On Sept 30, 1955, which iconic film actor died when his Porosche 550 Spyder collided with a Ford coupe driven by Donald Turnupseed?
Porsche 550 with Donald Turnupseed's 1950 Ford Custom at the CA Rte. 46/41 Cholame Junction on September 30, 1955, resulting in Dean's death. As Dean was finishing up "Giant"’s filming in September, 1955, he suddenly traded in his 356 Porsche Super Speedster at Competition Motors, for a new 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder on September 21st, and immediately entered the upcoming Salinas Road Race event scheduled for October 1 and 2. According to Lee Raskin, Porsche historian and author of "James Dean At Speed", Dean asked custom car painter and pin striper Dean Jeffries to paint "Little Bastard" on the car:Dean Jeffries, who
Rolf Wütherich to purchase a new Spyder on September 21. Von Neumann only agreed to sell the new 550 Spyder to Dean as long as Wütherich would accompany him to the races as his mechanic. Dean immediately entered the Salinas Road Races scheduled for October 1-2. On Friday morning, September 30, 1955, Dean and Wütherich were at Competition Motors preparing Dean’s new Porsche 550 Spyder for the weekend sports car races at Salinas, California. Dean originally intended to trailer the Porsche to Salinas, behind his 1955 Ford Country Squire station wagon, driven by friend and movie stunt man, Bill Hickman, and accompanied