Prior to his untimely death, Dean was mostly associated with the 1949 Mercury that he drove during "Rebel without a Cause". This was an iconic, groundbreaking film and many teenagers identified with Dean's character and that of his co-star, Natalie Wood. As for the car, it became as much a symbol of the movie as any of the actors. This classic six-seater vehicle can now be seen on permanent display at the National Automobile Museum in Reno, Nevada and it is a timeless reminder of James Dean. There were many other vehicles that Dean drove throughout his life but it was that fatal Porsche Spyder that stays in the memory and the stories suggest that this most cursed of cars carried on wreaking havoc long after the actor's death. Car customiser, George Barris bought the wreck for $2,500 and when it was taken back to his garage, it slipped breaking a mechanic's legs. After several similar incidents, Barris sent the car on loan to the California Highway Patrol for a display. After a few days, the garage containing it burned to the ground. Every vehicle except the Porsche was ruined. It was present at another fatality when George Barkuis, engaged in towing it, was crushed by the vehicle when he was thrown from his truck. Finally, The Little Bastard was stolen and no one knows what happened to it or where it is. So, the legacy of James Dean and his cars lives on.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||