Premium Episode 79: The Ride

James Dean is the poster boy for the old adage “Live Fast, Die Young” — and despite his tragically short career, he’s maintained permanent fame as a Hollywood golden boy. But there’s another, stranger story about Dean, and the car he drove: the long-standing rumor that it carried a curse. We love you, strangers. We are correctly pronouncing “Porsche.” Do not email us. Hosted, Written, and Researched by Laurah Norton Additional Writing by Maura Curie Additional Research by Bryan Worters Engineered & Produced by Maura Currie Works Cited: Til Daun, “The Rebel,” Porsche Official Website. Ryan Parker, “Alec Guinness Warned James Dean About His Car One Week Before Deadly Crash.” The Hollywood Reporter, 2017. Nick Berg, “The curse of James Dean’s ‘Little Bastard’ Porsche 550 Spyder.” Hagerty UK, 2020. Ben Selby, “Little Bastard: The Story of James Dean’s Cursed Porsche.” Waimak Classic Cars. “Racing.” James Dean Official Website. N/A, “From the Archives: Film Star James Dean Killed in Auto Crash.” The Los Angeles Times, 1955. Cherise Threewitt, “Was James Dean’s Car Cursed?” HowStuffWorks, 2024. Preston Lerner, “What really happened to James Dean's 'cursed Little Bastard' Porsche.” Motorsport Magazine, 2024. Pat Pemberton, “Still deadly after 67 years, James Dean crash site a landmark for legends, rebels and lost potential.” Courthouse News Service, 2022.