Central Valley Corvettes of Fresno - April 2019

Note the shifter for the 700-R4 transmission. The original ’54 Corvette had a Powerglide
automatic.
The impact of fiberglass technology on the number and range of concept cars was extremely
significant. In addition to the Waldorf, on display for the 1954 touring Motorama show was a
wide array of concept and experimental cars: the Oldsmobile F88 and Cutlass, Buick Wildcat
II, Corvette Nomad, Corvair, Corvette Coupe, Firebird XP-21, Pontiac Bonneville Special,
Cadillac El Camino, Cadillac La Espada and Cadillac Park Avenue—all of them with
fiberglass bodies.
While the first Motorama Corvette was completed in December of 1952, the Corvette Nomad
was ordered built in October 6, 1953 using a modified version of the first Motorama Corvette’s
frame. Sans an engine, it was made of clay and balsa wood, for use as a promotional vehicle.
After its promotional use in the 1954 Motorama show tour, it was scrapped on July 8, 1955.
Norm Brown of Chevrolet assisted in its dismantling on that very date (but unsubstantiated
rumors have circulated about other Nomad concepts that lasted several years beyond this
date, since GM normally built three concepts at a time.)
Although now lost to history, the Waldorf was never forgotten, and many re-creations have
been attempted over the years. The one shown here from Ray Camacho began with some
help from Hot Rod Fabrications of Auburn, Washington. They began by hacking apart a fullsize
’55 Nomad.