Jimmy Dean and The Curse of Little B***ard

There’s been a lot of spooky stuff written over the half century that has passed since James Dean’s  fatal car crash. Whichever way you choose to look at the glamorous cult of death surrounding the star of Rebel Without a Cause: there are some strange coincidences relating to Jimmy Dean, his little Porsche Spyder and the grim reaper. Look at the facts.

After the actor dies in the wreck in inland California in 1955 legendary creator of Kustom Kulture George Barris buys the wreck. Back at the Barris workshop, it falls on a mechanic whilst being unloaded, breaking both of his legs.

During a race at the Pomona Fair Grounds on October 24, 1956 –  a pair of drivers are racing cars that have parts from the “Little B***ard.” One dies when his car, which had the engine from the notorious Porsche installed, went out of control and hit a tree. The other driver’s car flips over after the car apparently ‘locks up’ just as he is introducing it to a turn.

Barris reluctantly sells two of the car’s tires to a young man and within a week the two tires blew out simultaneously. The kid is lucky to escape with his life.

The  California Highway Patrol borrow the car from Barris for a touring display to illustrate the importance of road safety. Within days the garage housing the Spyder burns to the ground. Every vehicle parked inside is destroyed. Apart from the Porsche.

The car is put on exhibit in Sacramento and it falls from its display and breaks a teenager’s hip. Later, a man who was hauling the Spyder on a flatbed truck, is killed instantly when the Porsche falls on him.

Apparently in 1960 the Porsche mysteriously disappeared en-route to a road safety exhibition, never to be seen again.

Now this would be one hell of a barn find. Would there be any takers at auction? Of course there would.