History James Dean Death Car… interesting find.

If that is indeed the car, It has a curse on it. Many reads on what happens when you possess or mess with James's car.

 

X2. Snowman ⛄️

 

I love the history, speculation, and conspiracy theories. Keep it coming GERM!

 

RIP James Dean.

 

A quick look at the two crash photos makes me wonder if they are the same car, or did George start some restoration work?

 

Here’s another letter I dug up that George wrote regarding the Dean car. Also is the check that Leroy wrote for the original agreement on the car.

I don’t have all the answers. I will also post the letters that Leroy wrote to George after he fled the country and went to Cuba.

I cannot speak for George or his intentions regarding the car. My belief is that what was left of the car was indeed shipped to Tucson.

What happened to it after that is the mystery. George would never really talk about it because there were so many more important things happening at the Hollywood place. Like the celebrities dropping in that would take pictures with George so he could put them on his wall.

I know that George did mention that the Dean Car was becoming a hassle because of souvenir seekers trying to take pieces of it but he was more interested in the Delorean he put all the fake switches and wires in for the Back to The Future Movie and George’s attention was more geared towards how big my girls titties we’re and if they were real or fake.

 

Yeah right on interesting story, but am I the only guy who doesn't understand the draw of a death car?

Different times I guess...

 

I think this photo was somewhat quickly colorized at some point. But more interestingly the black and white car in the background looks to be Donald Turnupseed's '50 Ford that collided with Dean's Porsche.

 

Well, anyone can speculate...
The two pictures of the wrecked car sure don't look like the same car to me. If I was betting, I would think the one the Police paraded around was probably an example of what could have happened, because that picture doesn't really match the pictures that were supposed to be of the actual accident report. On the other hand, the one that was the "show" car was pretty clean (shiny metal?) for going through what it went through. It may be such a thing that both examples had been doctored for the show purpose. Maybe someone paid George to "fix up the wreck a bit" so it drew more attention? Maybe his payment was the proceeds from the first few showings, and after that he was out of the picture. That may be part of the reason it was removed from the "show" circuit, add family pressure, and probably movie company pressure, and maybe a law suit claiming it was not the real car and seeking proof it was, could have all contributed. Lots of money in Hollywood those days, everyone could have come out way ahead just to keep their mouths shut, or agreeing on the same story line. The wrecked car being stolen would cover everything, and if several parties are all in an agreement for a single goal (it was the time to quit showing the car), the details can disappear pretty easily. Add 60 years, and what really went down will never be known.

Now, about that Bullock award...
I think I remember some of those wild parties from back in the day. I might remember the party, but most of the time, I sure didn't know the next day what things may have gone down at those parties. Sometimes I had some strange and unusual souvenirs in my possession, or in my car from those parties I discovered the next day (or 2) after. If your trying to tell me you remember everything that went down during those party days, you are lying.

 

You are not the only one; never could understand this weird, obsessive shit with celeb owned items.

 

I think the colorized pic and the safety council display pic are the same car. There’s a kink on the edge of the rear wheel opening about 1 o’clock that is exactly the same. But I think someone did a lot of “work” on the door and front end between the two pics.

 

Thanks, If you look at any before the wreck photos there is a door on the drivers side. The black & white wreck photo of the display wreck has a one piece front fender that mates with the rear quarter panel.

 

Looks to me like the steering wheel is RHD in one car and LHD in the other

 

Thinking the same thing. And was it George or Sam that was involved?

 

Saw that as well...

 

Other way around. The shoebox hit the Porsche.

 

I appreciate the fact that you love history. Thanks for preserving these items.

 

Interesting stuff!

 

I went and seen the Bonnie and Clyde car when I was a kid.....

Never seen so many bullet holes thru 1 vehicle.


...

 

The car took a hard hit and being light and pretty flimsy, it pushed the cowl and steering column through to the right. There are a couple pics I saw of the steering wheel severely wrapped down around the column. The two pics look so different that I think they may have pulled/pushed the cowl back through to the left and mocked up a different wheel in it for display purposes. Also, adding the fake door skin and left front fender. Maybe to make look a little less gnarly. That was a nasty crash and maybe they just tried to soften it up a bit.

 

I dunno but OFF TOPIC I love that 2005 gsxr 750 and the 87 (?) of yours !!!

 

Maybe not for you, but these types of macabre artifacts still draw a crowd. You can go see Bonnie & Clyde's bullet-riddled 34 Ford at a Casino in Nevada. It wouldn't be there on display if it wasn't a draw.

The guy that owns Jane Mansfield's death car 66 Buick had it on display for years, it's in storage now but he wants to get it back on display.

 

if I posted that story I’d definitely get put on time out. it’s definitely one for the books.
xoxoxo

 

you have us hooked now!!

 

This was a poster from our clubs show in 1959 at the Pleasanton Fairgrounds. I have no proof if the car was on display. The program lists other Barris cars ,but no mention of the Dean car.

 

I have seen questions on what happened to the car every so often. Germ's info here is by far the most detailed. I am glad it was posted and I took the time looking over all the paperwork and comments.

 

A friend had a 550 Spyder replica, pretty accurate looking car. It had such a low profile he found it scary to drive and eventually sold it. I can see how Dean car was hit.

 

He should have left it on the trailer behind the 55 Ford wagon….

 

Thanks! 86 and a 20th Anniversary 05. It was pretty cool to own them at the same time. They're long gone now.