Vehicle Description
Believe it or not, Bruce Willis digs Bowties. If that doesnt
exactly mesh with the movie stars tough-guy image, youre probably
thinking of the wrong kind of bowtie. Willis, who made a living
playing rough-around-the-edges characters like John McClane in the
Die Hard series, is a big Chevy fan. Hes owned plenty of them, from
Corvettes to pickup trucks, and now one of his iconic rides could
be yours. Again. In case you missed it the last three times around.
Willis gorgeous 1955 Bel Air Nomad, painted in 50s-appropriate
turquoise and whiteofficially its Cashmere Blue and India Ivoryis
being offered on bringatrailer.com . With three days to go in the
auction, bidding has reached $50,000 and will likely go much
higher. How much higher is difficult to say, considering Willis
celebrity status. As weve detailed in our Power List , celebrity
ownership tends to ascribe a premium to cars that sell at auction.
Although Willis didnt crack the top 10, hes still an A-list actor
who is approachable and affable with fans, so this Nomad has better
odds than most to get at least a little bump from his fame, even
though its been a while since Willis actually owned it. This is at
least the fourth time in 14 years that the wagon is changing hands.
It sold for $46,800 at Bonhams 2008 California Classic auction,
$73,700 at Barrett-Jacksons 2014 Scottsdale auction, and was
purchased by its current owner earlier this year. Chevrolet
introduced the Harley Earl-designed Nomad concept car at the 1954
General Motors Motorama, and it received such a positive
responsedespite its odd, two-door designthat production began in
1955. The two-door version carried on through 1957; Chevrolet
unveiled the second-generation, four-door Nomad for 1958. A new 55
Bel Air Nomad could be had with a 235-cubic-inch stovebolt
six-cylinder engine, or a 265-cubic-inch small-block V-8, but
Willis Nomad is now powered by a 350-horse Turbo-Fire 327 V-8.
Other upgrades include a Holley four-barrel carburetor , aluminum
intake manifold, MSD electronic ignition system, Corvette-branded
valve covers, aluminum radiator, and Stewart-Warner gauges. For
enhanced braking capabilities, a Corvette dual master-cylinder is
mounted in front of the vacuum booster, providing power assist to
front disc brakes (drums are in the rear). The engine is mated to a
three-speed automatic transmission. The wagons exterior features
include wrap-around windshield, side mirrors, sliding rear windows,
two-piece tailgate, Bel Air and Nomad badging, twin tail fins with
a concealed fuel filler under the left taillight assembly, and
15-inch Cragar wheels with Goodyear Eagle GT tires. The Nomad also
has beige and blue vinyl upholstery, air conditioning, and a custom
audio system. The odometer shows 22,000 miles, although actual
mileage is unknown. Willis, 67, officially retired from movie
making after he was diagnosed with aphasia , a cognitive disorder,
in April 2022. His big break came on ABC TVs Moonlighting series
from 198589, but he became a Hollywood star with 1988s Die Hard .
Four more Die Hard movies followed, the last in 2013. Willis also
starred in hits like The Fifth Element , Quentin Tarantinos Pulp
Fiction , Armageddon , and M. Night Shyamalans The Sixth Sense . He
was so popular in Japan in the early 1990s that he made multiple
commercials for SoftBank , Daihatsu , and Subaru . Collectors know,
however, that the true object of Willis automotive affection wears
a Bowtie.
