Wagon Wednesday – 1957 Chevrolet Nomad

Marcal Eilenstein

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Comments

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Rover, wanderer, nomad, vagabond . . .

I have never met someone who doesn’t like a Nomad. Shoebox Chevys are, of course, some of the most popular cars and most easily recognizable shapes in the world. You can’t go to any retro diner, cruise-in, or car show without seeing a handful of them. From wild drag racers to restomods to numbers-matching originals, people have been driving and customizing this venerable machine for decades. Now, here’s your chance to own what I think is one of the best-looking cars ever made.

The ad is short on details:

57 Nomad power steering,power brakes,air,padded dash smokless ash tray  $55,000

But the pictures offer us a little more information.

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 The interior appears to be mostly original, with a vinyl cover over the seat and some new paint on the dash.

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That instantly classic rear profile is just gorgeous. Plus, look at all that chrome!

My biggest beef with these cars, the ’57 in particular, is the price they’re bringing these days. As you would probably agree, $55,000 is a lot of money for any car, much less a 2-door wagon. However, people ask these prices because someone is willing to pay them. Market forces, baby.

How about you? Would take a chance on this Nomad, or would you let it drift on down road?

[Source: Seattle Craigslist]

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Marcal Eilenstein

Marcal Eilenstein

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13 responses to “Wagon Wednesday – 1957 Chevrolet Nomad”

  1. Scandinavian Flick Avatar
    Scandinavian Flick

    I have an ongoing childhood love affair with the 55-57 Bel Air. An affair that has been tempered with the growing sense of reality that comes with age and responsibility.
    While that price is high, it seems about on-par or lower than what I have seen in a long time. But if you think about it, what new automotive purchases can you make with $55K? Base model Corvette? BMW 535? Mercedes E-Class? Mid-level Mustang? With that in mind, and if this example is as clean as it looks, which do you think will give the most satisfaction on your investment?

    Reply
    1. MVEilenstein Avatar
      MVEilenstein

      That's a good way of looking at it. I could buy a lot of truck for $55K, too.

      Reply
  2. marmer01 Avatar
    marmer01

    For 55 grand, I seriously think you would enjoy pretty much everything about a new BMW 3-series or Cadillac CTS more than this car. Sixty years old is still sixty years old. But I'm the very rare bird who hates 2-door wagons. To me they have no more practicality than a coupe and none of the grace.

    Reply
    1. mdharrell Avatar
      mdharrell

      One might, but I would not.

      Reply
    2. longrooffan Avatar
      longrooffan

      marmer01..this olelongrooffans agrees with you about two door wagons although there are many who love them. I'd prefer an old 210 or even a 150 to a Nomad.

      Reply
    3. Devin Avatar
      Devin

      A beautiful thing is a joy in and of itself.

      Reply
  3. GTXEliminator Avatar
    GTXEliminator

    The 57 Nomad is one of my favorite cars, though if I'm buying one it has to be Turquoise.

    Reply
  4. dukeisduke Avatar
    dukeisduke

    Wow, less than ten comments? Telling. Tri-Five Chevys are so cliche' now, but ones that are unusually optioned are still interesting to me.

    Reply
    1. Tim Odell Avatar
      Tim Odell

      56 and 57s in particular are the Cindy Crawford poster of cars. It's an intentionally dated reference. No one's going to argue the hotness, but at a certain point there's not much left to say.
      Hooniverse is probably more of a suicidegirls or /r/gonewild kind of place.

      Reply
  5. vetteman61 Avatar
    vetteman61

    Does the smokeless ashtray comment refer to the rare option of vacuum operated ashtray emptier that sucked the ashes out and dumped them on the ground?

    Reply
    1. mdharrell Avatar
      mdharrell

      Probably, as I've heard them called that before. They send the ash to a glass receptacle in the engine compartment, however:
      <img src="http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee109/chevyimpalas/276095939.jpg&quot; width="450">
      I don't see the hardware present in any of the photos, though.

      Reply
  6. Lotte Avatar
    Lotte

    The covers are still on the seats?
    [youtube juLwo_gGptk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juLwo_gGptk youtube]
    But then again, people like them allow us to experience examples of these old cars as if they were new, and I appreciate that.

    Reply
  7. Mikekay Avatar
    Mikekay

    I owned a "57 Bel Air sport coupe in the same color combination, but the Nomad was always my dream. Unfortunately the cost is now so prohibitive, it remains a dream. Now I collect models of these cars.

    Reply