The Curse of Little Bastard
James Dean was born on February 8, 1931 in Marion, Indiana. In 1949, Dean enrolled at SMC to study pre-law, but transferred to UCLA in 1951 as a drama major. He dropped out of college to pursue his acting career. Unlike most struggling actors, James Dean became a Hollywood success story starring in East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant. He took an interest in auto racing and bought a Porsche Spyder 550 in 1955, that was nicknamed Little Bastard. The car would be the undoing of James Dean.
When he bought the car, his friend Alec Guinness that there was something sinister about it and he told Dean - "If you get in that car, you will be found dead in it in by this time next week." Seven days later, he was dead.
On September 30, 1955 Dean and his mechanic Rolf Wutherich headed to Salinas, California for a race. The original plan was to trailer Little Bastard, but at the last minute he changed his mind. It would be a decision with disastrous consequences.
The events of the day are as follows. At about 3:30 in the afternoon, James Dean was pulled over and given a ticket for speeding - doing 65 in a 55 mph zone. The pair then met up with fellow racer Lance Reventlow in Lost Hills. While driving west on Route 466 (now SR 46) near Cholame, California, an eastbound car turned into their path, hitting them head on. Dean and Wutherich were thrown from Little Bastard. Badly injured, Dean was loaded in the ambulance and taken to Paso Robles War Memorial Hospital where at 5:59pm he was pronounced DOA in the emergency room. In an interview after the crash, Donald Turnupseed (the 23 year-old driver of the other car) said that he never saw Dean's car coming. After that initial interview, he refused to speak of the accident ever again. As for Rolf Wutherich, he died in a car accident in Germany in 1981, after several suicide attempts.
Dean's death was not the last of Little Bastard's curse. Anyone who came in contact with the car (or its parts) suffered unfortunately bad luck. George Barris bought the wreckage for $2500. While getting ready to transport it, the car slipped off the trailer and broke the mechanics leg. Dr. Troy McHenry bought the engine and Dr. William Eschird bought the drive train from Barris. The two doctors decided to race. McHenry's car spun out of control and hit a tree, killing him instantly. Barris continued to sell parts from Little Bastard. Two tires sold from the wreck both blew at the same time causing the car they were on to go off the road. Morbid treasure hunters were also injured trying to steal souvenirs. A teenage boys arm was ripped open while trying to steal the Porsche's steering wheel and another man was hurt when he tried to take the bloodstained front seat.
Barris became fed up with the car's unfortunate incidents and lent Little Bastard out as a highway safety exhibit. The storage building where is was kept went up in flames, destroying everything except the Spyder which suffered no damage. While on display at a high school in Sacramento, the car fell on a student and broke his hip.
Tragedy continued to follow the car wherever it went. While being transported to Salinas, the truck it was on lost control, the driver fell our and was crushed by the Porsche when it came off the back. In Oregon, Little Bastard came off the back of the transport truck and broke the windshield of the car behind it. Finally in 1960, on its way back to Barris in Los Angeles, the Porsche Spyder disappeared and was never seen again.
There is only on known piece of the car remaining. The passenger door can be seen at the Volo Auto Museum in Volo, Illinois.
As for James Dean, he is buried at Park Cemetery in Fairmount, Indiana. Visitors claim that you can see the lit end of a cigarette as is someone is smoking it as well as smelling the smoke from it. Other say that a reviving engine can be heard. If you are lucky, you might even see the ghost of Dean leaning on his headstone.
When he bought the car, his friend Alec Guinness that there was something sinister about it and he told Dean - "If you get in that car, you will be found dead in it in by this time next week." Seven days later, he was dead.
On September 30, 1955 Dean and his mechanic Rolf Wutherich headed to Salinas, California for a race. The original plan was to trailer Little Bastard, but at the last minute he changed his mind. It would be a decision with disastrous consequences.
The events of the day are as follows. At about 3:30 in the afternoon, James Dean was pulled over and given a ticket for speeding - doing 65 in a 55 mph zone. The pair then met up with fellow racer Lance Reventlow in Lost Hills. While driving west on Route 466 (now SR 46) near Cholame, California, an eastbound car turned into their path, hitting them head on. Dean and Wutherich were thrown from Little Bastard. Badly injured, Dean was loaded in the ambulance and taken to Paso Robles War Memorial Hospital where at 5:59pm he was pronounced DOA in the emergency room. In an interview after the crash, Donald Turnupseed (the 23 year-old driver of the other car) said that he never saw Dean's car coming. After that initial interview, he refused to speak of the accident ever again. As for Rolf Wutherich, he died in a car accident in Germany in 1981, after several suicide attempts.
Dean's death was not the last of Little Bastard's curse. Anyone who came in contact with the car (or its parts) suffered unfortunately bad luck. George Barris bought the wreckage for $2500. While getting ready to transport it, the car slipped off the trailer and broke the mechanics leg. Dr. Troy McHenry bought the engine and Dr. William Eschird bought the drive train from Barris. The two doctors decided to race. McHenry's car spun out of control and hit a tree, killing him instantly. Barris continued to sell parts from Little Bastard. Two tires sold from the wreck both blew at the same time causing the car they were on to go off the road. Morbid treasure hunters were also injured trying to steal souvenirs. A teenage boys arm was ripped open while trying to steal the Porsche's steering wheel and another man was hurt when he tried to take the bloodstained front seat.
Barris became fed up with the car's unfortunate incidents and lent Little Bastard out as a highway safety exhibit. The storage building where is was kept went up in flames, destroying everything except the Spyder which suffered no damage. While on display at a high school in Sacramento, the car fell on a student and broke his hip.
Tragedy continued to follow the car wherever it went. While being transported to Salinas, the truck it was on lost control, the driver fell our and was crushed by the Porsche when it came off the back. In Oregon, Little Bastard came off the back of the transport truck and broke the windshield of the car behind it. Finally in 1960, on its way back to Barris in Los Angeles, the Porsche Spyder disappeared and was never seen again.
There is only on known piece of the car remaining. The passenger door can be seen at the Volo Auto Museum in Volo, Illinois.
As for James Dean, he is buried at Park Cemetery in Fairmount, Indiana. Visitors claim that you can see the lit end of a cigarette as is someone is smoking it as well as smelling the smoke from it. Other say that a reviving engine can be heard. If you are lucky, you might even see the ghost of Dean leaning on his headstone.
No comments:
Post a Comment