Stored 30 Years: 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Nomad

Chevrolet introduced the “sport wagon” in 1955, a 2-door Bel Air station wagon with a unique body from the windshield back. While the Nomad is highly sought after today, it was not a sales hit, with fewer than 23,000 copies sold between 1955 and 1957. The seller has a beautifully restored (or a remarkable original) 1957 Nomad that has been in storage for 30 years. But it may need some work due to the downtime. Located in Olympia, Washington, this two-tone looker is available here on craigslist for $57,900. An attaboy goes to Jack M. for the tip.

The Nomad was based on a 1954 concept car with Corvette underpinnings. GM no doubt thought they had a winner on their hands and commissioned sport wagons for both Chevrolet and Pontiac (the Star Chief Safari) in 1955. Perhaps too fancy for station wagon buyers, the Nomad and Safari never found a footing and were not continued with the 1958 redesign (though the names would live on). Pontiac had even less success than Chevy at only 9,000 copies.

We’re given minimal details about this ’57 Nomad past a list of optional equipment that includes power seats. The cowl tag decodes the paint combo as being Imperial Ivory over Inca Silver, though some of the photos show it looking almost blue. The body, finish, interior, and engine compartment are spotless, and we wish the seller told us more than it had been stored in a garage for more than 30 years (original, restored, what?).

The wagon has the optional 283 cubic inch V8, new in ’57, plus a 2-speed Powerglide automatic. We’re told it runs and drives, but not how well, so suspicious minds will assume some work is needed to be a highway runner. The mileage is not listed other than as a placeholder. The seller says he/she has $5,000 in receipts, but does not tell us what that figure bought. A rare car like this deserves a better ad.