What really happened to the '53 Corvette Nomad Motorama Car
 

For what it's worth, I just got off the telephone with a gentleman here in Olympia, WA who is selling a '81 Corvette project. We chatted for nearly 45 minutes, and he mentioned that his biggest regret was not buying a Corvette Nomad that he later found out was the original Motorama show car.

We know the roadster still exists, and the coupe was rather immediately crushed, and the Corvette wagon was supposedly taken by a GM engineer, where the trail runs cold. This man said a buddy of his bought it with two other cars at an auction in California (out near Salinas) in 1967 and wanted to sell the car to this guy I talked with. The guy said the car was perfect, but told the owner that he wasn't interested in paying $300 for it. At the time, he thought it was a home-made job and said "part it out," but evidently the owner couldn't find a buyer for it and after a while just crushed it.

Now, the guy on the phone said some things that don't quite seem 100 percent accurate, but it might shed at least a little light on an ongoing detective operation on this well known missing car.

Thoughts or can anyone confirm or refute any of this story?

Sam

Re: What really happened to the '53 Corvette Nomad Motorama Car (sammyb)
 

The "Waldorf" concept car, unlike the coupe and roadster, was not a drivable vehicle. The waldorf was based on a passenger car station wagon chassis, with the corvette body stretched to match the wagon chassis. The concept waldorf was a clay and balsa word mockup that never had an engine in it. As a matter of fact, if the waldorf was built to the specifications of the blueprints,
the engine would not fit in the engine compartment.
I doubt very much that anyone then would have wanted, been allowed to or been given by GM the clay and wood mock up vehicle.
In talking with two of the individuals from the design team for GM at the time, the waldorf never left GM and was destroyed in the early 60's after sitting in a GM warehouse for several years. I could go on with more background and facts about the waldorf, but I think you get the point. This is one that did get away. Even as a mockup, I wish it was still around today.

Greg
1960 fi vette

President, Chevrolet Nomad Association :seeya

Re: What really happened to the '53 Corvette Nomad Motorama Car (1960fivette)
 

Interesting, so that famous picture of the 3 blue vettes: coupe, roadster and Nomadvette, the Waldorf (wagon) was actually clay?!?!

Re: What really happened to the '53 Corvette Nomad Motorama Car (sammyb)
 

http://www.brcorvetteclub.com/events...vettenomad.htm

Saw this one at Carlisle this past summer. With enough money and the right craftsmen you can make whatever you want.

Re: What really happened to the '53 Corvette Nomad Motorama Car (Solid327)
 

Tom Armstrong, who also owns one of the original Grand Sports, bought and finished a Corvette Nomad project here. His looks more like a hot-rod, though, with a more modern interior. You can see it featured in the 50 years of Corvette book that came out last year.

Tom is a wonderful guy, nice fellow, and a great Corvette fanatic...owns 2 '63 Z06s, the Grand Sport and that Vettemad...among some other amazing vehicles.

Re: What really happened to the '53 Corvette Nomad Motorama Car (sammyb)
 

There are several waldorf style re-creations around. I have personally seen Tom Armstrongs black one, the "57" style one seen at Carlisle etc., Ray Camacho's from the San Francisco area, a long term project that is being done off the original blueprints (with the firewall changed to allow for the engine) in Nevada, a nice looking one from Arizona and a full sized 55 version with the corvette additions front and rear from Georgia. There are at least three other ones that I have heard about, but never seen in person. The silver one shown in the above link looks good!

Greg
1960fivette :seeya