As mutual as station wagons once were on the American scene , few of their names stand the test of time and remembering , such as the 1957ChevroletTwo - Ten Townsman . A rare elision is Chevrolet ’s Nomad of 1955 - 1957 , knock down out in fancy trim and a dapper two - door roofline . Who , though , promptly recalls the Handyman , the Beauville , or the Townsman – all of them sold in the same showroom as the Nomad ?
David Ertel has done his part to raise the profile of those forgotten nameplates . In 1977 , at the tender age of 14 , he purchased a 1957 Two - Ten Townsman from its original owner . Thirteen years after , David , of Englewood , Florida , embark on a four - year off - systema skeletale renovation that resulted in the Antique Automobile Club of America award winner seen here .
In the 1955 - 1957 period , Townsman was Chevrolet ’s name for a four - door , six - rider post paddy wagon . ( The nine - buttocks four - door was dub Beauville , and Handyman was the cognomen for small two - door , six - rider Dipper that were n’t Nomads . ) There was a Townsman in the top Bel Air series and in the mid - level Two - Ten lineup . The latter test to be the most popular Chevy wagon of the year with 127,803 produce .
Though extraneous sheetmetal and the instrument control board were completely young , the basic bodyshell and 115 - in - wheelbase human body were little - changed from 1955 . In appearance , midland decor of Two - Ten station wagon check that of corresponding sedans .
However , where the sedan chair had cloth - and - vinyl upholstery , black Maria seating area were swathed solely in vinyl group . colouring material combinations for wagons were ivory and fusain , two - tone park , or beige and copper . Ribbed linoleum covered the cargo level .
The base Leontyne Price for a 1957 Two - Ten Townsman was $ 2,456 – with the stock six - cylinderengineand three - speedmanual transmission . That amount bulge out increase with the 283 - Criminal Investigation Command V-8 engine and Powerglide two - speedautomatic transmissionfound in Mr. Ertel ’s motorcar .
With its two - drum carburettor and 8.5:1 compression proportion , this new enlarged " small - block " manufacturing plant made 185 bhp , but as much as 283 bhp was on tap with optional fuel injection . Power steering , an AM radio , and Sierra Gold and Adobe Beige rouge are other extra - cost features that help make this Townsman memorable .
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