Do you believe in curses and spirits? Personally, I don’t. I think that’s a lot of crap. On the other hand, I love watching shows about ghost hunting and experiencing the paranormal. I have seen many shows and movies in which strange actions were explained. Other strange actions will continue to surprise us and make us scratch our heads and think, “What the hell happened here? Is there a logical explanation? Well, one of those things that makes me scratch my head is the infamous “Little Bastard”, James Dean’s Porsche 550 Spyder.
Credit: Motoryracing.com
James Dean was an American actor, famous for films such as “Rebel Without a Cause” and “East of Eden”. He was also one of the nicest people to ever walk this planet, along with Steve McQueen. Like McQueen, James Dean loved racing, and after filming “East of Eden” he bought a few cars, including the Triumph Tiger T110 and the Porsche 356. But Dean’s life tragically ended on September 30, 1955, when he crashed. acquired the Porsche 550 that he wanted to use in his next races. However, the car continued its life, leaving a haunting trace through the pages of history.
Possibly the last photo of James Dean before the fatal accident. Credit: Motoryracing.com
To begin this story, we will have to go back a week before Dean’s accident on September 23, 1955. That day, he picked up his new Porsche 550 Spyder from a famous Hollywood car customizer George Barris. While the car was in the Barris’ garage, it was getting a makeover at Dean’s request. The 550 has new plaid seats, the number 130 written on the hood, red stripes painted on top of the rear fenders, and its new moniker “Little Bastard” written on the engine cover.
The new nickname for the 550 Spyder – “Little Bastard”. Credit: bestride.com
After picking up his car that day, Dean took him for a ride in Los Angeles, where he saw British actor Alec Guinness. He showed her his new Porsche, but Guinness was a little worried about the whole thing. In his journals, he wrote that the 550 looked grim, exhausted, hungry, and felt a bit moody. When Dean showed him the car, Guinness said, “Please don’t ever get in it. If you get in that car, you’ll be found dead by this time next week. But, Dean just laughed, saying he was destined to die in a fast car. Sadly, as Guinness says, Dean died there a week later.
Credit: Motoryracing.com
On September 30, 1955, Dean and Rolf Wütherich (a trained Porsche mechanic) were preparing the car for a race at Salinas. The intention was to put a car in a trailer and drive it there, but Dean suggested driving the car so they could break in the engine and he could get familiar with the car. Two hours after their departure (around 3:30 p.m.), Dean receives a ticket for driving at 100 km/h in a 55 km/h zone. But that didn’t worry him because… well, he was a rebel.
James Dean and Rolf Wütherich on their way to Salinas. Credit: bestride.com
After a short drink break, Dean and Wütherich continued their journey at 5:15 p.m. Half an hour later, a black and white 1950s Ford Tudor Coupe driven by Donald Turnupspeed (yes, that was his real name) was heading in the opposite direction of Dean. When Turnupspeed made a left turn onto Route 41, it crossed the center line and was heading straight for Porsche. Dean, estimated at 85 mph, tried to avoid the impact, but was unsuccessful. The two cars collided head-on.
“Little Bastard” after impact. Credit: History Goes Bump blog
Wütherich was thrown from the car due to the impact and managed to stay alive. Dean died in hospital 30 minutes after the accident, while Turnupspeed was discharged with a small scratch on his nose.
Ford Tudor Coupe which collided with the “Little Bastard”. Credit: bestride.com
The Ford Tudor suffered extensive damage to the front left, while the Porsche was unrecognizable. Due to the force of the impact, the 550 spun and hit a tree. But that was not the end of this German sports car. As Guinness said, the car had an eerie aura around it. There was something about him that couldn’t be called “coincidence”. Something out of this world. Something scary. Something that cast a curse on all who came near it.
“Little Bastard” in Barris’ garage. Credit: bestride.com
After the crash, George Barris bought the 550 for around $2,500 and decided to take the car to his shop. While unloading, the car slipped off the trailer and broke a mechanic’s leg. Barris then sold the powertrain and engine to race drivers Troy McHenry and William Eschrid.
Guinness told the Dean, “If you get in that car, you’ll be found dead by this time next week.”
They used those parts to make their own cars and they raced in cars with those 550 Spyder parts. After a few laps, McHenry lost control of his car and crashed into a tree; the impact killed him instantly. Eschrid was driving the car on a track when the wheels locked for no reason, causing him to flip several times. He did not die, but was seriously injured.
Credit: Motoryracing.com
Barris still had two tires from the 550, which had been untouched since Dean’s death. He sold the tires to a Porsche owner and both tires exploded at the same time causing the car to go off the road. In Barris’ garage, the body of the “Little Bastard” still lay peacefully. One night, two thieves tried to steal parts of it, but they left empty-handed. One of the thieves was injured trying to grab the seats and the other tore his arm trying to grab the steering wheel.
Credit: Motoryracing.com
After all that happened, Barris decided to hide the car for good, but the California Highway Patrol convinced him to loan them the 550 to promote highway safety. During the first exhibition, the garage where the 550 was exhibited caught fire. The entire garage was set on fire, but the car remained intact. At the following exhibition, at a local school, “Little Bastard” fell from his display, falling on a student and breaking his hip.
Such an iconic image – James Dean in his “Little Bastard” Porsche 550 Spyder. Credit: Motoryracing.com
After these exhibitions, the car was loaded onto a trailer to be transported to Salinas. The driver lost control and overturned the truck. He was ejected when the truck overturned and was killed instantly when 550 Spyders landed on him. These events continued until 1960, when “Little Bastard” was in Miami at another exhibit. It was his last showing, after which the car was placed on a trailer to be returned to Barris’ garage in Los Angeles. The 550 Spyder and the truck it was transported in disappeared and have not been seen since.