In 1958, young French women distributed a lavish catalogue – measuring around 70 centimetres when open – at the Pré-Catélan in Paris, in the heart of the Bois de Boulogne, and at the Geneva Motor Show from 12 March onwards. The catalogue featured a unique new car, the Arbel Symetric, which was a continuation of a symmetrical car presented seven years earlier.
Its symmetry consisted of the rear of the boot and the front of the engine being identical body parts, and therefore interchangeable. The doors, which opened upwards, were also identical. The bodywork was made of Polystic plastic, the braking system and transmission were electric, and it also featured a special Thermogun suspension. The new Arbel, from a new company but linked to the inventor of the original Symetric, Casimir Loubière, was even more intriguing.The car ran on a 1.3 to 2 litre combustion engine with around 50 to 75 hp, supplying power via a static generator to electric motors installed in the hub of each wheel, using fuel or nuclear waste. The so-called Genestafuel worked like a battery, a metal element cooled on one side and heated on the other. In this case, the heat came from gas-powered heaters located in the box behind the visible fans, which in turn produced the cold air. In the future, it was planned to use nuclear waste material, which could provide a range of thousands and thousands of kilometres for five years. According to the catalogue, all that was missing was permission from the country's authorities.
The young entrepreneur tried to convince them that he could build a large factory near Nice and also buy one of the largest taxi companies to replace its fleet with his vehicles. But the company quickly fell apart, leaving many unpaid bills. And, luckily, the nuclear power never worked.
What remains are the large catalogues that were distributed and are now authentic collector's items, valued at between €100 and €200.
