James Dean\'s spooky Porsche 550 Syder
The Porsche 550 Spyder racing car in which James Dean was killed in 1955 seemed to have the power to cause accidents even when dismantled. Bought by a garage owner, George Barris, it slipped as it was being unloaded from the breakdown truck and broke both the mechanic's legs. The twin-cam engine was sold to a doctor who was killed when his car went out of control during a race. Oddly enough, another car in the same race was fitted with the drive shafts of the Porsche and the driver was injured when the car turned over. The battered shell of Dean's car was used in a display on Highway Safety in Sacramento. It fell off its mounting and broke a teenager's hip. Weeks later, en route to another display, the truck carrying it was involved in an accident and the driver was thrown out and killed by the Porsche falling off the back. A racing driver who bought two tyres from the wreck was almost killed when both tyres burst simultaneously, causing the car to swerve off the road. George Barris was unable to find anything wrong with either tyre. In Oregon a truck carrying the wreck slipped its handbrake and crashed into a store. In New Orleans it broke into 11 pieces when it fell off stationary supports. Finally, in 1960 it vanished for ever when being sent by train back to Los Angeles. The book 'Cars of the Stars', which contains many similar tales of jinxes, George Barris and Jack Scagnietti mention that Dean's mechanic, Rolf Weutherich, who suffered a shattered jaw, a broken arm and leg in the original crash was convicted of murdering his wife in Germany in 1968, but it seems to be stretching a point to lay the blame for this on the spooky Porsche.
When I worked for Porsche from 1962 to 1964, Rolf was a colleague having returned to Porsche from the US. I didn't know him well but the last thing I would have thought is that he would murder someone especially his wife.
Keep the light switched on at night!
Andre 40
The Porsche 550 Spyder racing car in which James Dean was killed in 1955 seemed to have the power to cause accidents even when dismantled. Bought by a garage owner, George Barris, it slipped as it was being unloaded from the breakdown truck and broke both the mechanic's legs. The twin-cam engine was sold to a doctor who was killed when his car went out of control during a race. Oddly enough, another car in the same race was fitted with the drive shafts of the Porsche and the driver was injured when the car turned over. The battered shell of Dean's car was used in a display on Highway Safety in Sacramento. It fell off its mounting and broke a teenager's hip. Weeks later, en route to another display, the truck carrying it was involved in an accident and the driver was thrown out and killed by the Porsche falling off the back. A racing driver who bought two tyres from the wreck was almost killed when both tyres burst simultaneously, causing the car to swerve off the road. George Barris was unable to find anything wrong with either tyre. In Oregon a truck carrying the wreck slipped its handbrake and crashed into a store. In New Orleans it broke into 11 pieces when it fell off stationary supports. Finally, in 1960 it vanished for ever when being sent by train back to Los Angeles. The book 'Cars of the Stars', which contains many similar tales of jinxes, George Barris and Jack Scagnietti mention that Dean's mechanic, Rolf Weutherich, who suffered a shattered jaw, a broken arm and leg in the original crash was convicted of murdering his wife in Germany in 1968, but it seems to be stretching a point to lay the blame for this on the spooky Porsche.
When I worked for Porsche from 1962 to 1964, Rolf was a colleague having returned to Porsche from the US. I didn't know him well but the last thing I would have thought is that he would murder someone especially his wife.
Keep the light switched on at night!
Andre 40