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CHEVROLET Nomad Models/Series Timeline, Specifications & Photos

Generations: 2
First production year: 1955
Engines: Gasoline
Body style: Wagon (station wagon, estate, combi, touring)
CHEVROLET Nomad photo gallery

If some would have asked an American to design a shooting brake, the 1957 Chevrolet Nomad would have been the answer. In the mid 50s, the Nomad arrived just in time for the Tri-Five Chevrolet models, the 1955, 1956 and 1957 lineup: 150 and 210 versions of the Bel Air and the Nomad. The latter was shown in 1954 at Motorama in New York, alongside other Chevys. It had the front end of a Corvette and the rear end of a station wagon.

The bold statement was that the six-people carrier was able to be driven fast, even if it was built more like a family vehicle. The 4.3-liter V8 engine produced 245 hp and it was coupled to a Powerglide automatic transmission.

The total production for the Nomad was around 22.000 units over a three-year lifespan, and slow sales made GM pull the plug on the car. Previously, in 1956, Chevy first tried to make the vehicle more appealing by installing a new V8 with fuel injection. It produced 283 hp, a feature that could have made it more competitive against rivalling Ford and Chrysler models. But Chrysler already had a three-speed automatic gearbox by the end of 1956. In 1957, only 6000 units of Nomad were made.

The Nomad nameplate remained an important one in the hot-rod enthusiasts world as one of the few two-door station wagons with big V8 engines.

full description and technical specifications
gasoline engines:

CHEVROLET Nomad 3.9

CHEVROLET Nomad photo gallery

Designed for Detroit's 1954 Motorama event, the Nomad was one of the most expensive Chevrolets on the market, except the Corvette.

When a designer dreamed, a miracle car may happen, and that was the case with the Nomad. It was a true shooting-brake long before other cars could claim the rights for that styling. Chevrolet made the two-door station wagon a fancy vehicle, and people loved it.

It was hard not to notice that the car resembled the Bel-Air lineup with its wrapped-around chromed bumper and broad grille. The chromed rings around the headlights and other shiny details on the bodywork made the Nomad a special vehicle. Its two-door construction with frameless windows and split side windows for the trunk and rear seats area were unique on the market, apart from its sibling, the Pontiac Safari. A split opening tailgate created a sitting area with a roof over those seated there in the back of the vehicle.

Inside, the Nomad featured a 50/50 split-folding front bench good for up to three occupants. The carmaker installed one of the most remarkable instrument clusters on the market, with a triangular-shaped speedometer and two gauges on the top. A two-tone leather interior was offered as an option for the cloth upholstery fitted as standard.

Chevrolet offered the Nomad with the 265 or the 283 engines (3.9-liters and 4.3-liters) paired to a standard three-speed automatic gearbox.

full description and technical specifications