IL Insider: Chevy Mulls Reviving "Nomad" Name for New Crossover Vehicle

DETROIT — Industry sources tell Inside Line that a Lambda-based Chevrolet crossover vehicle in the works for the 2009 model year may be called "Nomad," reviving a storied nameplate that dates back to the 1950s.

The Nomad name would be resurrected and used on a new crossover that would be a sibling to the 2007 GMC Acadia. The upcoming Chevrolet crossover will be a seven-seater with unibody construction that will replace the slow-selling Chevrolet Uplander. Sources say Chevrolet is convinced that returning to retro names — although not to retro styling — is the way to win consumers. It's similar to a trend that is in vogue with other domestic manufacturers, including Ford, which recently revived the Taurus name.

Nomad originally was used on a Chevrolet station wagon, most notably in its two-door form that was on the market from 1955-'57. That landmark Chevrolet Nomad was styled more like a hardtop than a station wagon and could arguably be described as a kind of primitive "crossover." The Nomad design was an offshoot of a 1954 GM Motorama show car of the same name that was based on the Corvette. Chevrolet also revived the Nomad name on a 2004 concept vehicle off the Kappa platform that featured a removable rear roof panel and a folding tailgate.