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Chevrolet Contemplates Reviving Nomad Name for New Crossover

For the past decade or so, automakers in North America have been putting a lot of emphasis on retro designs. Modern muscle is back with the Camaro and the Challenger, both taking a page from the glory days of the '60s and early '70s when cars with big cubes ruled the road. But if you want a textbook case of retro, look no further than Ford. Some of the vehicles that they've produced are seemingly born and baptized in retro flair, like the Thunderbird, the GT and current Mustang, which despite being more advanced than ever, look like the cars they once were back in the day.

With research backing them, some auto manufacturers have found that turning back the pages of the history books is an

Chevrolet also used the Nomad name on this concept. As enthusiasts, we'd like to see this more than another Lambda crossover. (Photo: General Motors)

effective way of coming up with names for brand new cars that are completely unrelated to their original counterparts. According to sources, Chevrolet is going to be doing this with their version of the GM's full-size Lambda crossover vehicle, tobe called “Nomad”. For those who may not know, the Chevrolet Nomad was originally sold between 1955 and 1957 as a two-door station wagon based off of the Bel Air.

Though the Nomad name was used on various

This is the original Chevy Nomad, in all of its sporting two-doored glory. (Photo: General Motors)

occasions as a trim level designator during the '60s and '70s, it has only resurfaced as a nameplate twice within the last decade, and then only on concept cars. In 1999, the General unveiled the Nomad Concept, which embodied many design cues of the Nomad such as its two-door wagon layout and large cargo area. Interestingly, GM used the underpinnings of the Chevrolet Camaro / Pontiac Firebird for this concept, as opposed to something more conventional and familyoriented. The second Nomad concept vehicle was shown in 2004, and was based off of a stretched version of the Kappa platform used for the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky. This Nomad reflects the initial Nomad concept vehicle in its overall styling,

Chevy will eventually get a Lambda-based crossover on which the Saturn Outlook is based. But what'll it be called? (Photo: General Motors)

which was modeled around the first-generation Chevrolet Corvette.

Chevrolet's decision to use the Nomad name on a vehicle unrelated to a two-door wagon – sporty or otherwise – should go smoothly. Most non-enthusiast consumers recognize the name, and unlike a predominant name such as Camaro, its use on a crossover vehicle without any styling resemblance to the original will most likely go without backlash.

The new Nomad is slated to arrive in 2009, completing the GM large crossover range and entering the Chevrolet portfolio as Uplander minivan production ends. GM's Lambda crossover-SUVs also act as successors to the U-chassis minivans, as well as the U-Chassis based crossovers, the last one being the Buick Rendezvous. It also gives golden bowtie buyers the chance to purchase something spacious and roomy that's bigger than an Equinox, but not as large or as thirsty as a Tahoe.

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