Information On James Dean's Speedster
James Dean Tribute Build
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How Dean Acquired The Speedster
As history is told, Dean acquired a new 1955 Porsche Super Speedster in March of 1955 from John von Neumann at Competition Motors in Hollywood, California. It is said that this particular car that was fitted with what may have been the first 1500 Super engine (Serial No 41014) installed in a Speedster. His car was serial #80126. Other than the 1500 Super motor, this was a fairly basic car that came with a white exterior (paint code 603) with a black interior. It came with the small bumper horns and the optional mesh headlight stone guards. Here you can see him washing it like any proud owner of a new Porsche.
A Brief History of Dean Competing with the Speedster
James was especially keen to get a feel for his new Speedster so that he could get ready to compete. Within only 10 days of acquiring the car, he had racked up over 1000 miles. Many of those miles were spent on Mulholland Drive where he could get a feel for the car on the tight corners.
He got a quick feel for the car, and entered it into a road race in Palm Springs on March 26th and 27th, 1955. He had fast success and actually won the under 1500cc production race on that first day. This win gained him entry into the main event the next day. He again had success and finished 3rd overall in the under 1500 race and first overall in the production class.
This success did nothing but fuel Dean's passion for racing. His next race was at Minter Field in Bakersfield, California. He again raced well enough on Saturday to gain entry into the main event on Sunday. In the main event, he battled hard before being edged out for the win by another Speedster with the Super motor.
His final race with the Speedster was Memorial Day weekend 1955 in Santa Barbara, California. While he again was battling and doing well in the race, he was pushing the motor hard and ended up blowing a piston which ended his race.
After this race, he had to take a hiatus because Warner Brothers would not allow him to race during the production of Giant. After movie production wrapped, he traded the Speedster into Competition Motors in September for a faster 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder. He would never race again as he was killed in a car accident on September 30th driving the 550 on his way to the Salinas Road Race.
So, where is the actual Dean 356 Speedster today? According to Lee Raskin, a noted early Porsche historian and author, the actual vehicle was found in France and is having a complete restoration completed at an undisclosed location in Eastern Europe. Lee has a great book called "James Dean On The Road To Salinas" if you would like to read a much more thorough history on the topic. Lee will also be introducing a new book discussing the life of SN 80126, a fake build that is happening Italy and many other topics at the LA Litearture Show in February 2021. The book will have 250 pages and 325 images. We can't wait to get a copy!
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