The station wagon holds a special spot in America’s collective fond memories of family transportation and the 1957 Chevy Bel Air Nomad two door is a jewel. With its distinctive tail fins, dazzling chrome, two-tone paint scheme and whitewall tires, the Nomad is one of the most recognizable Chevys and a classic among collectors.
The body of the 1957 Chevy Nomad featured an anodized aluminum panel along the side, slanted B-pillars, massive wrap-around rear side glass, “floating roof”, rear fender wheel cut-outs and straight side trim. According to Sam Barer in his “Sound Classics”, since only 6,103 Nomads were built in 1957, their last year of production, they are highly prized and a beautifully restored Nomad on the streets today will really grab people’s attention.
Bill Vance, in “Motoring Memories” from Canadian Driver points out that the first Nomad made was a prototype built on a ’54 Corvette chassis shown at the 1954 General Motors Motorama at the Waldorf Astoria in New York. Because of the excitement it generated, Chevrolet put the Nomad design into production in 1955.
In addition to major restyling, the ’57 Chevy received a boost in horsepower. With a new 283ci V-8, including the new Ramjet fuel injection, a single Rochester 4-bbl carburetor, a 10.5 to 1 compression ratio, and ultra short stroke, Chevy claimed the milestone of “1 hp per cubic inch”, along with an exclusive new Turboglide automatic transmission. The Blue Flame 140 6-cylinder was still available, along with the 265ci for stick shift options.
As reported in “1957 Classic Chevrolet ‘Sweet, Smooth and Sassy!'”, Chevrolet went for a longer and lower look in the ’57 Nomad. A switch from 15-inch to 14-inch wheels, a massive new bumper and grill with a thick horizontal bar and a big Chevy crest in the center, set against a gold-anodized mesh background, the unique rear fins and the hood birds, all gave the Nomad a big bold look. The frame of the 200-inch long Nomad was strengthened with new front braces, and the shocks, control arms and ball joints were modified to support the up to 3,500 pounds of total weight.
The interior of the Nomad, along with the original AM Wonderbar radio, featured a new ventilation system with fresh air intakes in the eyebrows of the headlights that fed long concealed ducts. Carpeting was also available, with optional two-tone interior, and distinctive vinyl and patterned cloth combinations.
Cars and Stripes quotes an original list price of $2,757 for the 6-cylinder and $2,857 for the V-8, a bargain compared to the upwards of $50,000 restored Nomads can fetch today. But some owners will surely say their 1957 Chevy Nomad is priceless.
References:
1957 Classic Chevrolet “Sweet, Smooth and Sassy!”: www.57classicchevy.com
1957 Classic Chevrolet – Body Styles: www.57classicchevy.com
APEX Marketing Strategy – Sam Barer’s Sound Classics – “Show winning 1957 Chevy Nomad proves station wagons are cool”: www.apexstrategy.com
Canadian Driver – Motoring Memories: Chevrolet Nomad, 1955 – 1957: www.canadiandriver.com
Cars and Stripes – 1957 Chevrolet: www.carsandstripes.com
Conceptcarz.com – 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Nomad: www.conceptcarz.com
Motor Trend – Through the years – Special models – 1955-1957 Nomad: www.motortrend.com
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