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Automotive Lifestyle
VINTAGE: Glorious ’55 Chevys At Auction
The Roger Rood collection at Barrett-Jackson has three fine examples among his sparking jewels at Palm Beach.
The groundbreaking 1955 Chevy Nomad two-door wagon boosted Chevrolet designer's styling credentials. (Photo< Barrett-Jackson)
This article was originally written by Roger C. Johnson for the Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach catalog.
It’s easy to see why so many car enthusiasts are seduced by the looks of the 1955 Chevrolet. One reason: it actually represents the first serious step into the future of American car design. Resident engine guru Ed Cole also helped Chevy make that quantum leap forward with the debut of his 265cid “small block” V8 masterpiece. You know , the same engine platform that’s dominated most racing venues around the globe for almost six decades.
Even this model’s subsystems such as brakes, suspension and steering were redesigned or upgraded to ensure Chevrolet was putting its very best foot forward.
The first step was to envision and then create a new car that figuratively kicks the door shut on the previous 50 years of automotive design. Chevy’s two-door sedan and hardtop filled these shoes perfectly. The approach takes advantage of such a clean and unpretentious design, its natural beauty has remained obvious to all for almost 60 years and counting.
Owner Roger Rood has been around high-quality collectible cars all his adult life. Let’s call him an industry insider who is also a knowledgeable student of the trends and fads in this growing market. That means he knows the first rule of car collecting: follow your heart, not trends or fads.
This is why he’s always smiling when the subject of his cars comes up. Rood has a fascination for GM products with a particular affinity for classic Chevrolets. At this year’s Barrett-Jackson auction in Palm Beach, he is going to share seven very special cars (including one Ford) with enthusiasts of equal passion. And that particular group of folks is in for an extraordinary treat.
The collection:
1955 Chevrolet Bel Air custom two-door hardtop (Lot #675) - This original, mint ’55 was transformed into perhaps the ultimate example of what the car was always meant to be. Feel free to apply any comparison matrix you can think of to evaluate this car. It’s the result of a four-year, body-off restoration. This particular example will definitely be in the passing lane on anyone’s scoreboard.
Let’s start with the engine. The notorious 350 LT1 is the magical power plant for this project. It’s precisely what would have been used back in 1970 by an affluent car builder, or otherwise clever and insightful street machine fanatic. Even in the mid-60s, ’55 Chevys with extra-hot small blocks practically ruled the streets. Those that weren’t on public roads were turned into “gassers” and dominated the scene at drag strips everywhere.
The finished product seeps attitude without even knowing it. This is especially evident considering the car’s absolute classic turquoise-and-ivory paint scheme. It maintains its perfect stance, thanks to 20-inch wheels for steering and 22s for motivation. Naturally, four-wheel vented disc brakes help modulate the LT1’s power to the pavement quotient.
1955 Chevy Nomad custom wagon (Lot #695) If you’re hooked on ’55 Chevy two doors, a Nomad is bound to be in your future. In all likelihood, this is the best-looking “station wagon” ever designed and looks surprisingly contemporary even today. But knowing Roger Rood, it should be no surprise he built this one with the same eye for world-class craftsmanship, American style and modern Hot Rod technology.
This machine started life as an incredibly pampered original car, so Rood figured it was just begging for a complete makeover. During this total restoration, even seals and gaskets were replaced to help build the base for this amazing offering.
A 454 GM crate engine got the nod for power because it was, well, a big block, and those engines fit so nicely between the fender wells of the ’55. Besides, it’s a wagon so Rood figures you never know when you might need that instant torque in order to haul something, like, well, you know.
The gauge for the quality of any Hot Rod can be found in its suspension system, and Rood’s Nomad does not disappoint. Coilovers operate all four corners and work with tubular A-arms up front and custom control arms aft with a fresh differential housing in a custom sheet metal enclosure packing a posi unit. A beefed-up Turbo 400 trans completes the link from that 454. Vented four-wheel disc brakes at all corners help this Nomad stop with as much style and authority as it goes. Power steering keeps the experience effortless.
The Nomad’s interior is another expression of high-end owner creativity. Rood actually purchased seven buckskin-colored leather hides for use in this car’s interior to unequivocally create the look, feel and smell of luxury. The color tone of the driver’s compartment beautifully contrasts with the car’s eye-searing black exterior paint. This is a perfect example of what a no-expense-spared Resto-Mod looks like: spectacular, one-of-a-kind and available.
1955 Chevy Nomad (Lot #685) – Rood’s third ’55 Chevy is unbelievably correct and restored to perfection. This show-winning Nomad has scored 999 of 1,000 points in some of the country’s toughest car-show venues.
The Bel Air “hardtop wagon” design streamed from the mind and hand of noted Chevrolet designer Carl Renner, whose design efforts with the 1954 Motorama Show Corvette heavily influenced this styling approach for the Nomad. It is said that only 7,886 of these elegant machines were built in 1955. This model also benefitted from all the other improvements Chevrolet offered in that year. It’s clear, though, that far more people appreciate them now than they did back then.
It’s easy to see why so many car enthusiasts are seduced by the looks of the 1955 Chevrolet. One reason: it actually represents the first serious step into the future of American car design. Resident engine guru Ed Cole also helped Chevy make that quantum leap forward with the debut of his 265cid “small block” V8 masterpiece. You know , the same engine platform that’s dominated most racing venues around the globe for almost six decades.
Even this model’s subsystems such as brakes, suspension and steering were redesigned or upgraded to ensure Chevrolet was putting its very best foot forward.
The first step was to envision and then create a new car that figuratively kicks the door shut on the previous 50 years of automotive design. Chevy’s two-door sedan and hardtop filled these shoes perfectly. The approach takes advantage of such a clean and unpretentious design, its natural beauty has remained obvious to all for almost 60 years and counting.
Owner Roger Rood has been around high-quality collectible cars all his adult life. Let’s call him an industry insider who is also a knowledgeable student of the trends and fads in this growing market. That means he knows the first rule of car collecting: follow your heart, not trends or fads.
This is why he’s always smiling when the subject of his cars comes up. Rood has a fascination for GM products with a particular affinity for classic Chevrolets. At this year’s Barrett-Jackson auction in Palm Beach, he is going to share seven very special cars (including one Ford) with enthusiasts of equal passion. And that particular group of folks is in for an extraordinary treat.
The collection:
1955 Chevrolet Bel Air custom two-door hardtop (Lot #675) - This original, mint ’55 was transformed into perhaps the ultimate example of what the car was always meant to be. Feel free to apply any comparison matrix you can think of to evaluate this car. It’s the result of a four-year, body-off restoration. This particular example will definitely be in the passing lane on anyone’s scoreboard.
Let’s start with the engine. The notorious 350 LT1 is the magical power plant for this project. It’s precisely what would have been used back in 1970 by an affluent car builder, or otherwise clever and insightful street machine fanatic. Even in the mid-60s, ’55 Chevys with extra-hot small blocks practically ruled the streets. Those that weren’t on public roads were turned into “gassers” and dominated the scene at drag strips everywhere.
The finished product seeps attitude without even knowing it. This is especially evident considering the car’s absolute classic turquoise-and-ivory paint scheme. It maintains its perfect stance, thanks to 20-inch wheels for steering and 22s for motivation. Naturally, four-wheel vented disc brakes help modulate the LT1’s power to the pavement quotient.
1955 Chevy Nomad custom wagon (Lot #695) If you’re hooked on ’55 Chevy two doors, a Nomad is bound to be in your future. In all likelihood, this is the best-looking “station wagon” ever designed and looks surprisingly contemporary even today. But knowing Roger Rood, it should be no surprise he built this one with the same eye for world-class craftsmanship, American style and modern Hot Rod technology.
This machine started life as an incredibly pampered original car, so Rood figured it was just begging for a complete makeover. During this total restoration, even seals and gaskets were replaced to help build the base for this amazing offering.
A 454 GM crate engine got the nod for power because it was, well, a big block, and those engines fit so nicely between the fender wells of the ’55. Besides, it’s a wagon so Rood figures you never know when you might need that instant torque in order to haul something, like, well, you know.
The gauge for the quality of any Hot Rod can be found in its suspension system, and Rood’s Nomad does not disappoint. Coilovers operate all four corners and work with tubular A-arms up front and custom control arms aft with a fresh differential housing in a custom sheet metal enclosure packing a posi unit. A beefed-up Turbo 400 trans completes the link from that 454. Vented four-wheel disc brakes at all corners help this Nomad stop with as much style and authority as it goes. Power steering keeps the experience effortless.
The Nomad’s interior is another expression of high-end owner creativity. Rood actually purchased seven buckskin-colored leather hides for use in this car’s interior to unequivocally create the look, feel and smell of luxury. The color tone of the driver’s compartment beautifully contrasts with the car’s eye-searing black exterior paint. This is a perfect example of what a no-expense-spared Resto-Mod looks like: spectacular, one-of-a-kind and available.
1955 Chevy Nomad (Lot #685) – Rood’s third ’55 Chevy is unbelievably correct and restored to perfection. This show-winning Nomad has scored 999 of 1,000 points in some of the country’s toughest car-show venues.
The Bel Air “hardtop wagon” design streamed from the mind and hand of noted Chevrolet designer Carl Renner, whose design efforts with the 1954 Motorama Show Corvette heavily influenced this styling approach for the Nomad. It is said that only 7,886 of these elegant machines were built in 1955. This model also benefitted from all the other improvements Chevrolet offered in that year. It’s clear, though, that far more people appreciate them now than they did back then.
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