Could James Dean's Spyder be Found...

With the 60th anniversary of James Deans infamous death, "The long-lost – and some say cursed -- car that James Dean died in may soon be found, if a half-century old memory can be believed. The 24-year-old Hollywood star was killed when the Porsche 550 Spyder he was driving to an automobile race near Monterey, and scheduled to compete in, collided with a Ford Tudor coupe at an intersection in Cholame, Calif., on Sept. 30, 1955.

 Nicknamed “Little Bastard,” the tiny Porsche was totaled in the crash. The wreck was sold to one of Dean’s competitors, who removed the engine and other useable components, then passed what was left to famed car customizer George Barris. Dean’s car gained the reputation of being cursed in the wake of several incidents over the years, including the death of a racer whose car reportedly was built using some of its parts. After shelving plans to restore the Porsche, Barris began lending it to the National Safety Council to use to promote car safety, and showing it at automotive events. While being shipped back to Los Angeles from Miami in 1960, it mysteriously disappeared from the locked container it was in, either on a train or truck, depending on the report. Since then, the mysterious car’s whereabouts have been unknown.

The day of the fatal crash....

Drivin' into the Sunset... James Dean

Could he have been the original "King of Cool?"

Maybe, if he had only spent more time on earth in a life well lived driving racing cars. Or, would he have needed to make a movie about a famous race? We'll never know.

It seems some leave us way too soon...and leave us wondering.

R.I.P. James Byron Dean, September 30, 1955...5:30 p.m.

 

"Drive safely...The life you save might be mine."--James Dean


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