James Dean's porsche

I saw an interesting documentary on the Porsche that James Dean was killed in. From what they stated a lot of people were hurt or killed due to that car. A few of the parts were sold off to other collectors and then on a transport across the country the car came up missing.

It has never been seen again..


Do you think the car was stolen, haunted and disappeared, sitting in a warehouse somehwere?

Has there been any rumors or sightings or anything over the years?

 

I read up on this a couple of years ago about the "curse" extending to pieces that were taken off of the car. I've seen photos of the car and when it was on display - pretty insensitive.

My bet is that someone simply buried the remains. Just as well.

For those unfamiliar:

 

James Dean was such a cool cat and look at the 'cool' factor in the car he drove! Gone in his 20's....shame.

 

www.snopes.com has something about it.

EDIT: http://www.snopes.com/autos/cursed/spyder.asp

 

Here's an interesting thread about the car from the Pelican Parts 911 Technical forum: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread.php?t=385299&highlight=James+Dean+550

 

cool story!

 

You can buy a "new" spyder, both Beck and Vintage make the fiberglass 550 Spyders.

http://www.vintagespyders.com/

http://www.beckspeedster.com/

And Thunder Ranch too, although I think there is/was some relation between Beck and TR.

http://www.thunderranch.com/550.html

James in Denver

 

Lee Raskin seems to be a good source on James Dean. According to Raskin, the engine and wreckage was sold for $2500 and the engine was used in another racer - Dr. Eschrich's Lotus IX. He sold the wrecked body to George Barris.

At some point, the wreckage disappeared, and Raskin suggests Barris "lost" it intentionally to keep the legend alive.

 

The remains of James Deans 550 Spyder 'dissapeared' decades ago and have never been seen since. It is, in my opinion, the most iconic Porsche in the marques history.

On Friday, 23 September 1955, Alec Guinness was at the Villa Capri restaurant in San Diego, and found no table available. James Dean, then filming Giant, invited Guinness to sit at his table. During lunch, Dean entertained Guinness with tales of Lee Strasberg and boasted about his new car, a Porsche 550 Spyder. Upon leaving the restaurant, Dean insisted on showing the car to Guinness. Guinness thought the car appeared "sinister" and told Dean; "If you get in that car, you will be found dead in it by this time next week." Seven days later Dean was killed when his Porsche crashed head on with another car.

I think this is one of the most interesting stories regarding 'Little Bastard' and one of the main reasons it has achieved it's iconic status.
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Off the top of my head, the actuall car would be worth a fair deal of $ right now....no??

As such if there were anything left of it someone would see the dollar signs and rebuild it.

It seems to me that any chance anybody finds an ashtray, 1/4 panel, half a chassis or a couple frame rails of a long lost vintage Ferrari they bring it back to life for either profit or recongnition...why wouldn't someone do the same with one of histories most famous cars?

 

Lots of interesting stories. Von Neumann didn't even want to sell it to Dean, apparently, and Dean had a couple of minor scrapes with it during the few weeks he owned it before his death.

Any scrap of that 550 would be worth a lot. In this case, I don't think you would touch it or bring it back to life.

Actually the whole thing is kind of macabre at this point. Even the doctor who installed the engine in his Lotus afterward... how do you drive around with that running in the engine bay?

I believe the real Porsche prize that has not turned up is Dean's 1955 Speedster Super, #80126. It was traded a couple of times before Dean became famous, and movie star cars back then weren't quite the big deal they are now.

 

We carried a story on the car in Texas Driver a couple of years ago the author of a book on Dean's racing did the article so I was not really deep into the topic...

In the end of the collector car world that some of us travel in there is always a story that it is still out there someplace

I wish I had though to ask Roger when I met him a couple of years ago, he was in town with Shelby for an event.........

 

I've always been fascinated by the story of Dean and his car. If you really think deeper about it, what was the entire history of the car starting before it was actually built. Why was this one 550 deemed so evil and gave everyone such a bad vibe as opposed to the others?

I think two things happened to the car. It was either burried in the middle of the desert to end anymore tragedy that it had brought about, or it is 'hiding' in some unknown barn somewhere unbenownst to anyone except the delivery driver and maybe a handful of others. I just like adding fuel to the fire.

 

Check out Cholam, CA , ,, where there is a memorial, , about 2 mi south of the Hwy 41,, Hwy 46 intersection where he crashed.
He was awake and signed the speeding ticket,,,,, I have seen a copy of said ticket.

RIP,
James

 

Meaning he was alive after the crash?

 

If I remember it right he was ticketed for speeding and then later that day, minutes or hours later the accident happened.

 

According to Wikipedia the engine and gearbox are both still around so I guess the car can be rebuilt one day.



"Historic Auto Attractions in Roscoe, Illinois has claimed to have the last known piece of Dean's Spyder (a small chunk a few square inches in size). However this is untrue. The engine (#90059) is still in the possession of the son of the late Dr. Eschrich's. in addition, the restored transaxle–gearbox assembly of the Porsche (#10046) is known to be in the possession of a car collector in Mass, and was even offered for sale on eBay."
"

 

Yes, all sources from The jack Ranch Cafe in Cholame, CA said, "He was alive after the crash."
(I believe it was in the Fresno Bee newspaper also.)
The cafe is next to the James Dean Memorial.

Therefore, I believe He died like Natasha Richardson,, RIP.

Edwardo

 

Briefly. He died pinned in the car. The passenger, Wutherich (sp?), survived and went back to Germany. He died in a crash in the '70s.

You are correct.

 

He traded the Speedster for the 550 - I would assume therefore he was well known when he drove the Speedster. That's an early Speedster serial number - 80000 I believe was the start number (but it's Porsche so there was likely some others prior) - so its got to be a 1954 or early 1955. Be great if it were uncovered but likely its gone to the scrap yard in the sky by now......

 

The James Dean Speedster ch. # 80126 is reported to be in France:

http://www.my356speedster.com/index.php?contentid=16&id=118

Also, there are reports that the his speedster was actually Chassis number 82621.

 

Where did the scrap steel come from that was recycled in building the Porsche for James Dean?
CH

 

Probably more like Sam Kinison

 

From my drive on Friday, approaching an infamous junction. Thankfully I made it all the way to Paso Robles and then Monterey.
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Taken that drive myself in connection with a James Dean Anniversary drive. It is beautiful country, great little highway, and that last stretch as you head toward the fateful intersection with route 41, as pictured, is just incredible. Also, I am sure virtually unchanged since 1955.