James Dean’s Porsche 550 Spyder, chassis 550-0055, became known as “Little Bastard.” Dean died in a collision while driving it on September 30, 1955. The car’s later reputation as cursed grew from stories about its wreckage and parts—but no reliable evidence establishes a supernatural cause. The documented history and the curse legend are not the same thing.
What happened to James Dean’s Porsche?
Dean’s car was a Porsche 550 Spyder bearing race number 130 and nicknamed “Little Bastard,” according to Porsche’s 2025 retrospective. A specialist Type 550 archive identifies it as chassis 550-0055.
![Matchbox Porsche 550 Spyder, Collectors Series 08/20 [Silver]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/519g0lmJ5fS._SL160_.jpg)
Dean had traded his white Porsche 356 Speedster for the Spyder. Porsche’s 2017 Christophorus feature describes the 550 as a further development of the 356 and gives the model’s approximate empty weight as 550 kilograms; that figure is for the model, not a separate weighing of Dean’s car. The article says Dean died nine days after acquiring the Spyder. Porsche Christophorus, “Unforgotten”, puts it plainly: “Nine days later, on September 30, 1955, James Dean was dead.”
On that date, Dean was driving from Los Angeles toward a race in Salinas when his Porsche collided with a Ford. Porsche’s 2025 account places the collision shortly before 6 p.m. at a junction where Highway 41 split toward Fresno. This is a retrospective manufacturer account, not the original crash report, so its route and timing details should be understood as Porsche’s account of the event.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
#1 Best Overall
- Large approximately 9-1/2" replicas, die-cast metal body with plastic parts
- Opening doors and hood, full-function steering
- Four wheel suspension, adjustable seat back on most models
- Detailed chassis with separate exhaust system
- Mounted on a plastic stand
How did the Porsche become “cursed”?
The curse story took shape after the crash, as accounts connected the wreck and its parts with later misfortune. Porsche’s 2025 feature says some people consider the car cursed and links the idea to custom-car builder George Barris. The Type 550 archive cautions that the story combines fact and fiction and that many reports are unfounded.
That distinction matters: the collision and Dean’s death are documented events; a supernatural force causing them or later accidents is not established. There is no validated incident count or study demonstrating a curse. Later anecdotes should be treated as folklore unless independently substantiated, rather than as evidence that the car brought harm to its owners or anyone who encountered its parts.
Rank #2
- Don't miss your chance to add one of the fastest production cars to you model collection with this 129-pc model kit
- Model Scale 1:24
- Recommended for ages 12 and up
- Paint and glue sold separately
What happened to the wreck and its parts?
Porsche’s account says William Eschrich bought what remained of the Spyder after the crash and gave some suspension parts to amateur racer Troy McHenry, who later died in a crash. George Barris subsequently bought the remains, which, according to Porsche, later disappeared. These reported events help explain how the curse narrative grew, but they do not show that the Porsche’s parts caused McHenry’s death.
The specialist Type 550 archive also describes the post-crash history as controversial. Its account draws on Lee Raskin’s James Dean at Speed; specific details about the car’s completion, delivery and later parts history should therefore be understood as archive reporting, not as a complete chain of independently confirmed primary records.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteWhere is Little Bastard now?
The car’s remains have not been located in the accounts cited here. Porsche says they disappeared after Barris acquired them, while the Type 550 archive notes controversy around the post-crash history. That supports saying the remains are missing; it does not establish what became of every component or where any part is today.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Collectible Model Car
Rank #4
- Scale: 1/12
- Model: Porsc. 550A Spyder Blue & White 1956 With Opening Doors
- Material: metal
- Highly detailed collection template
- Manufacturer: KK Scale
Which parts of the story are established?
- Car identity: Porsche identifies the Spyder as number 130 and calls it “Little Bastard”; the Type 550 archive identifies chassis 550-0055.
- Crash: Porsche’s retrospective accounts say Dean died after a collision with a Ford on September 30, 1955, while driving toward Salinas.
- Aftermath: Porsche reports that the wreck and some suspension parts passed through later owners, and that the remains disappeared.
- Curse: The curse is a legend attached to those events, not a verified explanation for the crash or subsequent deaths.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
