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The Death Car

The Death Car
Haunted Vehicles- James Dean was in his prime before his untimely death. It all started when he was eager to get back on the race track and race in Salinas California. Since he didn’t wait for his Lotus MK X to be ready, he went for the Porsche 550 Spyder instead. It was one of 90 made and customized by George Barris who went on to design the Bat Mobile. Bill Hickman named the car "Little Bastard,” numbered it 130, and Dean asked Dean Jefferies to paint it on the car. Several people had an eery feeling from the car. Alec Guinness to look at the car and told Dean that if he didn’t get rid of it, he would be dead in a week. Ursula Andress, Dean's current girlfriend refused to even get into the car. Eartha Kitt and Nick Adams expressed feelings of unease around the Spyder. There were several other that tried to warn Dean of the unsettling feeling they got from “Little Bastard,” which included his uncle, Charlie Nolan.
Right before the car was to be trailered to Salinas, Dean decided to take it for a drive along with a mechanic. At 3:30 p.m. Dean was pulled over and given a speeding ticket for doing 65 in a 45MPH zone.Just before 6 p.m., Donald Turnupspeed was driving home, in the opposite direction, from school for the weekend in a 1950 Ford Tudor Coupe when he and Dean collided head on, at the intersection of RTS 41 and 466.
James Dean was pinned in the Porsche with a broken neck among other injuries and died in transport to the hospital. The mechanic, Wiretherick, was thrown clear of the Spyder, he suffered a broken leg, broken jaw and a few internal injuries. Turnupspeed suffered only minor injuries and refused medical attention. Little Bastard was mangled and crumpled like a pack of cigarettes. Parts of the vehicle were sold and it seemed that the “cures” followed them. George Barris purchased remains of the Spyder and sold the engine to Troy McHenry and the chassis to William Eschrid. McHenry died after his Porsche Spyder spun out of control hitting a tree and Eschrid was seriously injured when his car rolled going around a curve in the race. There have several other incidents that involved parts of the cursed Spyder. The remaining mechanical parts are reported to be with one of Dean's relatives but nobody knows or is saying who. A few years back it is reported that a piece was sold at auction on eBay.

Reliable Vehicles

It’s such a tragedy that an American icon died so suddenly. We will never truly know if his cause of death was from a cured car that everyone around him warned him about. We at Williams Group Auto appreciate what James Dean has brought to the big screen. We also take pride in providing reliable vehicles at our dealership. With three locations, you’re sure to find what you are looking for. You can also check us out at www.wiliamsgroupauto.com if you’re in the market for a used car in Abilene.

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