Show winning 1957 Nomad proves station wagon are cool

by Sam Barer

Conventional American wisdom states that station wagons are uncool.  While Europeans cruise from the Autobahn to the Alps in their wonderful wagons, American manufacturers have resorted to brainwashing consumers into thinking wagons are bad, but SUVs are cool.

Well let’s put two crazy ideas to rest right now: SUVs are station wagons with larger wheels, and those who think station wagons are uncool have never seen Rick Spillmann’s 1957 Chevrolet Nomad.

Spillmann’s Nomad is simply about as cool as cool comes.  Its absolutely perfect black paint, chrome and lines scream 1950s hip. And being one of only 6103 produced in 1957, just its presence on the streets turns heads faster than a George W. Bush sighting in downtown Baghdad.

During the fifties, American manufacturers relied heavily on creative styling to compete for consumer dollars.  When Chevrolet designer Carl Renner’s one-off Corvette station wagon concept caused a stir at the 1954 Motorama show, GM brass green-lighted a sporty two-door wagon built on the soon-to-be-released larger 1955 Bel Air platform.  While Bel Air sedans and coupes were instant sales hits, the Nomad wagons were deemed too small for shopping duty, and too big for sporting duties.  After three years of miniscule production, two more doors were added for the 1958 the model.

The Nomad’s low production attracted Spillmann, a long-time hot rodder and President of Cool Creek Nights car events.  Spillmann acquired his 1957 example seven years ago and decided on minor customizations to create a period-correct looking showcar.

A quick glance identifies the mean stance courtesy of shorter springs and American Racing wheels with larger rubber.  In true rodder form, under the hood is even meaner.  The 283ci V8 was removed in favor of a balanced 350ci engine sporting a low-profile screw-type supercharger.  With over 375 rear-wheel-horsepower on tap, this hot grocery getter can blow the doors off of just about anything roaming the streets.

Typical for the Northwest in fall, I am just hoping that the rain holds off so we can take out the spotless Nomad.  As the skies clear, Spillmann pulls the car out from its position in the garage next to his wife Denise’s 1958 Chevrolet Cameo pickup.  In the light, the ’57 example Nomad is beautiful in a way no other wagon could ever hope to achieve with its chrome and fin styling treatments, an icon long associated with 1950s Americana.

The glorious black and silver vinyl redone in the original pattern is inviting. Plopping down I notice that there is not the amount of legroom you would expect from a large American car.  A stylish set of three gauges, each in their own molded bezel, dominate the driver side dash, with smaller temp and gas readouts flanking a larger speedometer.  The original Wonderbar radio sits in the center within arms reach of both driver and front seat passenger.  There’s no GM part number for the original letterman’s jacket folded neatly over the rear seatback, however.  Spillmann actually had to play high school sports in the 60s for that.

The original three-on-the-tree was ditched in favor of a tranny up to the engine’s torque, so with a throw of the Saginaw four-on-the-floor, we’re off.  Taking the Nomad up to cruising speed, I find the shorter springs and larger tires actually work perfectly to convert 50’s soft wallow into a perfect firm, compliant and comfortable ride.  Body roll in turns is evident, but certainly not excessive.  What surprises most about the Nomad is that from the front seat, it feels to be much smaller than its 208-inch length, due mostly to the short hood and compact rear.

Accelerating onto the Highway 101 onramp the supercharger kicks in to full stride, its audible whirl indicating that air is being pushed into the smallblock Chevy engine.  The forced induction helps deliver torque on demand, enabling the Nomad to pass almost any car at any speed, shoving occupants into the seat springs in the process. There is one drawback to the supercharger: lurching when driving at parade speeds.

When not serving in parade duty, this concours-quality Nomad spends much of its time displayed at shows.  Spillmann and his wife have entered it at the national club level for 4 years, winning somewhere between 100 to 150 class awards and a handful of best-in-shows in the process, a record well deserving of its Washington personalized license plate “Showmad.” 

Now if that doesn’t prove wagons are cool, I don’t know what does.

Sam Barer writes for Apex, an Olympia, WA based freelance writing company. To submit a car for a future “Sound Classics” story, email soundclassics@apexstrategy.com

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