Simon Cars - Chevrolet Nomad

Chevrolet BelAir Nomad 1955 - 57

Clare MacKichan and Carl H Renner designed an estate car concept car based on the Chevrolet Corvette for Motorama 1954. Harley Earl saw the popularity of this show car and asked MacKichan and Renner to adapt it to the 1955 model line. The Nomad was difficult and expensive to produce since so much of it was unique and not part of the normal BelAir. Sales price was the highest of the BelAirs, and even with loads of added extras, it did not find many buyers. Although the name 'Nomad' continued on Chevrolet estate cars for many years, there was no attempt to design a new car on the the 1958 platform. Pontiac offered the Safari model in parallel to the Nomad, and they differed very little.

aa Chevrolet BelAir 1957 Nomad Estate badge

Chevrolet BelAir1957 Nomad Estate - badge on tailgate

ac Chevrolet BelAir 1957 Nomad Station Wagon head

Chevrolet BelAir 1957 Nomad Station Wagon. 1957 Chevrolets were again give new grilles.

Chevrolet BelAir 1957 Nomad Estate front

Chevrolet BelAir1957 Nomad Estate, Designed quickly by Carl Renner and Clare MacKichan, the Nomad supplemented a more traditional 5-door estate car on the BelAir.

Chevrolet BelAir 1957 Nomad Estate rear

Chevrolet BelAir1957 Nomad Estate. Clare MacKichan and Carl Renner were asked by Harley J. Earl to adapt their Corvette-based Motorama 1954 estate car concept to the Chevrolet production models for 1955, and this BelAir Nomad was one of the most striking.

Chevrolet BelAir 1957 Nomad frontm

Chevrolet BelAir 1957 Nomad. The Nomad Wagon was the most expensive of the Nomad models. The biggest factory engine in 1957 was the 4,638cc (283) which with fuel injection could be tuned to 283 bhp, or replaced by a 5.7-litre Corvette engine in later life.

Chevrolet BelAir 1957 Nomad rearm

Chevrolet BelAir 1957 Nomad. Built on the same 115-inch wheelbase as the rest of the 1957 Chevrolets, it measured 200-inches long which was also the same as the other bodies. There was also a less stylish 4-door Beauville Wagon which was cheaper.

s Chevrolet BelAir 1957 Nomad Estate side

Chevrolet BelAir Nomad 1957. This unique 'hardtop' style estate car was created under the direction of Harley J. Earl after the success of the Motorama 1954 Chevrolet Nomad which was actually built on a Corvette. Mainline Chevrolet models were hastily created as Nomad estates. However, the Nomad was an expensive car to produce as so much of it was individual to this car, and it was the most expensive car in the BelAir range to buy, so sales were low.

t Chevrolet BelAir 1957 Nomad Estate tail

Chevrolet BelAir1957 Nomad Estate. The tailgate was a simple drop down lid and a lift-up rear window, unlike the more elaborate one piece affair on the Motorama 1954 concept car.

Chevrolet BelAir 1955 - 57

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