The Porsche Spyder that took James Dean life was not only considered unlucky for him, but for others as well. The car was looked at as being cursed. In this article, you will encounter some of the rumors and details concerning the mysterious vehicle.
After the accident that took Dean’s life, many fans and admirers couldn’t believe that the actor was dead. Some people believed that he had been horribly disfigured, yet was still alive. Stories also started to develop about the car and how it was a jinx. They considered the Porsche a haunted vehicle that harbored bad luck.
George Barris was a car designer who became the next owner of the car. He bought it for $2,500. When the car was being delivered, it is said to have slipped off its trailer , breaking the legs of a mechanic in the process. It is said that a physician living in Beverly Hills at the time bought the engine of the Porsche and placed it in his own vehicle. Legend has it that the first time he took the car for a drive, the vehicle became uncontrollable and crashed into a tree. The doctor was said to have died on the scene.
A different doctor, who then went racing with the car, supposedly purchased the transmission of the “cursed” Porsche. As he was going into a curve, the car rolled over, and he suffered serious injuries. Barris also sold two tires of the Porsche, which did not suffer any damage in Dean’s accident. Those reportedly went to a New Yorker who remains nameless. The tires are said to have blown up simultaneously, making the car go off of the road. Details regarding the driver of the vehicle were not reported.
While trying to steal parts of the Porsche, two young thieves were injured. Barris stored the car to keep it safe, but that proved unlucky as well. A fire broke out in 1959 in the garage that housed the car in Fresno. Next, the car was slated to be on display at local high schools to show the dangers of driving fast. While on exhibit in Sacramento, the car fell from its display and supposedly broke the hip of a teen. During a transport to Salinas, the flatbed truck carrying the Spyder lost control, and the Porsche crushed the driver.
The popularity of the Porsche Spyder continued to grow and Barris started a tour of the car , taking it to other states. The next incident involving the car took place on the anniversary of James Dean’s death (September 30). While on display, a teenage boy had both of his legs crushed after the car broke free from the exhibit and plowed into him from about 12 to 15 feet away.
Barris shipped the cursed car back to California in 1960. While it was in Florida, the Porcshe was loaded into a boxcar and sealed shut. However, when the train arrived in Los Angeles, the car was missing although the seal was still intact. Private detectives were assigned to the case but the car has not surfaced to this day.