James Dean and the Porsche 550 Spyder Mystery
Dean found the car furious and difficult to tame due to its characteristics. Robust and light, that day he nicknamed it Little Bastard.
James Byron Dean was born on February 8, 1931, and by the 1950s, he was already a star and a speed enthusiast. And as such, he wanted to own the most exclusive and fastest cars of the moment.
James Dean’s first Porsche was indeed a 356 Speedster, which would eventually become the father of the 911.
The 356 was a sporty car, which could exceed 220 kilometers per hour.
As a lover of speed, he entered a race in Paso de Robles (California). He was going to do it with a Lotus MK10, but the car did not arrive on time. He, therefore, accepted the proposal of a friend, George Barris, to drive the Porsche 550 spyder convertible, of which only 90 units were produced.
The Porsche 550 was a small, extremely lightweight, rear-wheel drive two-seater sports car. It had no roof, hence the name “Spyder”.
Its good aerodynamics, with a power of 110 hp (81 kW) DIN (125 hp (92 kW) SAE) at 6200 rpm and 121 N-m (89 lb-ft) of maximum torque at 5000 rpm, allowed it to reach 220 km/h (137 mph).
Its naturally aspirated, air-cooled four-cylinder boxer engine had a displacement of 1498 cm³ (1.5 L) and was fed by two Solex 40 PJJ-4 twin-barrel carburetors.
It had a dual overhead camshaft timing and two valves per cylinder. The gearbox was a 4-speed manual.
The 550 Spyder, with many aluminum components, weighed just 600 kilograms. The naturally aspirated four-cylinder boxer engine developed 110 horsepower; the power-to-weight ratio was extraordinary, so it comfortably exceeded 200 kilometers per hour and could easily turn. It was a high-performance piece, ideal for racing but in expert hands.
James Dean was 24 years old, as well as fame, fortune, and good life.
He was driving along Route 41 when, on reaching the intersection with Route 466, he collided with the Ford Custom Tudor driven by Donald Turnupseed. According to police investigations, the actor was going 135 kilometers per hour.
Little Bastard had claimed the first victim in a list of incidents attributed to the model’s cursed powers. The scrap Porsche 550 Spyder was purchased by George Barris, the same man who had customized it.
The restorer himself took it upon himself to spread the stories surrounding the wreckage, leading many to question whether it was a marketing ploy to enhance the value during a nationwide tour.
It was said that when the remains of the car arrived at Barris’ workshop, the crane cables gave way, and the Porsche fell on one of his mechanics and broke both of his legs. After that, he decided not to restore it, scrapped it, and sold its parts.
Coincidences, a true mystery, or a marketing story?
The engine was bought by Troy McHenry, a doctor, who put it in his own Porsche; he was killed when he hit a tree.
The gearbox was purchased by another doctor, William Eschrid, who suffered serious injuries when he went off track in a race.
A thief lost an arm when he tried to steal the car’s steering wheel. And on the tour with the remains of the car through the United States, other mysterious incidents were accounted for, including when in Sacramento, part of the Porsche fell on a student and broke his hip.
At the end of that trip across the country, the remains of Little Bastard disappeared and the Porsche was never heard of again.
A warning that should have been heard
Briton Alec Guinness advised him not to compete in the Paso de Robles race. And he recounted sometime later the talk they had that same night.
“What is the speed of the Porsche?
– It reaches 240 kilometers per hour.
– Here’s some advice: if you’re going to race that car, you’ll be dead next week. Please don’t do it.”
