In 2016, Jerry Seinfeld's 1955 Porsche RS 550 Spyder sold for $5,335,000 at auction and set a world record price for Porsche. However, it wasn't the ownership that raised the price up to a seven-figure range. This was a unique example of a Spyder that was sought after by high-end collectors.
What was behind the car's appeal? It was the first Porsche's vehicle built for racing. It had a successful career, earned the name "the giant killer" and dominated its 1.5L class. It took on more powerful cars from Maserati, Ferrari, Jaguar, and Aston Martin. It had a production run of 90 models, and only 80% exist today. All models had a flat-four engine and hand-formed bodywork. One of the missing models has a particularly interesting story. It is the 550-0055, in which James Dean lost his life.
Let's find out the truth behind James Dean's cursed Porsche 500 Spyder.
Why People Believe The Car Is Cursed
On September 30, 1955, James Dean died in a car accident. He was just 24 years old. Rumors have swirled around this accident and most notably, the car itself, the Porsche 500 Spyder. The car had the nickname "Little Bastard" and caused death everywhere it went.
James Dean knew how to tame powerful cars. He competed in many races throughout his life and owned many fast vehicles. However, his new purchase was faster than other cars. The Spyder had a 1.5L engine that delivered 112 horsepower. It was more than enough for a 550-kilogram vehicle. The Spyder, however, caused problems the moment Dean got it. After buying it, Dean began showing off his new car and got to a top speed of 150 mph.
Alec Guinness, known for the role of Obi-Wan, warned Dean about the purchase. Guinness was overwhelmed by a gut instinct and went to explain that Dean would be dead within a weak if he drove this Porsche. The actor's uncle, Charlie Nolan, also felt uneasy about it. Strangely enough, Dean was killed in the car exactly seven days after the conversation. Two hours before the accident he got a speeding ticket.
The supposedly cursed car didn't stop to cause havoc even after Dean's death. It was totaled in an accident, so the guy named George Barris bought it to sell for parts. While the car was transferred in a truck, it fell onto a mechanic's leg.
Barris wanted to hide the Porsche but then lent it to a highway safety exhibit. The garage that housed the car got on fire. However, the Spyder wasn't damaged at all. At the exhibition, it fell off the display and broke a hip of a nearby visitor.
George Barkuis, who was hauling the wreckage of the Spyder on a truck, was killed when the car fell on him. In 1960, the car was on its way to a safety conference in Miami. After that it mysteriously vanished.
Who Owns The Lost Porsche?
As we now know, Barris sent the Porsche on tours when it disappeared. No one had seen it until 2016 when Shawn Reilly, a Washington State resident, said that he had a scar on his finger that bugged him. He couldn't remember how he got it, but the therapy revealed his memory.
According to Reilly, his father had brought him along on a job. They met up with people who wanted a wrecked performance car, and they got the Porsche 500 Spyder. Reilly said that he cut the finger on the car. He has even passed a lie detector test. As it was discovered later, the Porsche did not legally belong to Barris. He transferred ownership rights to an insurer.
According to Volo Museum Director Brian Grams, the Porsche is now hidden somewhere in Washington. So, if it's hidden away, who is his legal owner? Attorney Lee Raskin, who wrote the book "James Dean: On the Road to Salinas", said the car was registered in California by its engine number, and not by the chassis number. When Dean wrote the Porsche off to the insurance company, it was sold to Dr. William F. Eschrich for $1,092. He removed the engine and many other components and restored the vehicle.
Dr. William F. Eschrich still has the original pink slip for the car, and no official record of the transfer has been discovered. Therefore, Raskin believes that the Porsche 500 Spyder belongs to Eschrich. William has not made any official claims.
As for other people involved in the discussion, Barris died and it has slowed the process, which means it can take years to find out if the Porsche Spyder is really hidden in Eschrich's garage.