11/22/2023 0 Comments 1955 porsche 550 spyderTraveling with his passenger, professional photographer Sanford H. Originally, Dean was not going to drive his new car to the race but it was recommended he get used to the car beforehand. They could reach a top speed of around 140 mph and featured a 4-speed, standard transmission (plus reverse). These cars weighed nearly 1,984 lbs and featured a seamless frame of steel tubing. The Porsche 550 Spyder was produced from 1953 through 1956 and is one of the top reproduced classic cars today. While on the way to a race on September 30, 1955, Dean was driving the new car to break it in and was involved in a fatal accident. James Dean traded in his 1955 Porsche Super Speedster for a new Porsche 550 Spyder on September 21, 1955. His racing career was put on hold when his contract for Giant forbid him from participating in races. He placed first in the novice class and second in the overall event at that race. He purchased his first car after filming East of Eden and competed in his first race right before he began filming Rebel Without a Cause. Roles he played during these years led to his successful Hollywood career.ĭean became interested in racing in 1954. Later that year, he moved to New York City where he worked a few acting jobs and became a member of the Actors Studio and studied method acting. However, he dropped out in 1951 to pursue a full-time career as an actor. After graduation, he moved back to California to live with his father and stepmother where he began going to college for law but soon switched schools and majors to drama. While in high school, Dean cas very active in a number of sports and clubs, including drama club. This was tragic for him as he was very close with his mother. His family moved to California where he attended elementary school but was sent back to Indiana to live with his aunt after his mother passed away when he was just nine years old. One of Dean's passions was racing, which led to the tragic death of a young and rising star in 1955. I even named my old car after his car, though mine was a female. I went out and bought a box set of all of his movies, then later bought the film made about his life starring James Franco. I was in a Classic Movie Club in high school and one of the first films we watched was Rebel Without a Cause. This Beck Spyder is titled as a 1989 Porsche.I'll never forget the first time I saw a James Dean film. The steering and suspension work together to provide a stable and confident driving, the motor pulls very strong in every gear and the brakes stop straight and true.īeck Development continues to be revered as the best in the business when it comes to replicating the Porsche icon, and the early serial number cars are among the best in quality and most sought after and values of these Beck 550's continue to rise. Mechanically, the car performs excellent in all areas and remains a very spirited car that is a complete blast to drive. Highlights include: Banjo Porsche steering wheel, 15 inch chrome wheels, VDO Gauges, MSD ignition, dual Weber ID 40 down draft carbs, electric fuel pump with in line fuel pressure regulator, all proper Porsche badging with 2 Porsche identification plates, soft top, full size spare and the icon number 130 on the doors and hood to honor James Dean's “Little Bastard”.Īt just 16212 miles since new, this Beck Spyder remains in excellent overall original condition showing a few chips on the nose consistent with use and age of the vehicle. This Spyder is finished in what appears to be its original, Metallic Silver Blue paint over red interior. It features Beck's Tube chassis and is powered by a very spirited air cooled VW engine, 4 speed manual transmission and 4 wheel drive. This car comes to us from a long hold in a private collection and to our knowledge, is the first time publicly offered for sale since completion. Beck Development hand laid the fiberglass bodies of these cars at their facility in Upland, CA and are considered much higher quality than the later cars where the bodies were sourced from Brazil. GR Auto Gallery is pleased to offer one of the first examples of Chuck Beck's 550 Spyder, Serial number 0011B. Today, the cars popularity far outweighs its production and as a result, companies such as “Beck Development” design and build high quality replicas to meet the continuing demand for the legendary sports car. Actor / driver James dean affectionately described the car as “The Giant Killer”. Its low, wide stance along with impressive power to weight, the 550 Spyder dominated against more powerful cars above its class. Actively participating in the European and US Championships from 1953 to 1965, the 550 variants recorded and astounding 95 overall victories along with 75 class wins in 370 starts. The Porsche 550 Spyder is quite possible the most recognizable competition-based car produced.
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