The Astro was a design study created by Veco (also written Vecco), a company specializing in automotive product development, based in Argenteuil, France. Veco had been founded in 1983 by Constantino Vecchiato. Its creator described the Astro as a prototype study, while leaving open the possibility of small-series production.
The Astro was a two-door, two-seat sports coupe with a glass-fibre reinforced plastic body. Its design was notably bold, built around a clean aerodynamic shape topped by a glass dome. The flat, rounded nose featured elongated headlight covers, an unusual styling element for the time. Air channels integrated into the flanks emerged and re-entered ahead of the rear fenders, working together visually with a rear wing that projected outward at the sides.
The car was conceived around the mechanical base of the Renault Alpine V6 Turbo, using its rear-mounted 2458 cc turbocharged V6 engine, producing 200 hp at 5750 rpm and 290 Nm of torque at 2500 rpm, on a wheelbase of 2340 mm.
The Astro was first shown as a pure 1:1 scale model without transparent windows at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1987. A completed version of the design study, with refined forms, finished details, and a visible interior, was presented at the Paris Motor Show in September 1988.
