Nomads on safari - stories of the unsuccessful sports suit
Built from 1955 to 1957, the Chevrolet Nomad is regarded as both a luxurious and exclusive leisure station wagon and a grandiose and miscalculated failure. The first year was still the most profitable, with 8386 units sold. After that, only 7886 and finally 6534 of the sleek Station Wagons with the ribbed roof were sold.
But it could be even more exclusive and even more unsuccessful! The Pontiac brand, one step above Chevrolet in the GM hierarchy, also had its offshoot of the elegant A-body van: the Star Chief Custom Safari. It combined the Nomad body with the Pontiac body of the respective model year, cost more - and sold even worse.
After a lousy start with just 3760 Custom Safari built in 1955, interest in the Pontiac noble truck initially rose to 4042 in 1956, only to drop to a negligible 1294 units the following year. This makes the 1957 Pontiac Star Chief Custom Safari rarer than a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL.
Anyone who cares more about true exclusivity than an impractical door concept should visit bringatrailer.com within the next five days. One of the super-rare tail fin freighters is currently being auctioned there.
