#porsche 550

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1955 Porsche 550 Spyder

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Porsche 550 Spyder

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Porsche

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James Dean’s Porsche 550

Even though Dean only made three films and died at the age of 24, his legacy is so great he’s still one of the most legendary names in the film industry. On the other hand, the story of his Porsche 550 Spyder nicknamed “Little Bastard” is one of the most enduring automotive mysteries of all time. Dean died in 1955, crashing his Porsche at an intersection in Cholame, California. The car was badly damaged, so they sold some mechanical parts like the engine, but the body and few components remained. After a few owners, the car ended up with famous Hollywood customizer George Barris.

He loaned it to an organization that promoted highway safety. Reports of people being injured in freak accidents involving falling pieces from the car and other strange occurrences lead the public to call the crashed Porsche, “a cursed car.” In the late ’60s, they shipped the remains of the 550 Spyder from Florida to California, but they never arrived in L.A. Someone stole the car under suspicious circumstances and no one has been able to recover it. Some historians claim Barris had something to do with the disappearance of the legendary Dean`s Porsche. But Barris took the secret to the grave since he passed away in 2015.

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Porsche 550, Coupé prototype, Allemagne, 1953.

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- Stuttgart Porsche Museum

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Porsche 993 Cafe Racer, 2024 (1995). A restomod based on a mid-90s 993 series Porsche 911 Cabriolet that has been modified to resemble a 1950s Porsche 550 Spyder. The project, which is yet to be cpmpleted, has been undertaken by a Porsche enthusiast from Scottsdale, Arizona. 

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Porsche : 550 Tribute

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1954 Porsche 550 spider

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Porsche 550 RS Spyder

Finished in blue with white stripes, this 550 Spyder was completed in August of 1955 and soon after shipped to the United States. Little is known about its earliest history but during the first half of the 1960s, it was discovered on a used car lot in Worcester, Massachussets by collector Lou Hilton. He cherished the car and would own it through to 1998 when it was acquired by Porsche 356 Registry founding member Joel Horvitz, who longed for the car for many years while it was still in Hilton's possession. From Horvitz' estate, it was acquired by noted Porsche collector Jerry Seinfeld. It is still in highly original condition and has barely covered 10,000 miles from new.

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