Custom 1956 Chevrolet Nomad Turns Its Back on $125,000 Bid, Tri-Five Refuses to Sell

You may think that the great American automakers’ whole talent was somehow reserved for the 1950s and 1960s when you consider how they created automobiles during that time. You only need to consider what Chevrolet was doing at the time.

The bowtie carmaker, still one of the pillars of the U.S. auto industry, was responsible during those two decades for bringing into the world a large number of nameplates that are still highly appreciated to this day. Even if most of them are no longer in production.

The 210, Bel Air, Nomad, Chevelle, Corvair, or Impala come to mind. Any of these models ought to have been consigned to history books by now; they were significant vehicles for the development of the globe but weren’t essential newsworthy items today.

But now, in addition to knowing a lot about them, we may still see a large number of them that have been restored or personalized. Furthermore, they occasionally sell at record-breaking prices during major auction events.

The Nomad is one of the models on the list I listed above that is of importance to us today. That would be a car that Coll would adore.

Chevrolet released the Nomad in the middle of the 1950s, and whenever you hear the name, a station wagon comes to mind. It was created as one of Harley Earl’s “Dream Cars” for GM, combining the Bel Air and Impala’s elegant aesthetics with a wagon’s usefulness.

The 1955–1957 Nomad, together with the Bel Air, 150, and 210, were considered part of the so-called Tri–Five series of Chevy vehicles by auto enthusiasts because of their stunning aesthetics. You know, the ones that, despite what their owners do to them, continue to draw attention and elicit gasps.

A real Tri-Five, the Nomad that got us here today. We don’t know what routes it traveled on throughout the years or how its owners handled it; it was first produced by Chevy in 1956. However, it would be fantastic to know how it looks and behaves right now.

The vehicle in front of you was specially built by an unnamed American shop. We came upon it on the list of automobiles that Mecum is now putting up for auction in Monterey, California. In actuality, the hammer has already fallen on this one, but we’ll get back to that in a moment.

Over the years, we’ve seen a lot of customized Nomads, some of them going above and beyond with their paint schemes and under-hood modifications. This one, on the other hand, plays it safe, and the risk paid off, as we now have a really stylish, striking, and mechanically sound station wagon from many years ago.

The body of the Nomad, with its simply beautiful lines, was pulled over a Roadster Shop chassis. Holding it upright is a killer suspension system made of adjustable coilovers. A Mustang-style rack-and-pinion steering helps turn the front wheels.

Speaking of which, the wheels are all Vision-brand and are designed to look like vintage Chevy vehicles. All four have low-profile BF Goodrich tires that are 18 inches in diameter. They are followed by brake equipment made by Classic Performance Products.

The Nomad’s body hasn’t altered much in terms of its overall lines, but various changes have been made to the vehicle to make it a little more contemporary. The Hella HID headlights with LED turn signals, the personalized taillights, and the modified tailgate assembly are the most obvious examples of these modifications.

The exterior’s beautiful design language is carried through into the inside. The interior’s black leather, which is present throughout but is particularly noticeable on the seats, mirrors the Dark Metallic Blue color of the body. These items, by the way, were once part of a Lexus.

The Nomad’s dashboard has Classic Instruments gauges, a center console for good measure, and a Retro Sound Wonderbar radio for listening to music.7

The 6.2-liter LS3 engine of the Nomad’s unique hood opens to reveal an automated gearbox. It drives a Currie Ford 9-inch rear with 435 horsepower. The engine was not operated for more than 328 miles (528 kilometres) after it was installed under the hood.

This past weekend, the 1956 Chevrolet Nomad was put up for auction, and a bid of $125,000 was made. Mecum continues to display the station wagon as being available despite the current owner’s apparent belief that the great piece of automotive history is worth more than that, which is why the bid was rejected.