Interesting engine features include the big-valve cylinder head not seen on the Dominator until 1959, a compression ratio of 9:1, and a pair of handed Amal 276 1-1/16in carburettors on stub mountings, with Vokes air filters. The two-into-one exhaust system terminates in a silencer peculiar to this model. The small fuel tank, high handlebars and alloy mudguards are typical off-road wear but a white-topped seat cover seems inappropriate.

The wheels are full-width light alloy Norton hubs with an 8-inch SLS brake at the front and a 7-inch drum at the rear. The gearbox is a standard AMC 4-speeder.

Norton claimed to have boosted engine torque at lower engine revs, and reckoned that the Nomad produced around 22bhp at 3500rpm, rising to a maximum of 36bhp at 6000rpm.

The first Nomad to arrive in the USA finished eighth out of more than 800 starters in 1958's Big Bear Run enduro. Only around 300 600cc Nomads were made from 1958 to 1960, along with fewer than 50 variants fitted with 500cc engines.