Photos: ConceptCarz.com

In the tradition of past GM Motorama shows, concept cars continued to be used to draw people to Chevrolet exhibits and impress them with the company’s forward vision and thinking. By the mid-1960s, Bill Mitchell, GM’s Head of Styling, had removed the past influences of his predecessor, Harley Earl, and firmly entrenched his own.

This was no detriment for GM, as Mitchell had been responsible for for some previous landmark designs, including the 1963 Buick Riviera and the 1963 Corvette Stingray, which was essentially penned by Larry Shinoda at Mitchell’s direction. Mitchell’s preference for smooth curves was never more evident than in the 1967 Chevrolet Corvair Astro I, which was revealed at the New York Auto Show that year.

If the purpose of show cars is to get people talking about them and the company, the radical coupe, which was less than three feet tall, surely accomplished its goal. In order to achieve maximum aerodynamic efficiency, the Astro I used a version of the flat six-cylinder engine from the production Corvair, with centrifugal fans to supply cooling air. This eliminated the need for a radiator and allowed a low, sleek front design. At 176 cid displacement, the experimental engine produced 240 horsepower at 7200 rpm, providing a rather significant 1.4 horsepower per cubic inch.

The show car’s aerodynamic body was all fiberglass, with an engineered optical system in the roof section to provide full rearward vision for the driver, supplemented by external side mirrors. The rear body section was articulated to allow access to the cockpit. Elevator seats made the tasks of entry and egress much less acrobatic than could have been the case otherwise.

Under the progressive exterior, the car revealed an equally advanced, semi-monocoque chassis with double-wishbone independent suspension all around, 4-wheel disc brakes with cooling ducts, two-piece cast magnesium wheels and a fuel cell. Advanced anti-dive and anti-squat geometry had been dialed into the suspension.

When the interior was revealed, viewers were startled by the lack of a steering wheel. Dual aircraft-style joysticks were used for directional control, removing the packaging restrictions presented by a steering wheel. Resplendent with gauges and indicator lights, the interior more resembled that of a flight deck than the interior of any wheeled vehicle to date. Drawing outside air from a vent in the high pressure area ahead of the windshield, Astro I occupants would enjoy a fully automatic air conditioning and heating system.

GM Styling would produce future show cars using the Astro name, but none quite as radical – and believable at the same time – as the first.