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Topic starter
07/01/2026 12:16 pm
1/43 #01024 Gregoire 15/22HP Torpille Saloon Alin & Liautard (F, 1912)
1/43 #03027 Astra Gnome (USA, 1956)
1/43 #04046 Kamm K4 BMW (D, 1940)
1/43 #08024 Skoda 979-I Prototyp (CZ, 1956)
Dave Gilbert
Nashville, Tennessee
07/01/2026 1:16 pm
The wheels alone - on that Gregoire Torpille Saloon - are worth the price of admission. 😎
Karl Schnelle and Dave Gilbert reacted
07/01/2026 1:25 pm
the Astra Gnome, please, yes. 
Topic starter
07/01/2026 2:47 pm
The wheels alone - on that Gregoire Torpille Saloon - are worth the price of admission. 😎
My thought exactly!
Dave Gilbert
Nashville, Tennessee
Karl Schnelle and Christopher Moroni reacted
07/01/2026 6:15 pm
@randyrusk I suspect you have the most interesting model car collection of all those on this forum.
Ed Davis
Inverness, Illinois, USA
07/01/2026 6:56 pm
@ed-davis It would depend on how you define “interesting”… it is certainly unique.
Topic starter
07/01/2026 7:04 pm
That would pair nicely with the Triple Berline.The wheels alone - on that Gregoire Torpille Saloon - are worth the price of admission. 😎
@daveg Did someone release the Astra Gnome previously? The name and image look so familiar.
Not that I know of. To be honest, I have never heard of it before!
Dave Gilbert
Nashville, Tennessee
Christopher Moroni reacted
07/01/2026 9:07 pm
@paul-rouffa Maybe you're thinking of this other "space age" model from Autocult.
Christopher Moroni reacted
07/01/2026 9:26 pm
After a bumpy 2025, where Thomas Roschmann acknowledged frustrating challenges with manufacturing and supply chain, resulting in fewer releases overall, their short break over the holidays brings Autocult back to full throttle - both with more releases per month and some oddball stuff I can't do without. Here's are some more pics and info from Thomas about these newest releases, along with a Tatra race car from their Avenue43 line.
1912 Gregoire 15/22HP Torpille Saloon Alin & Liautard
Automobile production at Grégoire et Cie began in 1903 with a single-cylinder, four-stroke 8 CV engine, followed by a two-cylinder 12 CV drivetrain. By the company’s second year, a four-cylinder 20 CV engine had been added to the lineup, clearly signaling a shift toward more luxurious vehicles.
Jean-Pierre Grégoire’s intuition for the young yet steadily growing automobile market proved sound, as he attracted enough customers to establish a firm foothold in France.
In 1907, the company was renamed Automobiles Grégoire, and a broader industry trend became evident at the Poissy factory: car bodies were increasingly produced by external coachbuilders rather than in-house. As a result, Grégoire began collaborating with the coachbuilding firm Alin & Liautard.
Around 1909–1910, the coachbuilder designed a saloon body for the Poissy factory featuring a highly rounded form, with a rear end reminiscent of the lower portion of a horizontal water droplet. In January 1911, a further refined version was presented in the French magazine Omnia, introducing a striking innovation. The rear curves now featured a bulge—an articulated sheet-metal cover that could be opened to reveal a spare wheel concealed deep within the vehicle.
This rear-mounted spare-wheel solution was considered highly remarkable in the years just before the First World War. Its novelty is underscored by the fact that it was documented in several photographs in the trade press at a time when photographic printing technology was still in its infancy.
1956 Astra Gnome
Richard Arbib was born in Gloversville, New York, in 1917. He studied design and began his career at General Motors, where he worked alongside legendary designer Harley Earl. After World War II, Arbib was hired by the Henney Automobile Company, and between 1951 and 1954 he transformed his design ideas into production vehicles. Among his most notable contributions was the Packard Super Station Wagon, distinguished by its gently curved rear window and conceived by Arbib at the age of 37.
During the 1950s, Arbib envisioned a car that would embody what automobiles might look like in the year 2000. He realized this concept under the name Astro-Gnome — Time and Space Car, using a conventional 1955 Nash Metropolitan—also known as the “Baby Nash”—as its foundation. Arbib focused primarily on the vehicle’s exterior, most notably its semi-circular roof canopy, which provided passengers with a panoramic view. He also reimagined the interior, creating a surprisingly spacious cabin. Slightly wider than typical small cars of the era, the Astro-Gnome offered significantly more interior room.
The car of the future was developed by Richard Arbib Company, Inc., at the request of American Motors Corporation (AMC) and was crafted by Andrew Mazzaro of New York. Contemporary reports noted that the entire project was completed in just four months.
Visitors to the 1956 New York International Auto Show were given the first—and only—public glimpse of this futuristic vision. Shortly thereafter, the car faded into obscurity and was not rediscovered until 1980.
1940 Kamm K4 BMW
The last of the four prototypes created by Wunibald Irmin Erich Kamm was designated K4. Powered by the 90 hp inline six-cylinder engine from the standard BMW 335, the K4 would have competed in the upper passenger car segment. One notable technical feature was its four-stroke engine, which operated with a leaner fuel–air mixture at constant speeds—an early example of active fuel-economy optimization. Another innovative refinement was a built-in system that allowed the driver to adjust tire pressure while driving. This feature would have been particularly useful for high-speed highway travel and also contributed to reduced fuel consumption.
Despite these advances, the K4 suffered from a significant drawback: weight. Kamm’s design was extremely heavy, giving the car a total weight of nearly 1,500 kg, compared with approximately 1,300 kg for the standard BMW 335.
In the end, these developments remained largely theoretical, as political events following the outbreak of World War II left little opportunity for further progress. Kamm completed the K4’s design in 1939, and in 1940 the full-scale body was constructed by the renowned firm Reutter & Co. GmbH. Road testing is believed to have taken place, but the project was likely abandoned soon thereafter due to the war.
What became of the car during the war years remains unclear. Aside from a vague statement from 1945 suggesting it fell into the hands of French troops, all subsequent traces of the K4 were lost.
1956 Skoda 979-I Prototyp
In 1955, the Czechoslovakian Ministry of Automotive Industry approved the development of a commercial vehicle that was to be spacious, lightweight, and modern. The proposed van was designed with a load capacity of 950 kg, a top speed of approximately 100 km/h, and fuel consumption of around 10 liters per 100 kilometers.
With these specifications in mind, Škoda built the first test vehicle, assigning it the internal type designation S 979. Development of the small transporter began in March 1956, and just six months later a prototype was ready for real-world testing. This work was carried out at the Mladá Boleslav and Vrchlabí plants.
Visually, however, the van was far from appealing. From today’s perspective, it had the unmistakable character of a socialist-era vehicle, with a somber-looking front end, unfortunate color accents, and a chrome radiator grille with two headlights that failed to convey a welcoming appearance.
It is reasonable to assume that this styling did not resonate with decision-makers and was a key reason the small van was not approved for production. While it remains unclear whether there were additional criticisms of the first prototype, the front-end design was almost certainly among them. In the subsequent version, the headlights and entire front section were redesigned to appear significantly more prominent.
1963 Tatra Delfin (Avenue43 release)
The Tatra Delfin race car was developed in 1963 as a purpose-built single-seater for the Formula Junior category, emerging from Tatra’s engineering base in Kopřivnice during a period of constrained resources and limited international exposure for Eastern Bloc manufacturers. Conceived as a showcase of technical ingenuity rather than a mass-production effort, the Delfin reflected Tatra’s long-standing commitment to unconventional engineering solutions and motorsport experimentation, even behind the Iron Curtain.
What made the Delfin particularly distinctive was its air-cooled four-cylinder engine, derived from the larger V8-powered Tatra 603 passenger car. This made it the first Formula Junior car in the world to use an air-cooled engine, setting it apart from its water-cooled contemporaries. Resourcefulness defined the car’s construction: components were sourced creatively from multiple manufacturers, including Renault brakes, a modified Fiat 600 gearbox, and a Volga differential. Combined with its lightweight chassis, around 400 kilograms, the Delfin achieved impressive performance for its class, with reported top speeds exceeding 200 km/h.
Visually, the Delfin was equally unconventional. Its sharp, angular bodywork contrasted strongly with the rounded forms typical of early-1960s formula cars, giving it a futuristic and purposeful appearance. Only two examples were built, reportedly completed in just over eight months, and while the car did not achieve lasting international racing success, it remains a compelling symbol of technical creativity under constraint. Today, the Tatra Delfin is remembered less for trophies than for its bold engineering choices and its place as a rare and innovative chapter in European racing history.
This post was modified 4 months ago by Randy Rusk
08/01/2026 12:25 am
I realized I may have seen it at the Petersen last spring. However, its page on their site says it's currently not on display.That would pair nicely with the Triple Berline.The wheels alone - on that Gregoire Torpille Saloon - are worth the price of admission. 😎
@daveg Did someone release the Astra Gnome previously? The name and image look so familiar.
Not that I know of. To be honest, I have never heard of it before!
https://www.petersen.org/vehicle-spotlights/1956-astra-gnome
Christopher Moroni and Dave Gilbert reacted
08/01/2026 8:41 am
*Yawn! Ho hum!* 😊 Just another group of over-the-top amazing automotive artifacts. They do an incredible job and have carved out a fascinating niche in the hobby. Thanks for keeping us current, Randy.
This post was modified 4 months ago by John Kuvakas
John Kuvakas
Warrenton, VA
08/01/2026 10:01 am
Nice to see this company survive in a niche market!
Christopher Moroni and Paul Rouffa reacted
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