James Dean: The Curse of the Little Bastard
James Dean filling up his 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder, that he owned for a little more than a week before his September 30, 1955, crash.
To many, the Porsche 550 Spyder is one of the most desirable looking cars Porsche has ever produced. Its uncomplicated design oozes sex appeal and looks as happy on the racetrack as it does on the open roads.
James Dean and his 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder.
Webb's
April
In his heyday, movie icon James Dean owned a 550 and he nicknamed it ‘Little Bastard’ – on reflection, this may not have been a good idea as it ended up killing him. Already a Porsche 356 owner, Dean moved to the 550 when he was filming Rebel Without a Cause. However, not satisfied with the standard look, he called up movie car maker George Barris (Munster Koach and 1966 Batmobile) to customise it. Barris gave it tartan seats, two red stripes over the rear wheels and put the number ‘130’ on its doors, hood and engine cover. Certainly nothing out of the ordinary there, but then things got a little strange. On September 23, 1955, Dean met actor Sir Alec Guinness (whose most famous role was Obi-Wan Kenobi) who told him that the car had a ‘sinister’ appearance. Guinness allegedly said, ‘If you get in that car, you will be found dead in it by this time next week.’ Seven days later, Dean was killed in ‘Little Bastard.’ 22
