AutoHunter Spotlight: 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Nomad

Featured on AutoHunter, the online auction platform driven by ClassicCars.com, is this 5.7-Liter Powered 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Nomad.

This first-year Nomad leaves little to be desired for the restomod enthusiast. It was treated to a frame-off overhaul in Regal Turquoise and comes with all the creature comforts of the modern era like power windows, power disc brakes, power steering, air conditioning, and a Custom Autosound stereo system. It is being sold by a dealer in New Braunfels, Texas, and the auction will end on Tuesday.

Penned by General Motors designer Harley Earl, the original Nomad first came to life exactly 70 years ago in 1954 at General Motors’ “Motorama” show. Motorama has an interesting story all its own: The event first started in 1949 as a glorified auto show at the elite Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York City. In 1953, the annual show started to travel around the country, but it still started at the same hotel.

There were 1.9 million visitors who attended the event in 1954 – the year in which the Nomad debuted. One thing that made the Nomad concept car unique was that it used the front fascia of the Corvette. By the time the car went into production for the inaugural 1955 model year, it used the “A-body” platform which underpinned other GM cars of the time.

The restoration of today’s featured car appears to have left no stone unturned. Even the exterior lighting was upgraded to modern LED, and the 20-inch Ridler Style 607 wheels give a more aggressive stance to this souped-up station wagon. The car will come with a binder of photographs that chronicle the restoration process. Also provided is a four-minute walk-around video showing the exterior, interior, cargo area, engine bay, and a start-up.

While not having a sports car body design, this wagon definitely has the performance upgrades to make it a capable cruiser. Power comes from a 5.7-liter V8 that has received aluminum valve covers, an Edelbrock fuel-injection system, and much more. This wagon can haul, in more ways than one.

By the way, it took more than 100 trucks each year to transport Motorama shows to the various destinations between 1953 and the final event in 1961. That effort was perhaps one of the reasons why the event was phased out. In its place, the traditional single-city-based auto shows would serve to introduce the public to the latest in automotive design and engineering.

The auction for this 5.7L-Powered 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Nomad ends Tuesday, March 26, 2024 at 11:30 a.m. (PDT)

Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and photo gallery