Legendary actor James Dean was 24 when he reached the peak of his career and also met with a car accident that took his life. The actor gained popularity in the 1950s and over the course of 5 years, he managed to star in several movies and over 20 TV shows. His role as Jim Stark in director Nicholas Ray’s 1955 movie Rebel Without a Cause made him a star overnight.
Apart from acting, the actor was also passionate about cars. In 1955, Dean traded in his 356 Porsche Super Speedster for a new 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder, which was nicknamed “Little B**tard.” But the car turned out to be a curse as it took not just Dean’s life but several more.
Alec Guinness was not a fan of James Dean’s Porsche 550 Spyder
Actor Alec Guinness was one of the first few people who got to see James Dean‘s Porsche 550 Spyder as soon as he bought it. At first, anyone who appreciates cars would call it a timeless beauty, however, Guinness saw something else. A week before the tragic crash that took Dean’s life, Guinness’ wrote in his diary,
“The sports car looked sinister to me… exhausted, hungry, feeling a little ill-tempered in spite of Dean’s kindness, I heard myself saying in a voice I could hardly recognize as my own: ‘Please never get in it. . . if you get in that car you will be found dead in it by this time next week.'”
After finishing the shooting of Giant in 1955, Dean decided to trade in his 356 Porsche Super Speedster for a Porsche 550 Spyder. Only 90 of these cars were produced between 1953-1956.
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James Dean died on 30th September 1955
Dean met with an accident near Cholame, California on 30th September 1955. On that day, Dean was already fined for speeding but continued to race to his destination. Rolf Wütherich, the German mechanic who maintained Dean’s car, was also in the car with him when a 23-year-old student stopped his 1950 Ford Tudor on Dean’s path.
Unable to stop in time, the Porsche rammed the side of the Ford at the speed of roughly 85 mph, throwing Wütherich out of the car and fatally injuring Dean. The actor’s biographer George Perry later explained that his death was “instantaneous.”
What is the curse of the “Little B**tard“?
After the crash, the totalled car was bought by Southern California racer, William Eschrich. The engine was put into a Lotus IX and a surgeon, Troy Lee McHenry, bought the suspension parts for his Porsche race car.
Both the cars which had parts from the “Little B**tard” crashed at the same event after 11 months, killing Troy Lee McHenry. There was only 1 tree on the entire racetrack and McHenry met with a tragic end after hitting it with his Porsche.
George Barris bought the remaining parts of the car, the twisted frame, damaged body, and four wheels. Barris sold two tires from the car, which later exploded at the same time causing another accident.
The body and frame of the car were put up on display by the Los Angeles Chapter of the National Safety Council. Strangely, the car fell off the display multiple times and even killed a truck driver, George Barkus, after it fell on him.
The car was then put into storage where it mysteriously caught fire one day. In the 1960s, the car was being transported from Miami to Los Angeles when it just disappeared and was never found again. The only known part of the car in existence right now is a transaxle which was sold for roughly $380,000 in 2021.
Related: James Dean Bagged $39M Movie That Got Staggering 10 Oscar Nods Because Elizabeth Taylor Got Pregnant
Source: Hagerty UK
