Wow, Incredible story. Like yourself, I never really paid too much attention to the "other car". Looks like it was a nice '50 Ford Business Coupe. Is that what's left of Pontiac side trim?
I’m sure this has been noticed before….. You would think the damage of the fords left front side shows evidence the porche must have hit it before the ford was totally in the porche’s lane and partially clipped it.
This has been debated a bunch. Some folks think he was going north of 80… others think the evidence shows him going somewhere between 65 and 70. I guess these groups get in really passionate arguments.
They did a pretty good investigation of this recently on a show call Autobiography on the Motortrend app/channel. Dean's Porsche was supposedly going even slower than what some say - this is a common myth. They determined he was going more like 45-50. They also pay pretty good due to Donald Turnipseed and what happened to him. It would be interesting to find out if anything happened with his Ford or if it was later crushed. Dean actually drove a 1949 or 1950 Ford to his high school prom in Indiana that his uncle owned. I saw it on display at the Indiana Museum of History in downtown Indy. What's interesting is, the Autobiography show doesn't really delve much into the remains of Dean's car and play into the Barris myth about him taking the remains of the car on tour, then it going missing, killing or maiming people along the way. I have researched this in the newspapers.com archive and found that much of the body panels were used on Dr. William Esrich's car, as well as some of the running gear. It seems pretty clear cut that Dean's Porsche went to insurance, then was bought by Esrich, who stripped much of the car and sold the rest of the unused parts to some other 550 racers. Ken Miles actually drove Esrich's car that was called the "Portus" and was a mix of Porsche and Lotus race car parts. It would be interesting to interview Esrich's family, but not sure if the show was able to reach out to them. So, that somewhat debunks the myth of the cursed car and parts and I think debunks the remains of the car Barris supposedly took around, which I think might have been a recreation.
Interesting. If I had to guess, that sure looks like a 70-80 mph impact. And the fact the ford was partially side swiped adds to that guess.
Donald Turnupseed was a distant relative of mine. I've heard the story of the wreck many times and of how it affected Don the rest of his life. Our part of the family spelled the last name "Turnipseed" and some added an 'e' to the end, but we are all related.
This is some good reading, interviews with the two CHP officers who were at the scene https://deadwrite.wordpress.com/tag/donald-turnupseed/
have been to the site of the accident and memorial down the road. know of a group of Hot Rods going through that general area and a guy with his blown '32 Roadster went off the road and rolled at least 3 times and thru a fence He survived, car didn't.
Dean being the "hot shot" movie star and sport's car driver that he was, if he was not speeding, he could of went left of the Ford, and around it from the back, as it was turning onto highway 41. This was an accident between two guys, while one was at Navy boot camp the other was attending drama classes. The driver making the left hand turn is usually at fault, and that would be the owner of the Ford.
Pete, I have seen many fatality wrecks, it's what I did for a living. I concur with the speed of impact being 30-50 MPH. Once it's gets north of 70...total destruction. If you look at the Ford and even Dean's car both vehicles are pretty much intact. In my opinion, (based on what I have personally witnessed over the years/ not formal education in wreck investigation) had this been a 70 +MPH impact, both vehicles would show significantly more damage and it would have been a 3-fatality wreck rather than a single fatality wreck. I post this above to show the Ford's skid marks. It may be possible that these marks may be from another incident, but I doubt it. Turnupseed was way into Dean's lane. He was making a lazy high-speed turn. The Buick ambulance is astraddle the Fords skid marks. You can see the point of impact here. The Ford was braking heavy. There is a perpendicular skidmark that "crosses the T". This is from Dean's Porsche's driver-side wheel being moved in at impact. Notice the squiggly line from the Porshe's passenger wheel. There are no images from the other way, but it does appear the Porsche may have been braking as well. The Ford's skid marks end here. The rear goes up possibly even losing contact with the road as it starts its spin. The two skid marks in front of the woman and man walking are when the fords rear wheels contact the road again in the spin. What appears to be a skid-mark in line with the Ford's initial braking marks before impact, is the Ford's skid mark from the front as it's going sideways, completing its spin. This was a tragic incident, like they all are. It's very simple. Dean was just driving at highway speed, minding his own business. As a Shoebox owner, I know exactly what Turnupseed was doing.... Turnupseed was doing a highspeed slingshot turn, thus taking up the oncoming lane. Being a local, he probably had done it many times. Likely it became a habit. This time it cost him. This time it cost Dean his life. The elephant in the room here is, the skid marks are all in Dean's lane. Turnupspeed was on the wrong side of the road.
Got a James Dean magnet on the dash of my shoebox. Previous owner had it there and I left it. James Dean cruise it says. Anyone been?
The irony about this incident... If Dean had been driving 85 MPH, he would have cleared that intersection long before Turnupspeed got there.
Back in the 60's, my father actually borrowed a Porsche 550 spyder for a weekend. I drove it and broke 100mph for my first time (I was 17). There is pretty much NOTHING between you and the outside world in one...I'm supprised there was as much damage to the ford as there was.
I should not have too tell anyone,that this was on the radio n all the news papers,plus some TV news,when it happened. To most of the Teens at the time,we all liked the actor a lot. The first car show I put my just completed full custom Henry J in too,had the wreck James Dean was killed in as part of the show; ;like a safety "drive safe thing". Turned out,when the wreck left the show, it was never seen again*,likely got sold for the parts to a Miami shop that needed them, so it would not be taking up cost to ship it around any more by George Barris who owned the wreck ,I was told,at that show. . I never heard anything more. Ryan ,As best I know,this is the end of the story!!
I believe Germ said in a post on the HAMB a long time ago that the Ford was in Modesto... Anyone else remember him saying that?
Interesting posts on the James Dean / Donald Turnupseed crash. Yes, Don Turnupseed had a 1950 hot rod Ford Coupe...that was modified with a later 1951 hood to accommodate a larger Ford engine. As to the accident, I have spend most of my adult life researching, interviewing, and writing about the events of the 9-30-55 crash at the Cholame Junction 466 /41. Here is my original sketch of the accident with a time line starting at 5:45 pm PST. (was not on Daylight Time at 9-30). JD was heading west on 466 in 4th gear between 6,000-6,500 rpm traveling between 85-90 mph as he was approaching the Cholame Junction...having just passed a 1950 Pontiac 4-door sedan driven by Robert White, with his wife as passenger. White and his wife testified in an official deposition that he was driving 65-68 mph and "At the time the car ( the JD Porsche with #130 on its door) passed, I would estimate the speed was in excess of 85 mph." DT was simultaneously travelling East on 466 (driving home from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo) to Tulare -- and as he approached the 41 Junction -- well over the 50 mph speed limit -- he did not signal to turn left ... but DT intentionally crossed over the double line while turning at a 45 degree angle to the left onto 41. DT actually saw the Porsche approaching...but did not initially realized its closing speed. DT panicked...he spiked his brakes leaving a double skid of 22 feet...got back onto the power...realized he was going to crash into the Porsche and he spiked the brakes hard again skidding 30 feet to an almost complete stop in the west bound lane. JD saw an impending collision and power-steered the 1300 lb. Porsche to the right to avoid a crash, but his Porsche's rear end came around hard due to the low polar moment of inertia -- sending the front of Porsche counter-clockwise directly into the left front of the Ford...and at impact --pushed the 2.5 ton Ford backwards 39 feet still in the west bound lane. At impact, the lighter all aluminum Porsche lifted upwards 90 degrees in a 360 degree clock-wise barrel roll --landing hard on its wheels and sliding 45 feet to the north west of the west bound lane into a sand gully right next to a telephone pole. Passenger Rolf Wutherich was tossed out when the Porsche flipped over landing hard onto the edge of the roadway. JD was trapped in the Porsche as his left foot was crushed between the clutch and brake pedal. His driver's seat broke loose from the floor rails upon impact, as JD got 'stretched' across the cockpit with his upper body finally resting lifeless over the passenger door. At the CA Inquest on Oct. 11, 1955...the 12 person jury... after testimony did not find either Turnupseed or Dean guilty of any negligence. However, under the CA MVA Code, Turnupseed should have been charged with at least a misdemeanor manslaughter in the death of James Dean. Both could have also been charged with speeding over the CA 50 mph limit. DT actually got a free pass by a jury of his Central CA peers -- and took the advice of his attorney --never to speak about the accident. Sixty-six years later... there is continuous speculation about the accident...just like the comments to this article. I have always said: This accident occurred because two individuals were in a big hurry to get somewhere fast....and no matter what someone has to say to the contrary...it was simply an unguarded moment for Donald Turnupseed and James Dean. Lee Raskin, James Dean / Porsche historian /author of James Dean At Speed / James Dean On The Road To Salinas, 2005 / 2015.
George Barris concocted most of the myths and curses that are associated with the James Dean Porsche 550 Spyder, named, "Little Bastard." Barris most likely made the Porsche 'disappear into thin air'...collected the insurance proceeds on a bogus stolen car report in 1960...and perpetuated his James Dean / Porsche stories until he died in November, 2015. See Wikipedia The Death of James ....from reliable sources and with a lot of attribution from noted James Dean and motorsports authors....Matt Stone...Preston Learner...Warren Beath....and Lee Raskin. Dean https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_James_Dean
From the 5th Annual Kar-Kapades that was held at the Monterey Fairground, February 1959...co-promoted by George Barris with James Dean's Last Racing Sports Car. Note: how Barris re-configured the crashed Porsche with his own sheet metal and beat it up to look like it was part of the original accident. This display is what disappeared supposedly after returning from a Miami show in 1960. Photo from James Dean: On The Road To Salinas, 2015 / Lee Raskin archives.
Although I knew of the fatal accident early on, I never saw the photos until well after the development of the internet, sometime in the last decade. Honestly, my reaction to the photos was, "That little foreign car sure did mess up a nice Ford." I'm sure if I revisited any of Mr. Dean's movies I would have a better appreciation of his acting chops. But back then, I wasn't what you would call 'sophisticated', and movie characters that were little, psychological misfits didn't impress me the same way as the action hero types did.
Also photo of the original and heavily damage Porsche 550 at the Cholame Garage following the accident on 9-30-55. The Turnupseed 1950 Ford is shown directly behind the Porsche. Sanford Roth photo / Lee Raskin archives.
I do Sam. THE BARRIS STUFF...... | Page 3 | The H.A.M.B. (jalopyjournal.com) What happened to Donald Turnupspeed's shoebox? | The H.A.M.B. (jalopyjournal.com)
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