SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              WASHINGTON, DC 20549
                             ______________________
                                        
                                    FORM 10-K
                  ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)
                     OF THE SECURITIES  EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
                                        
                   For the fiscal year ended December 31, 1997

                         Commission file number 33-95450
                                        
                           Boatmen's Auto Trust 1996-A
                           ---------------------------
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
                                        
United States of America                     Applied for
- --------------------------------------------------------
(State or other jurisdiction                 (IRS Employer
of incorporation or organization)            Identification No.)

Transamerica Square, 401 N. Tryon Street, Charlotte, North Carolina      28255
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Address of principal executive offices)                            (Zip Code)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code             (704) 386-5000

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:    None.

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:    None.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports 
required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 
1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the 
registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to 
such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes [X]  No [  ]

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405
of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the
best of registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements
incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to 
this Form 10-K. [X]

State the aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non-affiliates of
the registrant.  None.

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of the registrant's classes of 
common stock, as of the latest practicable date.  None.

Documents Incorporated by Reference.  None.






PART I
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Item 1.   Business
          --------
          Not applicable.

Item 2.   Properties
          ----------
          Boatmen's Auto Trust 1996-A (the "Trust") was established pursuant 
to a Trust Agreement dated as of July 1, 1996 among the Boatmen's National 
Bank of St. Louis, a national banking corporation (the "Servicer"), BNB Auto, 
Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of the Servicer, and 
The Bank of New York (Delaware), a Delaware banking corporation, as owner 
trustee. Pursuant to a Sales and Servicing Agreement dated as of July 1, 1996 
with the Servicer (the "Sales and Servicing Agreement"), on July 17, 1996 the 
Servicer sold to the Trust, and agreed to service on behalf of the Trust, a 
pool of motor vehicle retail installment sale contracts and simple interest 
loan note and security agreements.  The Trust is also party to an Indenture 
dated as of July 1, 1996 between the Trust and The Chase Manhattan Bank (USA), 
a New York banking corporation, as indenture trustee (the "Indenture 
Trustee") related to the notes described below.  Also on July 17, 1996, the 
Issuer issued asset backed notes and asset backed certificates consisting of 
$82,654,904 of Class A-1 5.7525% Asset Backed Notes; $120,000,000 of Class A-2
6.35% Asset Backed Notes; $76,343,707 of Class A-3 6.75% Asset Backed Notes 
(said notes are collectively referred to herein as the "Notes"); and 
$11,624,943 of 7.05% Asset Backed Certificates (the "Certificates").

          Subsequent to the purchase of Boatmen's Bancshares, Inc. by 
NationsBank Corporation on January 7, 1997, The Boatmen's National Bank of 
St. Louis was merged into NationsBank, N.A. and NationsBank, N.A. became 
Servicer of the loans.

          The property of the Trust includes the pool of motor vehicle retail
installment sale contracts and simple interest loan note and security 
agreements secured by the new and used automobiles and light trucks financed 
thereby (the "Receivables") which were acquired from the Servicer.  The 
property of the Trust also includes (i) certain monies due under the 
Receivables on and after July 1, 1996, (ii) security interests in the vehicles 
financed by the Receivables, (iii) certain accounts and the proceeds thereof, 
(iv) any proceeds from claims on certain insurance policies, and (v) certain 
rights under the Sales and Servicing Agreement.

          Selected information regarding the Receivables, including the number
and aggregate principal amount of  delinquent Receivables, and information 
relating to the delinquency rates and net losses on the Receivables at and for
the period ending December 31, 1997, is set forth in Tables 1 and 2 below:

          Table 1.  Selected Information Related to the Receivables.

          Original Pool Balance as of July 1, 1996............... $290,623,554
          Pool Balance Factor as of  July 1, 1996.........................1.00
          Pool Balance as of December 31, 1997................... $128,938,752
          Pool Balance Factor as of December 31, 1997.................... 0.44
          Net Losses for the year ending December 31, 1997..........$2,421,177




     Table 2. Delinquency Experience of Receivables as of December 31, 1997.


                                        
                             Dollar Amount       As % of          No. of Units
                                                 Receivables
                                                    
Outstandings                                        
                             $128,938,752          100%             15,911
Delinquencies 30-59 days       $4,162,018         3.23%                456
Delinquencies 60-89 days       $1,017,936          .79%                114
Delinquencies 90 days or more  $668,996            .52%                 72
                                        
                                        
                                        

Item 3.   Legal Proceedings
          -----------------
          There are no material pending legal proceedings with respect to the
Trust, involving the Trust, the Indenture Trustee and the Owner Trustee 
(collectively, the "Trustees"), or the Servicer, other than ordinary routine 
litigation incidental to the Trust assets or the Trustees' or the Servicer's 
duties under the applicable Sales and Servicing Agreement.

Item 4.   Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
          ---------------------------------------------------
          None.

PART II
- -------

Item 5.   Market for the Registrant's Common Equity and Related Stockholder
          -----------------------------------------------------------------
          Matters
          ------- 
         (a)  Market Information.  There is no established public trading 
              market for the Notes or the Certificates.

         (b)  Holders.  Since each of the Notes and Certificates was issued 
              in book entry form only, there is only one holder of record of 
              each Series of Notes and Certificates.  See Item 12   below.

         (c)  Dividends.  Not applicable.

Item 6.   Selected Financial Data
          -----------------------
              Not applicable.

Item 7.   Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and
          ---------------------------------------------------------------
          Results of Operations
          ---------------------
              Not applicable.

Item 8.   Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
          -------------------------------------------
              Not applicable.

Item 9.   Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and
          ---------------------------------------------------------------
          Financial Disclosure
          --------------------
              None.

PART III
- --------

Item 10.  Directors and Executive Officers of the Registrant
          --------------------------------------------------
              Not applicable.

Item 11.  Executive Compensation
          ----------------------
              Not applicable.




Item 12.  Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management
          --------------------------------------------------------------
          The Notes are represented by one or more notes registered in the 
          name of Cede & Co., the nominee of The Depository Trust Company 
          ("DTC").  An investor holding an interest in the Trust is not 
          entitled to receive a note representing such interest except in 
          limited circumstances.  Accordingly, Cede & Co. is the sole holder 
          of record of the Notes, which it holds on behalf of brokers, 
          dealers, banks and other participants in the DTC system.  Such
          participants may hold notes for their own accounts or for the 
          accounts of their customers.  The address of Cede & Co.  is: 
                            Cede & Co.
                            c/o The Depository Trust Company
                            Attention:  Proxy Department
                            Seven Hanover Square
                            New York, New York  10004
                                        
                                        

          The Certificates are represented by The Bank of New York, who is the
          sole holder of record of the Certificates, which it holds on behalf 
          of brokers, dealers, banks and other participants. Such participants 
          may hold Certificates for their own accounts or for the accounts of 
          their customers. The address of The Bank of New York is:
                            The Bank of New York
                            101 Barclay Street
                            Floor 12 East
                            New York, New York 10286
                            Attention:  Asset Backed Finance Unit


Item 13.  Certain Relationships and Related Transactions
          ----------------------------------------------
          There has not been, and there is not currently proposed, any 
          transaction or series of transactions to which either the Trust or 
          the Servicer is a party with any Noteholder or Certificateholder or
          any member of the immediate family of any such Noteholder or 
          Certificateholder who, to the knowledge of the Servicer, owns of 
          record or beneficially more than five percent of the Notes or 
          Certificates.

PART IV
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Item 14.  Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules, and Reports on Form 8-K
          ----------------------------------------------------------------

         (a)  1. Not applicable.
              2. Not applicable.
              3. Exhibits:
              99.1  Annual Independent Certified Public Accountants' Report
              99.2  Annual Statement as to Compliance

        (b)  Reports on Form 8-K.
             As Servicer and on behalf of the Boatmen's Auto Trust 1996-A, The
         Boatmen's National Bank of St. Louis and NationsBank, N.A., as
         successor, filed a Current Report on Form 8-K pursuant to Items 5 and
         7 for the following monthly distribution dates during 1997, including 
         the Servicer's Certificate for each due period provided to the 
         Indenture Trustee and the Owner Trustee.
                                        
                                        
                                        
                          Dates of Reports on Form 8-K
                          ----------------------------
                                January 15, 1997
                                February 18, 1997
                                 March 17, 1997
                                 April 15, 1997
                                  May 15, 1997
                                  June 16, 1997
                                  July 15, 1997
                                 August 15, 1997
                               September 15, 1997
                                October 15, 1997
                                November 17, 1997
                                December 15, 1997
                                        

     (c)  The exhibits filed as part of this report are listed in the Index to
          Exhibits on page 7.

     (d)  Not applicable.
                                        
                                        
                                        

                                    SIGNATURE
                                        

     Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this report 
to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.


                            Boatmen's Auto Trust 1996-A

                            By: /s/     Leslie J. Fitzpatrick
                                -----------------------------
                                        Leslie J. Fitzpatrick
                                        Senior Vice President
                                        NationsBank, N.A.
                                       (Duly Authorized Officer)


                                       Date: March 30, 1998