1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Nomad
 The 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Nomad merged station wagon utility with hardtop style. |
The 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Nomad was in a class all its own. No other station wagon has ever achieved the near-classic status granted to Chevrolet's glorious 1955 Nomad -- or come close. Even Pontiac's similarly shaped Safari never matched a Nomad's style and flair.
Because hardtops accounted for nearly one-fifth of the market and wagons nearly 15 percent, logic dictated a marriage of the two. Nomad began as a popular Corvette-based dream car at the 1954 GM Motorama. Blending the posh airiness of a hardtop with a wagon's practical virtues, the production Nomad debuted in February 1955.
Rakish is the only way to describe the Nomad, with its hardtop door-glass framing and sloping rear quarters that paralleled the angle of the wide B-pillars. Styling touches included a fluted roof, wraparound rear side glass, and rear-wheel cutouts.
From the cowl back, Nomads shared little sheetmetal with other Chevrolets, except for the basic floorpan. Doors differed, because Nomads lacked a beltline dip, and quarter panels were unique due to the wheel cutouts. A special interior featured waffle-rib upholstery.
Though
handsome, the glassy greenhouse made the car hot on sunny days, air circulation
wasn't top-notch, and tailgates leaked rain. Highest-priced of the '55s at
$2,571, only 8,386 Nomads were built this year, and sales sagged further in the
next two seasons.
 The flashy 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Nomad was outsold by less ostentatious wagons. |
1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Nomad Facts
|
Model |
Weight (lbs.) |
Price (new) |
Number built |
|
Bel Air Nomad |
3,285 |
$2,571 |
8,386 |
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