Get ready to right click if you’re in the mood to put some 1950s concept cars in your garage. A 1956 Chrysler Plainsman station wagon, a one-of-a-kind concept penned by Virgil Exner and bodied by Ghia, is currently being auctioned on eBay. If you want something sportier, but still require cargo-hauling capability, you’ll also find a remarkably accurate recreation of the 1954 Corvette Nomad dream car.
Finished in Palomina beige metallic paint, the Plainsman has room for eight inside. Passengers in the back are perched on a power operated, rear-facing seat – Chrysler referred to this as an “observation car.” We’ll let you decide whether that means you’re the observer, or the one being observed. One of the most unique design features of this 2-door wagon is the roofline, more than half of which is covered in padded white weather-resistant fabric. The rear window and tailgate are both power operated. This car also happens to have one of the creepiest items I’ve ever seen in any vehicle. According to the ad on eBay, the cabin is finished in “unborn baby calfskin.” So perhaps puppies and kittens power the car’s 440 cubic-inch V-8 engine?
The front grill and headlight surrounds are remarkably understated for a concept vehicle from this era. Don’t worry; a pair of jet turbine-like air intakes up front addsthat necessary dose of 1950s chrome. According to the seller’s information, this car had a dramatic early life and eventually became a Cuban refugee. Having been owned by the president of all Cuban banks, the Plainsman was later in the possession of the export manager for Chrysler in Cuba. When Fidel Castro took control of the country, both the export manager and the Plainsman made a beeline for the U.S. When we last checked in on the car, which is in serious need of a cosmetic restoration but apparently”runs down the road just fine,” bidding had reached $12,602.
While the 1954 Corvette Nomad replica isn’t the real deal like the Plainsman, for my money it’s the more attractive proposition. Finished in the same blue and white paint scheme as the original GM Motorama show car, theNomad appears lovingly finished inside and out. There is much less information provided in the ad, however, and the powertrain is listed simply as a V-8 and automatic transmission. That hasn’t stopped bidding from already breaching $30,000 – and like the Plainsman, there are still 9 days left in the auction. The 1954 Corvette Nomad concept eventually led to a production model, though the platform was switched to the larger Bel Air.
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