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Transaxle from James Dean’s “Cursed” Porsche 550 Spyder Is for Sale

Few other celebrities are so permanently and tragically tied to an automaker as James Dean is to Porsche. The actor and passionate racer, for ever the symbol of teenage restlessness, disillusionment and rebellion, died on September 30, 1955 in Chlolame, California, in a car crash.
James Dean with his "Little Bastard," the Porsche 550 Spyder he would die in on Sept. 30, 1955 12 photos
Photo: BringATrailer.com / SwiftMotoring
The transaxle from James Dean's Porsche 550 Spyder has emerged, is looking for new ownerThe transaxle from James Dean's Porsche 550 Spyder has emerged, is looking for new ownerThe transaxle from James Dean's Porsche 550 Spyder has emerged, is looking for new ownerThe transaxle from James Dean's Porsche 550 Spyder has emerged, is looking for new ownerThe transaxle from James Dean's Porsche 550 Spyder has emerged, is looking for new ownerThe transaxle from James Dean's Porsche 550 Spyder has emerged, is looking for new ownerThe transaxle from James Dean's Porsche 550 Spyder has emerged, is looking for new ownerThe transaxle from James Dean's Porsche 550 Spyder has emerged, is looking for new ownerThe transaxle from James Dean's Porsche 550 Spyder has emerged, is looking for new ownerThe transaxle from James Dean's Porsche 550 Spyder has emerged, is looking for new ownerThe transaxle from James Dean's Porsche 550 Spyder has emerged, is looking for new owner
At the time, Dean’s Hollywood career had just peaked. He had been banned from racing by studio bosses while he was working on projects, but with one nearing completion, he decided to trade his Speedster for a 550 Spyder. James Dean was perhaps more passionate about racing than he was about making films, and he was determined to make a career out of it.

Only a few weeks later, Dean would die in the same Porsche, after a collision with a Ford Tudor at an intersection. His passenger, friend and mechanic Rolf Wütherich, was injured severely, but he survived. The two were on their way to a race in Salinas, California.

The Porsche, which Dean had named “Little Bastard,” was totaled. Insurance wrote it off, but the wreck was sold on, to racer Dr. William F. Eschrich. He pulled several parts and incorporated them in other race cars, one of which was very soon involved in a fatal crash; the body was sold to car customized George Barris, who would lend it to the National Safety Council for events.

This is the only part from that “cursed” Porsche that still exists, at least officially so: the transaxle. Barris reported the Porsche wreck stolen from a container in 1960 and it’s been missing ever since.

The transaxle has been listed on Bring a Trailer, with bidding currently sitting at a little over $128,000 and seven more days to go in the auction. It’s been with several owners already and spend many years in storage, with the seller acquiring it in 2020. It’s been restored and sits on a metal display frame, as it would inside a Porsche. It comes with documentation linking it back to Dean’s “Little Bastard,” though the listing includes phrases like “reportedly” and “is said to,” which lives some room to question its authenticity.
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About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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