1956 Chevrolet Nomad Custom
Chevrolet Nomad is a nameplate used by Chevrolet in North America from the 1950s to the 1970s, applied largely to station wagons. Three different Nomads were produced as a distinct model line, with Chevrolet subsequently using the name as a trim package.
First seen at the 1954 GM Motorama, the Corvette Nomad wowed anyone who saw it. The idea of a sleek, stylish two-door with utilitarian abilities was a hit. It was initially suggested in a sketch by Carl Renner; Harley Earl loved the idea, and working with Chevrolet Styling Studio head, Clare MacKichan, he brought the Corvette Nomad came to life. The big challenge came when Earl wanted the two-door wagon style to be adapted to the new-for-1955 full-size car—in just two days. The studio worked feverishly, cutting and stretching and restyling the roofline to fit the larger car. It worked well, and the Nomad was born a car that was thought would have greater appeal to a larger market and would have less expensive production costs due to the steel body.
This 1956 Chevrolet Nomad powered by a GM LS6, 405 HP crate engine, and fitted with Street and Performance components, custom headers, Flow Master 3″ exhaust, polished aluminum radiator, 32 gallon custom aluminum fuel tank and mated to a GM T56 manual 6-speed transmission and a 9″ rear end with 3:73 posi-traction.
The interior color combination on the seats, door panels, and carpets consists of German inspiration with the black carpets in the form of a square weave and the leather bench seat and door panels being covered in black hides of that of the Porsche Cayenne sports utility vehicle. Classic Instruments black Bel-Era gauges were installed as well as a cut-down stock steering wheel, Hurst/Lokar custom made shifter, and an original front window from 1956.
America has produced some of the coolest station wagons in the world, and one can argue these cars are criminally underrated. But there was a time they were held in higher regard, and they enjoyed a golden era from the 50s to the 70s, with icons from Plymouth, Ford, Dodge, Chevrolet, and Buick, which featured fins and some with rear-facing back seats. The Chevy Nomad is a standout wagon from this era and is the rarest model among the iconic Tri-Five series (an informal nickname for the iconic 1955-1957 Chevrolets). Here’s everything gearheads forgot about the Chevy Nomad.
