James Dean transaxle sets ridiculous record

By: Unique Cars magazine

Date: 08.06.2021

James Dean Porsche

James Dean Porsche

James Dean Porsche

James Dean Porsche

James Dean Porsche

James Dean Porsche

Part of life-ending Porsche wreck

The transaxle from the Porsche spyder in which Hollywood legend James Dean lost his life has sold at auction for a staggering sum.

Bring a Trailer (BaT) sold the piece, mounted on a display stand, for US$382,000 or Au$492,000.

To put that in perspective, we have seen a complete car sell for as much as US$5.3 million (Au$6.8 million).

BaT provides the background: "Warner Brothers had barred James Dean from motorsport activities while filming the movie Giant during the summer of 1955.

"With production of the film nearing completion, Dean made plans to replace his Speedster with a new 550 Spyder in order to further his efforts in SCCA racing.

"On September 21, 1955, he purchased chassis 550-0055 from Competition Motors in Hollywood, California and soon had the number 130 applied to its body as well as the nickname 'Little Bastard'.

"Dean was killed in a traffic accident on the afternoon of September 30 while piloting his new car to a race in Salinas, California."

See the listing here.

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