James Dean's 1955 Porsche Spyder
We all have it. That little voice in the back of our mind that says, "slow down, you're going too fast!" Most of the time we suck it up and listen but once in a while we'll ignore it, drown it out by shifting down two gears, stepping on the gas pedal and letting the pull of the engine set us back in our seats.
Unfortunately for James Dean, he chose to shift when he probably should have listened. And on that lonely California highway near Paso Robles (now called State Route 46) in September of 1955, the actor and his then new Porsche Spyder (appropriately monikered "Little Bastard") met their end. According to official reports at the time, Dean failed to avoid a head on collision with a 1950 Ford Tudor coupe driven by (23 year old Cal Poly student) Donald Turnupseed.
Today, the legend of James Dean and his 'devil may care' attitude live on through his films and pop culture following. A phenomena that has also carried over to the car in which he spent his final moments--the 1955 Porsche Spyder. Although Dean's original 'Little Bastard' has yet to be located, there are a number of replicas available that still embody the essence and style of the original; like this one for sale in Sacramento, CA.
Of course we're assuming it's a replica because the seller list the VIN# as 11111111111111111 and it is reasonably priced at 29k. But so what if it is a replica, it's a really well done replica and everything from the steel wheels to the badging look flawless and would make even the most keen James Dean connoisseur do a double-take.
The only thing we might change is that baby blue satin interior. Something more like that vibrant red visible in all the pre-crash photos would definitely be more eye-catching. But even that wouldn't stop us from cruising this 'Little Bastard' look alike; maybe even down the 46. Well, maybe not. At least not until we get passed the initial 'hebbie-jebbies'.
Images: LuxMotorCars.com, JamesDeanMemorialJunction.com
Unfortunately for James Dean, he chose to shift when he probably should have listened. And on that lonely California highway near Paso Robles (now called State Route 46) in September of 1955, the actor and his then new Porsche Spyder (appropriately monikered "Little Bastard") met their end. According to official reports at the time, Dean failed to avoid a head on collision with a 1950 Ford Tudor coupe driven by (23 year old Cal Poly student) Donald Turnupseed.
Today, the legend of James Dean and his 'devil may care' attitude live on through his films and pop culture following. A phenomena that has also carried over to the car in which he spent his final moments--the 1955 Porsche Spyder. Although Dean's original 'Little Bastard' has yet to be located, there are a number of replicas available that still embody the essence and style of the original; like this one for sale in Sacramento, CA.
Images: LuxMotorCars.com, JamesDeanMemorialJunction.com
