway in (to illustrate some of the visionary efforts of car companies in the Fifties). You should see the outfit of the woman showing it off!


[img=left]http://members.cox.net/clarknovak/lark.gif[/img=left]

Clark in San Diego
'63 F2/Lark Standard

http://studeblogger.blogspot.com

https://www.studebakersandiego.com

[doug]

Did you make it to the Automotive Driving Museum while here?

[COMMANDERPINK1]

quote:Originally posted by doug

Did you make it to the Automotive Driving Museum while here?

We had plans to when going back to the airport on Fri but with getting misdirected on the location of the car rental dropoff we were left with only a hour to spare(Calif traffic,yuck) so didnt take a chance but it will be on the list to do next time in LA. especially for the day for a ride along.
Tom

[Sdude]

quote:Originally posted by showbizkid

I just watched a History Channel DVD on the Chrysler Turbine Car and the Astral makes a cameo appearance halfway in (to illustrate some of the visionary efforts of car companies in the Fifties). You should see the outfit of the woman showing it off!

Was it Jane Jetson? [:X]

Jon Stalnaker
Editor, Hawk Talks
Karel Staple Chapter SDC

[kurtruk]

Yes, the Astral and it's appearance at the museum has been covered here and in club publications. Wacky. The Chrysler Turbine cars, however, that's something that had promise. They worked. Just think if they had the benefit of 100 years of development like our familiar internal combustion engines have. I think the same for steam engines.

KURTRUK
(read it backwards)




Nothing is politically right which is morally wrong. -A. Lincoln

[scott.rodgers]

I found this picture during some random internet search:



It must be from some coverage by a Popular Mechanics-type magazine from the time. I'm sure the article was interesting...

Scott Rodgers
Los Angeles
SDC Member since 1989
'60 Lark HT
'63 Wagonaire
'66 Frankenbaker

[8E45E]

I finally got to see it for myself today. If I remember reading correctly somewhere, it was also on display at the 1958 World's Fair in Brussels.

























Craig

[avantilover]

Good old Studebaker, just about broke and they made that!!! What a great little concept, though with no glass (or is the canopy missing) and hard seats it wouldn't have been that comfy LOL.

[bams50]

Very cool! Would look really cool in a Googie-style restaurant

[stude62]

I like the golf club head controls on the center console!

[Retired]

Did the tax payer anti up the $$ to cover the cost of designing and building the model?