Yahoo Autos 1954 Chevrolet Corvette Nomad Replica: Dream Car for Sale
1954 Chevrolet Corvette Nomad replica. Photos courtesy Auctions America, unless otherwise noted.
In January of 1954, GM introduced a radical new concept at its New York Motorama show. Part Corvette, part station wagon, the Chevrolet Corvette Nomad concept suddenly made the station wagon desirable, and the public’s reaction prompted Harley Earl to order the production Nomad for 1955. Popular opinion is that the Corvette Nomad was destroyed after its Motorama days were over (though more than one may have been built), but a few replicas have been constructed over the years. One such 1954 Chevrolet Corvette Nomad recreation, as true to the original in looks as possible, crosses the auction stage in Auburn on Saturday, September 5.
The 1954 Chevrolet Corvette Nomad concept. Image courtesy GM Heritage Center.
As built for Motorama in 1955, the Chevrolet Corvette Nomad was essentially a 1953 Corvette from the A-pillars forward, grafted to a 1953 Chevrolet sedan chassis and wrapped in fiberglass bodywork. Power came from the Corvette’s 235-cu.in. “Blue Flame” six, rated at 150 horsepower and bolted to the two-speed Powerglide automatic transmission, but style, not performance, was the car’s primary mission. Inside, the upholstery was crafted from blue and white leather, and the interior featured such design details as a ribbed headliner and an electric window in the tailgate.
The Corvette Nomad was joined on the Motorama stage by two other Corvette-based concepts, including the Corvette Hardtop and the Corvette Corvair fastback. GM was sending a clear message to the public that despite disappointing sales in its first year, the automaker remained committed to the Corvette (and especially so after Ford’s introduction of the Thunderbird concept in February 1954). While the Nomad would see production under the Bel Air line for 1955, it would take until 1956 for Chevrolet to introduce an optional and removable hardtop for the Corvette; of the three Motorama show cars, only the Corvette Corvair fastback concept was abandoned.
See also: The 1954 Motorama Corvette Hardtop, found
Common belief is that one Corvette Nomad was built for Motorama display, and that this car was sent to the crusher at the end of its show circuit life. Some sources say that three Corvette Nomads were built (while others claim five), but if such cars exist today, they’re out of the public eye. Collectors wanting a Corvette Nomad, then, have no realistic alternative outside of building their own.
See also: The 1954 Corvette Nomad visits Elgin Park
The replica to be sold at Auburn began life as a 1955 Pontiac Safari wagon, the cross-divisional cousin of the two-door 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Nomad. The original body was sectioned and lowered to more closely match that of the original show car, and a Camaro front subframe was chosen to provide front disc brakes and the ability to easily drop in a modern 350-cu.in. V-8 engine and Turbo Hydra-Matic transmission.
Like the original, this example sports a blue and white interior, complete with an electrically operated rear window (liberated from a late model Chevrolet Suburban). Finished roughly eight years ago, the idea was to construct a replica as true to the original in appearance as possible, but with modern power and modern amenities (including air conditioning). It’s not clear who funded the build, but when the car was offered for sale online back in 2011, the investment was said to be in the neighborhood of $400,000.
To some, cutting up a 1955 Pontiac Safari wagon is blasphemy, since only 3,760 examples were built (compared to 6,103 Chevrolet Nomad wagons built in 1955). Others will decry the use of a later V-8 and three-speed automatic instead of the original six and Powerglide, or the use of a Camaro front subframe. In defense of the replica, the build preserves the memory of a car that was significant to GM history, and reminds us of a time when public opinion, not corporate profit, dictated which future models would appear in showrooms.
Auctions America predicts a selling price between $112,000 and $125,000 when the car crosses the stage in Auburn, Indiana on September 5. For additional details on the sale, visit AuctionsAmerica.com.
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